泛地无舍，衢地合交，绝地无留，围地则谋，死地则战，
When in difficult country, do not encamp. In country where high roads intersect, join hands with your allies. Do not linger in dangerously isolated positions. In hemmed-in situations, you must resort to stratagem. In desperate position, you must fight. 途有所不由，军有所不击，城有所不攻，地有所不争，君命有所不受。
There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must be not attacked, towns which must be besieged, positions which must not be contested, commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed. 故将通于九变之利者，知用兵矣；
The general who thoroughly understands the advantages that accompany variation of tactics knows how to handle his troops. 将不通九变之利，虽知地形，不能得地之利矣；
The general who does not understand these, may be well acquainted with the configuration of the country, yet he will not be able to turn his knowledge to practical account. 治兵不知九变之术，虽知五利，不能得人之用矣。
So, the student of war who is unversed in the art of war of varying his plans, even though he be acquainted with the Five Advantages, will fail to make the best use of his men. 是故智者之虑，必杂于利害，
Hence in the wise leader's plans, considerations of advantage and of disadvantage will be blended together. 杂于利而务可信也，
If our expectation of advantage be tempered in this way, we may succeed in accomplishing the essential part of our schemes. 杂于害而患可解也。
If, on the other hand, in the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune. 是故屈诸侯者以害，役诸侯者以业，趋诸侯者以利。
Reduce the hostile chiefs by inflicting damage on them; and make trouble for them, and keep them constantly engaged; hold out specious allurements, and make them rush to any given point. 故用兵之法，无恃其不来，恃吾有以待之；无恃其不攻，恃吾有所不可攻也。
The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable. 故将有五危，必死可杀，必生可虏，忿速可侮，廉洁可辱，爱民可烦。
There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general: (1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction; (2) cowardice, which leads to capture; (3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults; (4) a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame; (5) over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble. 凡此五者，将之过也，用兵之灾也。
These are the five besetting sins of a general, ruinous to the conduct of war. 覆军杀将，必以五危，不可不察也。
When an army is overthrown and its leader slain, the cause will surely be found among these five dangerous faults. Let them be a subject of meditation.
行军第九
IX. The Army on the March
孙子曰：凡处军相敌，绝山依谷，
Sun Tzu said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy. Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighborhood of valleys. 视生处高，战隆无登，此处山之军也。
Camp in high places, facing the sun. Do not climb heights in order to fight. So much for mountain warfare. 绝水必远水，
After crossing a river, you should get far away from it. 客绝水而来，勿迎之于水内，令半渡而击之利，
When an invading force crosses a river in its onward march, do not advance to meet it in mid-stream. It will be best to let half the army get across, and then deliver your attack. 欲战者，无附于水而迎客，
If you are anxious to fight, you should not go to meet the invader near a river which he has to cross. 视生处高，无迎水流，此处水上之军也。
Moor your craft higher up than the enemy, and facing the sun. Do not move up-stream to meet the enemy. So much for river warfare. 绝斥泽，唯亟去无留，
In crossing salt-marshes, your sole concern should be to get over them quickly, without any delay. 若交军于斥泽之中，必依水草而背众树，此处斥泽之军也。
If forced to fight in a salt-marsh, you should have water and grass near you, and get your back to a clump of trees. So much for operations in salt-marches. 平陆处易，右背高，前死后生，此处平陆之军也。
In dry, level country, take up an easily accessible position with rising ground to your right and on your rear, so that the danger may be in front, and safety lie behind. So much for campaigning in flat country. 凡此四军之利，黄帝之所以胜四帝也。
These are the four useful branches of military knowledge which enabled the Yellow Emperor to vanquish four several sovereigns. 凡军好高而恶下，贵阳而贱阴，
All armies prefer high ground to low and sunny places to dark. 养生而处实，军无百疾，是谓必胜。
If you are careful of your men, and camp on hard ground, the army will be free from disease of every kind, and this will spell victory. 丘陵堤防，必处其阳而右背之，此兵之利，地之助也。
When you come to a hill or a bank, occupy the sunny side, with the slope on your right rear. Thus you will at once act for the benefit of your soldiers and utilize the natural advantages of the ground. 上雨水流至，欲涉者，待其定也。
When, in consequence of heavy rains up-country, a river which you wish to ford is swollen and flecked with foam, you must wait until it subsides. 凡地有绝涧、天井、天牢、天罗、天陷、天隙，必亟去之，勿近也。
Country in which there are precipitous cliffs with torrents running between, deep natural hollows, confined places, tangled thickets, quagmires and crevasses, should be left with all possible speed and not approached. 吾远之，敌近之；吾迎之，敌背之。
While we keep away from such places, we should get the enemy to approach them; while we face them, we should let the enemy have them on his rear. 军旁有险阻、潢井、蒹葭、小林、□①荟者，必谨覆索之，此伏奸之所处也。
If in the neighborhood of your camp there should be any hilly country, ponds surrounded by aquatic grass, hollow basins filled with reeds, or woods with thick undergrowth, they must be carefully routed out and searched; for these are places where men in ambush or insidious spies are likely to be lurking.
|
