公子家見公子宋之食指動，謂子家曰：「他日我如是，必嘗異味。
When Prince Jia saw Prince Song’s food finger twitch, Prince Song said to him, “On other occasions when this has happened, I have always gotten to taste some special delicacy.” When the tortoise meat was distributed to the officers, Prince Song was summoned to the occasion but was not given any of the meat.
」及食大夫黿，召公子宋而不與。
Angry at this, Prince Song dipped his finger into the cauldron, tasted it, and left.
公子宋怒，染指於鼎，嘗之而出。
Lord Ling was angry and wanted to have him killed.
公怒，欲殺之。
Prince Song and Prince Jia made plans to forestall this and assassinated Lord Ling.
公子宋與公子家謀先，遂弒靈公。
Zixia said, “The Annals record the failure of rulers to be rulers, of officers to be officers, of fathers to be fathers, and of sons to be sons.
子夏曰：「春秋者，記君不君、臣不臣，父不父、子不子者也，此非一日之事也，有漸以至焉。」
These things did not happen in a day; rather, they came about gradually.