強弱懸殊的戰役 - 古德明
The Battle of Poitiers,* fought between England and France in 1356, was a major battle of the Hundred Years' War. It was only just before the battle that the Black Prince of England found that, while he had only 10,000 men in all, the French numbered 60,000 foot and horse.
A French cardinal rode over to the English camp, with a view to arranging terms and preventing the flow of Christian blood. "Save my honour," said the Black Prince to this envoy, "and save the honour of my army, and I will make any reasonable terms." He offered to give up to the French king all the towns, castles, and prisoners he had taken, and to swear to make no war in France for seven years. But the French king, thinking he had the English completely in his power, would only consent to a treaty on condition that the prince, with one hundred of his chief knights, gave himself up to the French. The Black Prince, of course, refused, and, bidding the cardinal farewell, said, "We shall fight tomorrow."
The French king was captured and his forces beaten.
一三五六年，英、法兩軍戰於普瓦捷*，是百年戰爭的一場重要戰役。英國的黑王子到將近接戰，才知道法軍步兵、騎兵共六萬人，而他手下將士只有一萬。
法國一樞機主教騎馬來到英軍陣營，希望雙方談妥條件，避免基督徒廝殺。黑王子對這位使者說：「只要無損我尊嚴，無損我軍尊嚴，任何合理的條件，我都會接受。」他提議把攻佔得的城市、堡壘以及所擒俘虜，送還法國國王，並發誓七年之內不在法國土地上作戰。但是，法國國王認為英軍已在他掌握之中，要黑王子和他麾下最傑出的一百名武士，自投法軍作階下囚，才可簽署和約。黑王子當然拒絕，送別那樞機主教，說道：「我們明天交戰。」
結果法國國王被俘，法軍敗績。
*普瓦捷是法國中部一個城市。
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