English Original
In Yingdu, the capital of the state of Chu, a man placed a speck of white plaster, no larger than a fly's wing, on the tip of his nose. He then asked a master carpenter named Shi to strike it off with an axe.
The carpenter swung his axe with a whistling sound. The plaster was completely removed, yet the man's nose remained unharmed. The man from Ying showed no trace of fear on his face; he did not even blink.
When King Songyuan heard of this feat, he asked the carpenter to perform it again. Carpenter Shi replied, "It is true that I once performed this skill. However, the man who could cooperate with me so perfectly has long since passed away."
中文翻译
在楚国的都城郢，有一个人将苍蝇翅膀大小的一点白灰抹在自己的鼻尖上。他请一位名叫石的匠人用斧头把它砍下来。
匠石抡起斧头，带着呼呼的风声砍下去。结果白灰被完全削除，而鼻子却一点没有受伤。这位郢人面不改色，连眼睛都没有眨一下。
宋元君听说此事后，请匠人再表演一次。匠石回答说：“我确实曾经砍过。但是，那位能与我如此完美配合的人，早已去世了。”