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Original |
Translation |
| 1 |
孫子曰：昔之善戰者，先為不可勝，以侍敵之可勝。
|
1. Sun Zi said: The good fighters of old first put
themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then
waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.
|
| 2 |
不可勝在己，可勝在敵。 |
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our
own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy
is provided by the enemy himself. |
| 3 |
故善戰者，能為不可勝，不能使敵之必可勝。 |
Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat,
but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy. |
| 4 |
故曰：勝可知，而不可為。 |
Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer
without being able to do it. |
| 5 |
不可勝者，守也﹔可勝者，攻也。 |
Security against defeat implies defensive tactics;
ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive. |
| 6 |
守則不足，攻則有餘。 |
Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient
strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength. |
| 7 |
善守者，藏于九地之下﹔善攻者，動于九天之上。故能自保而全勝也。 |
The general who is skilled in defense hides in the
most secret recesses of the earth; he who is skilled in
attack flashes forth from the topmost heights of heaven.
Thus on the one hand we have ability to protect ourselves;
on the other, a victory that is complete. |
| 8 |
見勝不過眾人之所知，非善之善者也﹔ |
To see victory only when it is within the ken
of the common herd is not the acme of excellence. |
| 9 |
戰勝而天下曰善，非善之善者也。 |
Neither is it the acme of excellence if you fight
and conquer and the whole Empire says, "Well
done!" |
| 10 |
故舉秋毫不為多力，見日月不為明目，聞雷霆不為聰耳。 |
To lift an autumn hair is no sign of great strength;
to see the sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight;
to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a quick ear. |
| 11 |
古之所謂善戰者，勝于易勝者也。 |
What the ancients called a clever fighter is
one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease. |
| 12 |
故善戰之勝也，無智名，無勇功。 |
Hence his victories bring him neither reputation
for wisdom nor credit for courage. |
| 13 |
故其戰勝不忒。不忒者，其所措必勝，勝已敗者也。 |
He wins his battles by making no mistakes.
Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty
of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is
already defeated. |
| 14 |
故善戰者，立于不敗之地，而不失敵之敗也。 |
Hence the skillful fighter puts himself into
a position which makes defeat impossible, and does
not miss the moment for defeating the enemy. |
| 15 |
是故勝兵先勝而後求戰，敗兵先戰而後求勝。
|
Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist
only seeks battle after the victory has been won,
whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights
and afterwards looks for victory. |
| 16 |
善用兵者，修道而保法，故能為勝敗之政。 |
The consummate leader cultivates the moral law,
and strictly adheres to method and discipline; thus it is
in his power to control success. |
| 17 |
兵法：一曰度，二曰量，三曰數，四曰稱，五曰勝。 |
In respect of military method, we have,
firstly, Measurement; secondly, Estimation of quantity;
thirdly, Calculation; fourthly, Balancing of chances;
fifthly, Victory. |
| 18 |
地生度，度生量，量生數，數生稱，稱生勝。 |
Measurement owes its existence to Earth;
Estimation of quantity to Measurement; Calculation to
Estimation of quantity; Balancing of chances to Calculation;
and Victory to Balancing of chances. |
| 19 |
故勝兵若以鎰稱銖，敗兵若以銖稱鎰。 |
A victorious army opposed to a routed one, is as
a pound's weight placed in the scale against a single grain. |
| 20 |
勝者之戰民也，若決積水于千仞之谿者，形也。 |
The onrush of a conquering force is like the bursting
of pent-up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep. |
