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art of war-第27部分

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men:  this is hemmed in ground。

     10。  Ground on which we can only be saved from destruction 

by fighting without delay; is desperate ground。



     'The situation; as pictured by Ts‘ao Kung; is very similar 

to the 〃hemmed…in ground〃 except that here escape is no longer 

possible:   〃A lofty mountain in front; a large river behind; 

advance impossible; retreat blocked。〃  Ch‘en Hao says:  〃to be on 

'desperate ground' is like sitting in a leaking boat or crouching 

in a burning house。〃   Tu Mu quotes from Li Ching a vivid 

description of the plight of an army thus entrapped:  〃Suppose an 

army invading hostile territory without the aid of local guides: 

  it falls into a fatal snare and is at the enemy's mercy。  A 

ravine on the left;  a mountain on the right;  a pathway so 

perilous that the horses have to be roped together and the 

chariots carried in slings; no passage open in front; retreat cut 

off behind;  no choice but to proceed in single file。  Then; 

before there is time to range our soldiers in order of battle; 

the enemy is overwhelming strength suddenly appears on the scene。  

Advancing; we can nowhere take a breathing…space; retreating;  we 

have no haven of refuge。  We seek a pitched battle; but in vain; 

yet standing on the defensive; none of us has a moment's respite。  

If we simply maintain our ground; whole days and months will 

crawl by;  the moment we make a move; we have to sustain the 

enemy's attacks on front and rear。  The country is wild; 

destitute of water and plants; the army is lacking in the 

necessaries of life; the horses are jaded and the men worn…out; 

all the resources of strength and skill unavailing; the pass so 

narrow that a single man defending it can check the onset of ten 

thousand;  all means of offense in the hands of the enemy;  all 

points of vantage already forfeited by ourselves:in this 

terrible plight; even though we had the most valiant soldiers and 

the keenest of weapons; how could they be employed with the 

slightest effect?〃  Students of Greek history may be reminded of 

the awful close to the Sicilian expedition; and the agony of the 

Athenians under Nicias and Demonsthenes。  'See Thucydides;  VII。 

78 sqq。'。'



     11。  On dispersive ground; therefore; fight not。  On facile 

ground; halt not。  On contentious ground; attack not。



     'But rather let all your energies be bent on occupying the 

advantageous position first。  So Ts‘ao Kung。  Li Ch‘uan and 

others;  however;  suppose the meaning to be that the enemy has 

already forestalled us; sot that it would be sheer madness to 

attack。  In the SUN TZU HSU LU; when the King of Wu inquires what 

should be done in this case; Sun Tzu replies:  〃The rule with 

regard to contentious ground is that those in possession have the 

advantage over the other side。  If a position of this kind is 

secured first by the enemy; beware of attacking him。  Lure him 

away by pretending to fleeshow your banners and sound your 

drumsmake a dash for other places that he cannot afford to 

losetrail brushwood and raise a dustconfound his ears and 

eyesdetach a body of your best troops; and place it secretly in 

ambuscade。  Then your opponent will sally forth to the rescue。〃'



     12。  On open ground; do not try to block the enemy's way。



     'Because the attempt would be futile; and would expose the 

blocking   force itself to serious risks。  There   are   two 

interpretations available here。  I follow that of Chang Yu。  The 

other is indicated in Ts‘ao Kung's brief note:   〃Draw closer 

together〃i。e。;  see that a portion of your own army is not cut 

off。'



On the ground of intersecting highways; join hands with your 

allies。



     'Or perhaps; 〃form alliances with neighboring states。〃'



     13。  On serious ground; gather in plunder。



     'On this; Li Ch‘uan has the following delicious note:  〃When 

an army penetrates far into the enemy's country; care must be 

taken not to alienate the people by unjust treatment。  Follow the 

example of the Han Emperor Kao Tsu;  whose march into Ch‘in 

territory was marked by no violation of women or looting of 

valuables。  'Nota bene:  this was in 207 B。C。; and may well cause 

us to blush for the Christian armies that entered Peking in 1900 

A。D。'   Thus he won the hearts of all。  In the present passage; 

then;  I think that the true reading must be; not 'plunder;'  but 

'do not plunder。'〃  Alas; I fear that in this instance the worthy 

commentator's feelings outran his judgment。  Tu Mu; at least; has 

no such illusions。  He says:  〃When encamped on 'serious ground;' 

there being no inducement as yet to advance further;  and no 

possibility of retreat;  one ought to take measures for a 

protracted resistance by bringing in provisions from all sides; 

and keep a close watch on the enemy。〃'



