Chapter 1 Laying Plans

1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State.
2. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry¹ which can on no account be neglected.
3. 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.
4. These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline.
5,6. 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.
7. Heaven signifies night and day, cold and heat,times and seasons.
8. Earth comprises distances, great and small;danger and security; open ground and narrow passes;the chances of life and death.
9. The Commander stands for the virtues² of wisdom,sincerely, benevolence³, courage and strictness.
10. 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 expenditure⁴.
11. These five heads should be familiar to every general:he who knows them will be victorious⁵; he who knows them not will fail.
12. Therefore, in your deliberations, when seeking
to determine the military conditions, let them be made the basis of a comparison, in this wise:--
13. (1) Which of the two sovereigns is imbued⁶ with the Moral law?
(2) Which of the two generals has most ability?
(3) With whom lie the advantages derived⁷ 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?
14. By means of these seven considerations I can forecast victory or defeat.
15. 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!
16. While heading the profit of my counsel,avail yourself also of any helpful circumstances over and beyond the ordinary rules.
17. According as circumstances are favorable,one should modify one's plans.
18. All warfare⁸ is based on deception⁹.
19. 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.
20. Hold out baits to entice¹⁰ the enemy. Feign¹¹ disorder,and crush him.
21. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him.If he is in superior strength, evade¹² him.
22. If your opponent is of choleric¹³ temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant¹⁴.
23. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest.If his forces are united, separate them.
24. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.
25. These military devices, leading to victory,must not be divulged¹⁵ beforehand.
26. Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere 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.

      原文：　 【始计第一】
      1.孙子曰： 兵者，国之大事，死生之地，存亡之道，不可不察也。
      2.故经之以五事，校之以七计，而索其情。
      3、一曰道，二曰天，三曰地，四曰将，五曰法。道者，令民于上同意，可与之死，可与之生，而不畏危也。天者，阴阳、寒暑、时制也。地者，高下，远近、险易、广狭、死生也。将者，智、信、仁、勇、严也。法者，曲制、官道、主用也。凡此五者，将莫不闻，知之者胜，不知之者不胜。
      4.故校之以七计，而索其情。曰：主孰有道？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。
      5.将听吾计，用之必胜，留之；将不听吾计，用之必败，去之。计利以听，乃为之势，以佐其外。势者，因利而制权也。

      6、兵者，诡道也。故能而示之不能，用而示之不用，近而示之远，远而示之近。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。

      7.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，少算不胜，而况于无算乎！吾以此观之，胜负见矣。
      　 译文：　　　　　　【始计第一】
      1.孙子说：战争是一个国家的头等大事，关系到军民的生死，国家的存亡，是不能不慎重周密地观察、分析、研究。
      2.因此，必须通过敌我双方五个方面的分析，七种情况的比较，得到详情，来预测战争胜负的可能性。
      3.
      一是道，二是天，三是地，四是将，五是法。道，指君主和民众目标相同，意志统一，可以同生共死，而不会惧怕危险。天，指昼夜、阴晴、寒暑、四季更替。地，指地势的高低，路程的远近，地势的险要、平坦与否，战场的广阔、狭窄，是生地还是死地等地理条件。将，指将领足智多谋，赏罚有信，对部下真心关爱，勇敢果断，军纪严明。法，指组织结构，责权划分，人员编制，管理制度，资源保障，物资调配。对这五个方面，将领都不能不做深刻了解。了解就能胜利，否则就不能胜利。
      4.所以，要通过对双方各种情况的考察分析，并据此加以比较，从而来预测战争胜负。哪一方的君主是有道明君，能得民心？哪一方的将领更有能力？哪一方占有天时地利？哪一方的法规、法令更能严格执行？哪一方资源更充足，装备更精良，兵员更广大？哪一方的士兵训练更有素，更有战斗力？哪一方的赏罚更公正严明？通过这些比较，我就知道了胜负。
      5.
      将领听从我的计策，任用他必胜，我就留下他；将领不听从我的计策，任用他必败，我就辞退他。听从了有利于克敌制胜的计策，还要创造一种势态，作为协助我方军事行动的外部条件。势，就是按照我方建立优势、掌握战争主动权的需要，根据具体情况采取不同的相应措施。
      6.用兵作战，就是诡诈。因此，有能力而装做没有能力，实际上要攻打而装做不攻打，欲攻打近处却装做攻打远处，攻打远处却装做攻打近处。对方贪利就用利益诱惑他，对方混乱就趁机攻取他，对方强大就要防备他，对方暴躁易怒就可以撩拨他怒而失去理智，对方自卑而谨慎就使他骄傲自大，对方体力充沛就使其劳累，对方内部亲密团结就挑拨离间，要攻打对方没有防备的地方，在对方没有料到的时机发动进攻。这些都是军事家克敌制胜的诀窍，不可先传泄于人也。
      7.在未战之前，经过周密的分析、比较、谋划，如果结论是我方占据的有利条件多，有八、九成的胜利把握；或者如果结论是我方占据的有利条件少，只有六、七成的胜利把握，则只有前一种情况在实战时才可能取胜。如果在战前干脆就不做周密的分析、比较，或分析、比较的结论是我方只有五成以下的胜利把握，那在实战中就不可能获胜。仅根据庙算的结果，不用实战，胜负就显而易见了。

1 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

2 virtues   

美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处

参考例句：

• Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
• She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

3 benevolence   

n.慈悲，捐助

参考例句：

• We definitely do not apply a policy of benevolence to the reactionaries.我们对反动派决不施仁政。
• He did it out of pure benevolence. 他做那件事完全出于善意。

4 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

5 victorious   

adj.胜利的，得胜的

参考例句：

• We are certain to be victorious.我们定会胜利。
• The victorious army returned in triumph.获胜的部队凯旋而归。

6 imbued   

v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的过去式和过去分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等）

参考例句：

• Her voice was imbued with an unusual seriousness. 她的声音里充满着一种不寻常的严肃语气。
• These cultivated individuals have been imbued with a sense of social purpose. 这些有教养的人满怀着社会责任感。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

9 deception   

n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计

参考例句：

• He admitted conspiring to obtain property by deception.他承认曾与人合谋骗取财产。
• He was jailed for two years for fraud and deception.他因为诈骗和欺诈入狱服刑两年。

10 entice   

v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿

参考例句：

• Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
• I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白，为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。

11 feign   

vt.假装，佯作

参考例句：

• He used to feign an excuse.他惯于伪造口实。
• She knew that her efforts to feign cheerfulness weren't convincing.她明白自己强作欢颜是瞒不了谁的。

12 evade   

vt.逃避，回避；避开，躲避

参考例句：

• He tried to evade the embarrassing question.他企图回避这令人难堪的问题。
• You are in charge of the job.How could you evade the issue?你是负责人，你怎么能对这个问题不置可否？

13 choleric   

adj.易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• His pride and choleric temper were to ruin him.他生性高傲自恃而又易于发怒，这会毁了他的。
• He was affable at one moment,choleric the next.他一会儿还和蔼可亲，可一转眼就火冒三丈。

14 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

15 divulged   

v.吐露，泄露( divulge的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He divulged nothing to him save the terrible handicap of being young. 他想不出个所以然来，只是想到自己年纪尚幼，极端不利。 来自辞典例句
• The spy divulged the secret plans to the enemy. 那名间谍把秘密计划泄漏给敌人。 来自辞典例句