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第12章

art of war-第12章

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by any of the commentators。  Ts‘ao Kung; Li Ch‘uan; Meng Shih; Tu 

Yu;  Tu Mu and Mei Yao…ch‘en have notes to the effect that a 

general;  though naturally stupid;  may nevertheless   conquer 

through sheer force of rapidity。  Ho Shih says:  〃Haste may be 

stupid;  but at any rate it saves expenditure of energy and 

treasure;  protracted operations may be very clever;  but they 

bring calamity in their train。〃  Wang Hsi evades the difficulty 

by remarking:   〃Lengthy operations mean an army growing old; 

wealth being expended; an empty exchequer and distress among the 

people;  true cleverness insures against the occurrence of such 

calamities。〃   Chang Yu says:   〃So long as victory can be 

attained;  stupid haste is preferable to clever dilatoriness。〃  

Now   Sun   Tzu says nothing whatever;  except   possibly   by 

implication;   about ill…considered haste being better   than 

ingenious but lengthy operations。  What he does say is something 

much more guarded; namely that; while speed may sometimes be 

injudicious;  tardiness can never be anything but foolish   if 

only   because it means impoverishment to the nation。   In 

considering the point raised here by Sun Tzu; the classic example 

of Fabius Cunctator will inevitably occur to the mind。  That 

general deliberately measured the endurance of Rome against that 

of Hannibals's isolated army; because it seemed to him that the 

latter was more likely to suffer from a long campaign in a 

strange country。  But it is quite a moot question whether his 

tactics would have proved successful in the long run。  Their 

reversal it is true; led to Cannae; but this only establishes a 

negative presumption in their favor。'



     6。  There is no instance of a country having benefited from 

prolonged warfare。

     7。  It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the 

evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of 

carrying it on。



     'That is; with rapidity。  Only one who knows the disastrous 

effects of a long war can realize the supreme importance of 

rapidity in bringing it to a close。  Only two commentators seem 

to favor this interpretation; but it fits well into the logic of 

the context;  whereas the rendering; 〃He who does not know the 

evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits;〃  is distinctly 

pointless。'



     8。  The skillful soldier does not raise a second levy; 

neither are his supply…wagons loaded more than twice。



     'Once war is declared; he will not waste precious time in 

waiting for reinforcements; nor will he return his army back for 

fresh supplies; but crosses the enemy's frontier without delay。  

This may seem an audacious policy to recommend;  but with all 

great strategists; from Julius Caesar to Napoleon Bonaparte;  the 

value of time  that is; being a little ahead of your opponent 

has counted for more than either numerical superiority or the 

nicest calculations with regard to commissariat。'



     9。  Bring war material with you from home; but forage on the 

enemy。  Thus the army will have food enough for its needs。



     'The   Chinese word translated here as  〃war   material〃 

literally means 〃things to be used〃; and is meant in the widest 

sense。  It includes all the impedimenta of an army;  apart from 

provisions。'



     10。  Poverty of the State exchequer causes an army to be 

maintained by contributions from a distance。  Contributing to 

maintain an army at a distance causes the people to   be 

impoverished。



     'The beginning of this sentence does not balance properly 

with the next;  though obviously intended to do so。   The 

arrangement;   moreover;  is so awkward that I cannot   help 

suspecting some corruption in the text。  It never seems to occur 

to Chinese commentators that an emendation may be necessary for 

the sense; and we get no help from them there。  The Chinese words 

Sun Tzu used to indicate the cause of the people's impoverishment 

clearly have reference to some system by which the husbandmen 

sent their contributions of corn to the army direct。  But why 

should it fall on them to maintain an army in this way;  except 

because the State or Government is too poor to do so?'



     11。  On the other hand; the proximity of an army causes 

prices to go up; and high prices cause the people's substance to 

be drained away。



     'Wang Hsi says high prices occur before the army has left 

its own territory。  Ts‘ao Kung understands it of an army that has 

already crossed the frontier。'



     12。  When their substance is drained away;  the peasantry 

will be afflicted by heavy exactions。

     13;  14。  With this loss of substance and exhaustion of 

strength;  the homes of the people will be stripped bare;  and 

three…tenths of their income will be dissipated;



     'Tu Mu and Wang Hsi agree that the people are not mulcted 

not of 3/10; but of 7/10; of their income。  But this is hardly to 

be extracted from our text。  Ho Shih has a characteristic tag:  

〃The PEOPLE being regarded as the essential part of the State; 

and FOOD as the people's heaven; is it not right that those in 

authority should value and be careful of both?〃'



while government expenses for broken chariots; worn…out horses; 

breast…plates and helmets; bows and arrows; spears and shields; 

protective mantles; draught…oxen and heavy wagons; will amount to 

four…tenths of its total revenue。

     15。  Hence a wise general makes a point of foraging on the 

enemy。  One cartload of the enemy's provisions is equivalent to 

twenty of one's own; and likewise a single PICUL of his provender 

is equivalent to twenty from one's own store。



     'Because twenty cartloads will be consumed in the process of 

transporting one cartload to the front。  A PICUL is a unit of 

measure equal to 133。3 pounds (65。5 kilograms)。'



     16。  Now in order to kill the enemy; our men must be roused 

to anger; that there may be advantage from defeating the enemy; 

they must have their rewards。



     'Tu Mu says:  〃Rewards are necessary in order to make the 

soldiers see the advantage of beating the enemy; thus; when you 

capture spoils from the enemy; they must be used as rewards;  so 

that all your men may have a keen desire to fight; each on his 

own account。〃'



     17。  Therefore in chariot fighting;  when ten or more 

chariots have been taken; those should be rewarded who took the 

first。  Our own flags should be substituted for those of the 

enemy;  and the chariots mingled and used in conjunction with 

ours。  The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept。

     18。  This is called; using the conquered foe to augment 

one's own strength。

     19。  In war; then; let your great object be victory;  not 

lengthy campaigns。



     'As Ho Shih remarks:  〃War is not a thing to be trifled 

with。〃   Sun Tzu here reiterates the main lesson which this 

chapter is intended to enforce。〃'



     20。  Thus it may be known that the leader of armies is the 

arbiter of the people's fate; the man on whom it depends whether 

the nation shall be in peace or in peril。







III。  ATTACK BY STRATAGEM





     1。  Sun Tzu said:  In the practical art of war;  the best 

thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact;  to 

shatter and destroy it is not so good。  So; too; it is better to 

recapture an army entire than to destroy it;  to capture a 

regiment; a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them。



     'The equivalent to an army corps; according to Ssu…ma Fa; 

consisted nominally of 12500 men; according to Ts‘ao Kung;  the 

equivalent of a regiment contained 500 men; the equivalent to a 

detachment consists from any number between 100 and 500; and the 

equivalent of a company contains from 5 to 100 men。  For the last 

two;  however;  Chang Yu gives the exact figures of 100 and 5 

respectively。'



     2。  Henc

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