In difficult ground; keep steadily on the march。



     'Or; in the words of VIII。 ss。 2; 〃do not encamp。'



     14。  On hemmed…in ground; resort to stratagem。



     'Ts‘au   Kung says:   〃Try the effect of some   unusual 

artifice;〃  and Tu Yu amplifies this by saying:   〃In such a 

position;  some scheme must be devised which will suit the 

circumstances;  and if we can succeed in deluding the enemy;  the 

peril may be escaped。〃  This is exactly what happened on the 

famous occasion when Hannibal was hemmed in among the mountains 

on the road to Casilinum; and to all appearances entrapped by the 

dictator Fabius。  The stratagem which Hannibal devised to baffle 

his foes was remarkably like that which T‘ien Tan had also 

employed with success exactly 62 years before。  'See IX。 ss。  24; 

note。'  When night came on; bundles of twigs were fastened to the 

horns of some 2000 oxen and set on fire; the terrified animals 

being then quickly driven along the mountain side towards the 

passes which were beset by the enemy。  The strange spectacle of 

these rapidly moving lights so alarmed and discomfited the Romans 

that they withdrew from their position;  and Hannibal's army 

passed safely through the defile。  'See Polybius; III。  93;  94; 

Livy; XXII。 16 17。'



On desperate ground; fight。



     'For;  as Chia Lin remarks:  〃if you fight with all your 

might;  there is a chance of life; where as death is certain if 

you cling to your corner。〃'



     15。  Those who were called skillful leaders of old knew how 

to drive a wedge between the enemy's front and rear;



     'More literally;  〃cause the front and rear to lose touch 

with each other。〃'



to prevent co…operation between his large and small divisions; to 

hinder the good troops from rescuing the bad; the officers from 

rallying their men。

     16。  When the enemy's men were united; they managed to keep 

them in disorder。

     17。  When it was to their advantage; they made a forward 

move; when otherwise; they stopped still。



     'Mei Yao…ch‘en connects this with the foregoing:   〃Having 

succeeded in thus dislocating the enemy; they would push forward 

in order to secure any advantage to be gained; if there was no 

advantage to be gained; they would remain where they were。〃'



     18。  If asked how to cope with a great host of the enemy in 

orderly array and on the point of marching to the attack;  I 

should say:   〃Begin by seizing something which your opponent 

holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will。〃



     'Opinions differ as to what Sun Tzu had in mind。  Ts‘ao Kung 

thinks it is 〃some strategical advantage on which the enemy is 

depending。〃   Tu Mu says:  〃The three things which an enemy is 

anxious to do; and on the accomplishment of which his success 

depends;  are:   (1) to capture our favorable positions;  (2)  to 

ravage our cultivated land; (3) to guard his own communications。〃  

Our object then must be to thwart his plans in these three 

directions and thus render him helpless。  'Cf。 III。 ss。 3。'   By 

boldly seizing the initiative in this way; you at once throw the 

other side on the defensive。'



     19。  Rapidity is the essence of war:



     'According to Tu Mu;  〃this is a summary of   leading 

principles in warfare;〃 and he adds:  〃These are the profoundest 

truths of military science;  and the chief business of the 

general。〃   The following anecdotes; told by Ho Shih;  shows the 

importance attached to speed by two of China's greatest generals。  

In 227 A。D。;  Meng Ta; governor of Hsin…ch‘eng under the Wei 

Emperor Wen Ti; was meditating defection to the House of Shu; and 

had entered into correspondence with Chu…ko Liang; Prime Minister 

of that State。  The Wei general Ssu…ma I was then military 

governor of Wan; and getting wind of Meng Ta's treachery; he at 

once set off with an army to anticipate his revolt;  having 

previously cajoled him by a specious message of friendly import。  

Ssu…ma's officers came to him and said:  〃If Meng Ta has leagued 

him
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