Love English 2 助大家快乐学英语!
点开上方链接有惊喜!
The Art of War
By Sun Tzu
Translated by Lionel Giles
The Art of War (Chinese: 孙子兵法; pinyin: Sūnzǐ Bīngfǎ) is a Chinese military treatise that was written by Sun Tzu in the 6th century BC, during the Spring and Autumn period. (Some scholars believe it was written during the later Warring States period.) Composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare, it is said to be the definitive work on military strategies and tactics of its time, and still one of the basic texts.《孙子兵法》,简称《孙子》,又称《孙武兵法》和《吴孙子兵法》,是中国古代的兵书,作者为春秋末年的齐国人孙武(字长卿)。一般认为,《孙子兵法》成书于前515至前512年,全书为十三篇,是孙武初次见面赠送给吴王的见面礼。事见司马迁《史记》:“孙子武者,齐人也,以兵法见吴王阖闾。阖闾曰:子之十三篇吾尽观之矣”。The Art of War is one of the oldest and most successful books on military strategy. It has had an influence on Eastern military thinking, business tactics, and beyond. Sun Tzu suggested the importance of positioning in strategy and that position is affected both by objective conditions in the physical environment and the subjective opinions of competitive actors in that environment. He thought that strategy was not planning in the sense of working through an established list, but rather that it requires quick and appropriate responses to changing conditions. Planning works in a controlled environment, but in a changing environment, competing plans collide, creating unexpected situations.有个别观点曾认为今本《孙子》应是战国中晚期孙膑及其弟子的作品,但是银雀山出土的汉简(同时在西汉墓葬中出土《孙子兵法》、《孙膑兵法》各一部)已基本否定此说。The book was translated into the French language in 1772 by French Jesuit Jean Joseph Marie Amiot, and into English by British officer Everard Ferguson Calthrop in 1905. Leaders as diverse as Mao Zedong, General Vo Nguyen Giap, Baron Antoine-Henri Jomini, and General Douglas MacArthur have claimed to have drawn inspiration from the work. The Art of War has also been applied to business and managerial strategies. 《孙子兵法》是世界上最早的兵书之一。在中国被奉为兵家经典,后世的兵书大多受到它的影响,对中国的军事学发展影响非常深远。它也被翻译成多种语言,在世界军事史上也具有重要的地位。
Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.孙子曰:兵者,国之大事,死生之地,存亡之道,不可不察也。The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline.故经之以五事,校之以计,而索其情:一曰道,二曰天,三曰地,四曰将,五曰法。The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.道者,令民于上同意,可与之死,可与之生,而不危也;Heaven signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons.Earth comprises distances, great and small; danger and security; open ground and narrow passes; the chances of life and death.The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerely, benevolence, courage and strictness.By method and discipline are to be understood the marshaling of the army in its proper subdivisions, the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the control of military expenditure.These five heads should be familiar to every general: he who knows them will be victorious; he who knows them not will fail.Therefore, in your deliberations, when seeking to determine the military conditions, let them be made the basis of a comparison, in this wise:--(1) Which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the Moral law? (2) Which of the two generals has most ability? (3) With whom lie the advantages derived from Heaven and Earth? (4) On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced? (5) Which army is stronger? (6) On which side are officers and men more highly trained? (7) In which army is there the greater constancy both in reward and punishment?By means of these seven considerations I can forecast victory or defeat.将孰有能?天地孰得?法令孰行?兵众孰强?士卒孰练?赏罚孰明?吾以此知胜负矣。The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer: let such a one be retained in command! The general that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it, will suffer defeat:--let such a one be dismissed!将听吾计,用之必胜,留之;将不听吾计,用之必败,去之。While heading the profit of my counsel, avail yourself also of any helpful circumstances over and beyond the ordinary rules.According as circumstances are favorable, one should modify one's plans.All warfare is based on deception.Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.故能而示之不能,用而示之不用,近而示之远,远而示之近。 Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected. These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand.利而诱之,乱而取之,实而备之,强而避之, 怒而挠之,卑而骄之, 佚而劳之,亲而离之,攻其无备,出其不意。此兵家之胜,不可先传也。Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple where the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.夫未战而庙算胜者,得算多也;未战而庙算不胜者,得算少也。多算胜少算,而况于无算乎!吾以此观之,胜负见矣。