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art of war-第12部分

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three months more。



     'These were great mounds or ramparts of earth heaped up to 

the level of the enemy's walls in order to discover the weak 

points in the defense; and also to destroy the fortified turrets 

mentioned in the preceding note。'



     5。  The general; unable to control his irritation;  will 

launch his men to the assault like swarming ants;



     'This vivid simile of Ts‘ao Kung is taken from the spectacle 

of an army of ants climbing a wall。  The meaning is that the 

general; losing patience at the long delay; may make a premature 

attempt to storm the place before his engines of war are ready。'



with the result that one…third of his men are slain;  while the 

town still remains untaken。  Such are the disastrous effects of a 

siege。



     'We are reminded of the terrible losses of the Japanese 

before Port Arthur; in the most recent siege which history has to 

record。'



     6。  Therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops 

without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying 

siege to them;  he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy 

operations in the field。



     'Chia Lin notes that he only overthrows the Government;  but 

does no harm to individuals。  The classical instance is Wu Wang; 

who after having put an end to the Yin dynasty was acclaimed 

〃Father and mother of the people。〃'



     7。  With his forces intact he will dispute the mastery of 

the Empire; and thus; without losing a man; his triumph will be 

complete。



     'Owing to the double meanings in the Chinese text;  the 

latter part of the sentence is susceptible of quite a different 

meaning:   〃And thus; the weapon not being blunted by use;  its 

keenness remains perfect。〃'



This is the method of attacking by stratagem。

     8。  It is the rule in war; if our forces are ten to the 

enemy's one; to surround him; if five to one; to attack him;



     'Straightway; without waiting for any further advantage。'



if twice as numerous; to divide our army into two。



     'Tu Mu takes exception to the saying; and at first sight; 

indeed;  it appears to violate a fundamental principle of war。  

Ts'ao Kung; however; gives a clue to Sun Tzu's meaning:   〃Being 

two to the enemy's one; we may use one part of our army in the 

regular way; and the other for some special diversion。〃  Chang Yu 

thus further elucidates the point:  〃If our force is twice as 

numerous as that of the enemy; it should be split up into two 

divisions;  one to meet the enemy in front; and one to fall upon 

his rear; if he replies to the frontal attack; he may be crushed 

from behind;  if to the rearward attack; he may be crushed in 

front。〃   This is what is meant by saying that 'one part may be 

used in the regular way;  and the other for some special 

diversion。'   Tu Mu does not understand that dividing one's army 

is simply an irregular; just as concentrating it is the regular; 

strategical method;  and he is too hasty in calling this a 

mistake。〃'



     9。  If equally matched; we can offer battle;



     'Li Ch‘uan;  followed by Ho Shih;  gives the following 

paraphrase:   〃If attackers and attacked are equally matched in 

strength; only the able general will fight。〃'



if slightly inferior in numbers; we can avoid the enemy;



     'The meaning; 〃we can WATCH the enemy;〃 is certainly a great 

improvement on the above; but unfortunately there appears to be 

no very good authority for the variant。  Chang Yu reminds us that 

the saying only applies if the other factors are equal; a small 

difference in numbers is often more than counterbalanced by 

superior energy and discipline。'



if quite unequal in every way; we can flee from him。

     10。  Hence; though an obstinate fight may be made by a small 

force; in the end it must be captured by the larger force。

     11。  Now the general is the bulwark of the State;  if the 

bulwark is complete at all points; the State will be strong;  if 

the bulwark is defective; the State will be weak。



     'As Li Ch‘uan tersely puts it:  〃Gap indicates deficiency; 

if the general's ability is not perfect (i。e。  if he is not 

thoroughly versed in his profession);  his army will   lack 

strength。〃'



     12。  There are three ways in which a ruler can bring 

misfortune upon his army:

