孙子兵法英文版.docx

孙子兵法英文版.docx

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孙子兵法英文版

孙子兵法英文版

SUNTZUONTHEARTOFWAR

THEOLDESTMILITARYTREATISEINTHEWORLD

TranslatedfromtheChinese

ByLIONELGILES,M.A.（1910）[ThisisthebasictextofSunTzuon

theArtofWar.ItwasextractedfromMr.Giles'completeworkastitledabove.Thecommentaryitself,which,ofcourseincludesthisworkembeddedwithinit,hasbeenreleasedassuntzu10.txt（orsuntzu10.zip）.Thisisbeingreleasedonlyasanadjuncttothatwork,whichcontainsawealthofcommentaryuponthistext.]

I.LAYINGPLANS

1.SunTzusaid:

TheartofwarisofvitalimportancetotheState.2.Itisamatteroflifeanddeath,aroadeithertosafetyortoruin.Henceitisasubjectofinquirywhichcanonnoaccountbeneglected.3.Theartofwar,then,isgovernedbyfiveconstantfactors,tobetakenintoaccountinone'sdeliberations,whenseekingtodeterminetheconditionsobtaininginthefield.

4.Theseare:

（1）TheMoralLaw;

（2）Heaven;（3）Earth;（4）TheCommander;（5）Methodanddiscipline.

5,6.TheMoralLawcausesthepeopletobeincompleteaccordwiththeirruler,sothattheywillfollowhimregardlessoftheirlives,undismayedbyanydanger.

7.Heavensignifiesnightandday,coldandheat,timesandseasons.

8.Earthcomprisesdistances,greatandsmall;dangerandsecurity;opengroundandnarrowpasses;thechancesoflifeanddeath.9.TheCommanderstandsforthevirtuesofwisdom,sincerely,benevolence,courageandstrictness.

10.Bymethodanddisciplinearetobeunderstoodthemarshalingofthearmyinitspropersubdivisions,thegraduationsofrankamongtheofficers,themaintenanceofroadsbywhichsuppliesmayreachthearmy,andthecontrolofmilitaryexpenditure.

11.Thesefiveheadsshouldbefamiliartoeverygeneral:

hewhoknowsthemwillbevictorious;hewhoknowsthemnotwillfail.12.Therefore,inyourdeliberations,whenseeking

todeterminethemilitaryconditions,letthembemadethebasisofacomparison,inthiswise:

--

13.

（1）WhichofthetwosovereignsisimbuedwiththeMorallaw?

（2）Whichofthetwogeneralshasmostability?

（3）WithwhomlietheadvantagesderivedfromHeavenandEarth?

（4）Onwhichsideisdisciplinemostrigorouslyenforced?

（5）Whicharmyisstronger?

（6）Onwhichsideareofficersandmenmorehighlytrained?

（7）Inwhicharmyistherethegreaterconstancybothinrewardandpunishment?

14.BymeansofthesesevenconsiderationsIcanforecastvictoryor

defeat.

15.Thegeneralthathearkenstomycounselandactsuponit,willconquer:

letsuchaoneberetainedincommand!

Thegeneralthathearkensnottomycounselnoractsuponit,willsufferdefeat:

--letsuchaonebedismissed!

16.Whileheadingtheprofitofmycounsel,availyourselfalsoofanyhelpfulcircumstancesoverandbeyondtheordinaryrules.

17.Accordingascircumstancesarefavorable,oneshouldmodifyone'splans.

18.Allwarfareisbasedondeception.

19.Hence,whenabletoattack,wemustseemunable;whenusingourforces,wemustseeminactive;whenwearenear,wemustmaketheenemybelievewearefaraway;whenfaraway,wemustmakehimbelievewearenear.

20.Holdoutbaitstoenticetheenemy.Feigndisorder,andcrushhim.21.Ifheissecureatallpoints,bepreparedforhim.Ifheisinsuperiorstrength,evadehim.

22.Ifyouropponentisofcholerictemper,seektoirritatehim.Pretendtobeweak,thathemaygrowarrogant.

23.Ifheistakinghisease,givehimnorest.Ifhisforcesareunited,separatethem.

24.Attackhimwhereheisunprepared,appearwhereyouarenot

expected.

25.Thesemilitarydevices,leadingtovictory,mustnotbedivulgedbeforehand.

26.Nowthegeneralwhowinsabattlemakesmanycalculationsinhistempleerethebattleisfought.Thegeneralwholosesabattlemakesbutfewcalculationsbeforehand.Thusdomanycalculationsleadtovictory,andfewcalculationstodefeat:

howmuchmorenocalculationatall!

ItisbyattentiontothispointthatIcanforeseewhoislikelytowinorlose.II.WAGINGWAR

1.SunTzusaid:

Intheoperationsofwar,wherethereareinthefieldathousandswiftchariots,asmanyheavychariots,andahundredthousandmail-cladsoldiers,withprovisionsenoughtocarrythemathousandli,theexpenditureathomeandatthefront,includingentertainmentofguests,smallitemssuchasglueandpaint,andsumsspentonchariotsandarmor,willreachthetotalofathousandouncesofsilverperday.Suchisthecostofraisinganarmyof100,000men.

2.Whenyouengageinactualfighting,ifvictoryislongincoming,thenmen'sweaponswillgrowdullandtheirardorwillbedamped.Ifyoulaysiegetoatown,youwillexhaustyourstrength.

3.Again,ifthecampaignisprotracted,theresourcesoftheStatewillnotbeequaltothestrain.

