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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。
IV. Tactical DispositionsSun Tzu said: The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.Security against defeat implies defensive tactics; ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive.Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength.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.善守者藏于九地之下，善攻者动于九天之上，故能自保而全胜也。 To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence. Neither is it the acme of excellence if you fight and conquer and the whole Empire says, "Well done!"见胜不过众人之所知，非善之善者也；战胜而天下曰善，非善之善者也。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.故举秋毫不为多力，见日月不为明目，闻雷霆不为聪耳。What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.Hence his victories bring him neither reputation for wisdom nor credit for courage. 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.故善战者之胜也，无智名，无勇功，故其战胜不忒。不忒者，其所措胜，胜已败者也。Hence the skillful fighter puts himself into a position which makes defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy.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.The consummate leader cultivates the moral law, and strictly adheres to method and discipline; thus it is in his power to control success.In respect of military method, we have, firstly, Measurement; secondly, Estimation of quantity; thirdly, Calculation; fourthly, Balancing of chances; fifthly, Victory.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.A victorious army opposed to a routed one, is as a pound's weight placed in the scale against a single grain.The onrush of a conquering force is like the bursting of pent-up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep.
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