     13。  (1)  By commanding the army to advance or to retreat; 

being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey。  This is called 

hobbling the army。



     'Li Ch‘uan adds the comment:  〃It is like tying together the 

legs of a thoroughbred; so that it is unable to gallop。〃   One 

would naturally think of 〃the ruler〃 in this passage as being at 

home;  and trying to direct the movements of his army from a 

distance。  But the commentators understand just the reverse;  and 

quote the saying of T‘ai Kung:   〃A kingdom should not be 

governed from without;  and army should not be directed from 

within。〃   Of course it is true that; during an engagement;  or 

when in close touch with the enemy; the general should not be in 

the thick of his own troops; but a little distance apart。  

Otherwise; he will be liable to misjudge the position as a whole; 

and give wrong orders。'



     14。  (2)  By attempting to govern an army in the same way as 

he administers a kingdom; being ignorant of the conditions which 

obtain in an army。  This causes restlessness in the soldier's 

minds。



     'Ts‘ao Kung's note is; freely translated:   〃The military 

sphere and the civil sphere are wholly distinct; you can't handle 

an army in kid gloves。〃  And Chang Yu says:   〃Humanity and 

justice are the principles on which to govern a state; but not an 

army;  opportunism and flexibility;  on the other hand;  are 

military rather than civil virtues to assimilate the governing of 

an army〃to that of a State; understood。'



     15。  (3)   By employing the officers of his army without 

discrimination;



     'That is;  he is not careful to use the right man in the 

right place。'



through ignorance of the military principle of adaptation to 

circumstances。  This shakes the confidence of the soldiers。



     'I follow Mei Yao…ch‘en here。  The other commentators refer 

not to the ruler; as in SS。 13; 14; but to the officers he 

employs。  Thus Tu Yu says:  〃If a general is ignorant of the 

principle of adaptability;  he must not be entrusted with a 

position of authority。〃  Tu Mu quotes:  〃The skillful employer of 

men will employ the wise man; the brave man; the covetous man; 

and the stupid man。  For the wise man delights in establishing 

his merit; the brave man likes to show his courage in action; the 

covetous man is quick at seizing advantages; and the stupid man 

has no fear of death。〃'



     16。  But when the army is restless and distrustful;  trouble 

is sure to come from the other feudal princes。  This is simply 

bringing anarchy into the army; and flinging victory away。

     17。  Thus we may know that there are five essentials for 

victory:  (1) He will win who knows when to fight and when not to 

fight。



     'Chang Yu says:  If he can fight; he advances and takes the 

offensive;  if he cannot fight; he retreats and remains on the 

defensive。  He will invariably conquer who knows whether it is 

right to take the offensive or the defensive。'



     (2)   He will win who knows how to handle both superior and 

inferior forces。



     'This is not merely the general's ability to estimate 

numbers correctly; as Li Ch‘uan and others make out。  Chang Yu 

expounds the saying more satisfactorily:  〃By applying the art of 

war; it is possible with a lesser force to defeat a greater;  and 

vice versa。  The secret lies in an eye for locality; and in not 

letting the right moment slip。  Thus Wu Tzu says:   'With a 

superior force; make for easy ground; with an inferior one;  make 

for difficult ground。'〃'



     (3)  He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit 

throughout all its ranks。

     (4)   He will win who; prepared himself; waits to take the 

enemy unprepared。

     (5)   He will win who has military capacity and is not 

interfered with by the sovereign。



     'Tu Yu quotes Wang Tzu as saying:  〃It is the sovereign's 

function to give broad instructions; but to decide on battle it 

is the function of the general。〃  It is needless to dilate on the 

military disasters which have been caused by undue interference 

with operations in the field on the part of the home government。  

Napoleon undoubtedly owed much of his extraordinary success to 

the fact that he was not hampered by central authority。'



     18。  Hence the saying:  If you know the enemy and know 

yourself; you need not fear the result of a hundred battles。  If 

you know yourself but not the enemy; for every victory gained you 

will also suffer a defeat。



     'Li Ch‘uan c
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