4.Now,whenyourweaponsaredulled,yourardordamped,yourstrength

exhaustedandyourtreasurespent,otherchieftainswillspringuptotakeadvantageofyourextremity.Thennoman,howeverwise,willbeabletoaverttheconsequencesthatmustensue.

5.Thus,thoughwehaveheardofstupidhasteinwar,clevernesshasneverbeenseenassociatedwithlongdelays.

6.Thereisnoinstanceofacountryhavingbenefitedfromprolongedwarfare.

7.Itisonlyonewhoisthoroughlyacquaintedwiththeevilsofwarthatcanthoroughlyunderstandtheprofitablewayofcarryingiton.8.Theskillfulsoldierdoesnotraiseasecondlevy,neitherarehissupply-wagonsloadedmorethantwice.

9.Bringwarmaterialwithyoufromhome,butforageontheenemy.Thusthearmywillhavefoodenoughforitsneeds.

10.PovertyoftheStateexchequercausesanarmytobemaintainedbycontributionsfromadistance.Contributingtomaintainanarmyatadistancecausesthepeopletobeimpoverished.

11.Ontheotherhand,theproximityofanarmycausespricestogoup;andhighpricescausethepeople'ssubstancetobedrainedaway.12.Whentheirsubstanceisdrainedaway,thepeasantrywillbeafflictedbyheavyexactions.

13,14.Withthislossofsubstanceandexhaustionofstrength,thehomesofthepeoplewillbestrippedbare,andthree-tenthsoftheirincomewill

bedissipated;whilegovernmentexpensesforbrokenchariots,worn-outhorses,breast-platesandhelmets,bowsandarrows,spearsandshields,protectivemantles,draught-oxenandheavywagons,willamounttofour-tenthsofitstotalrevenue.

15.Henceawisegeneralmakesapointofforagingontheenemy.Onecartloadoftheenemy'sprovisionsisequivalenttotwentyofone'sown,andlikewiseasinglepiculofhisprovenderisequivalenttotwentyfromone'sownstore.

16.Nowinordertokilltheenemy,ourmenmustberousedtoanger;thattheremaybeadvantagefromdefeatingtheenemy,theymusthavetheirrewards.

17.Thereforeinchariotfighting,whentenormorechariotshavebeentaken,thoseshouldberewardedwhotookthefirst.Ourownflagsshouldbesubstitutedforthoseoftheenemy,andthechariotsmingledandusedinconjunctionwithours.Thecapturedsoldiersshouldbekindlytreatedandkept.

18.Thisiscalled,usingtheconqueredfoetoaugmentone'sownstrength.19.Inwar,then,letyourgreatobjectbevictory,notlengthycampaigns.20.Thusitmaybeknownthattheleaderofarmiesisthearbiterofthepeople'sfate,themanonwhomitdependswhetherthenationshallbeinpeaceorinperil.

III.ATTACKBYSTRATAGEM

1.SunTzusaid:

Inthepracticalartofwar,thebestthingofallistotaketheenemy'scountrywholeandintact;toshatteranddestroyitisnotsogood.So,too,itisbettertorecaptureanarmyentirethantodestroyit,tocapturearegiment,adetachmentoracompanyentirethantodestroythem.

2.Hencetofightandconquerinallyourbattlesisnotsupremeexcellence;supremeexcellenceconsistsinbreakingtheenemy'sresistancewithoutfighting.

3.Thusthehighestformofgeneralshipistobalktheenemy'splans;thenextbestistopreventthejunctionoftheenemy'sforces;thenextinorderistoattacktheenemy'sarmyinthefield;andtheworstpolicyofallistobesiegewalledcities.

4.Theruleis,nottobesiegewalledcitiesifitcanpossiblybeavoided.Thepreparationofmantlets,movableshelters,andvariousimplementsofwar,willtakeupthreewholemonths;andthepilingupofmoundsoveragainstthewallswilltakethreemonthsmore.

5.Thegeneral,unabletocontrolhisirritation,willlaunchhismentotheassaultlikeswarmingants,withtheresultthatone-thirdofhismenareslain,whilethetownstillremainsuntaken.Sucharethedisastrouseffectsofasiege.

6.Thereforetheskillfulleadersubduestheenemy'stroopswithoutany

fighting;hecapturestheircitieswithoutlayingsiegetothem;heoverthrowstheirkingdomwithoutlengthyoperationsinthefield.7.WithhisforcesintacthewilldisputethemasteryoftheEmpire,andthus,withoutlosingaman,histriumphwillbecomplete.Thisisthemethodofattackingbystratagem.

8.Itistheruleinwar,ifourforcesaretentotheenemy'sone,tosurroundhim;iffivetoone,toattackhim;iftwiceasnumerous,todivideourarmyintotwo.

9.Ifequallymatched,wecanofferbattle;ifslightlyinferiorinnumbers,wecanavoidtheenemy;ifquiteunequalineveryway,wecanfleefromhim.

10.Hence,thoughanobstinatefightmaybemadebyasmallforce,intheenditmustbecapturedbythelargerforce.

11.NowthegeneralisthebulwarkoftheState;ifthebulwarkiscompleteatallpoints;theStatewillbestrong;ifthebulwarkisdefective,theStatewillbeweak.

12.Therearethreewaysinwhicharulercanbringmisfortuneuponhisarmy:

--

13.

（1）Bycommandingthearmytoadvanceortoretreat,beingignorantofthefactthatitcannotobey.Thisiscalled