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第16章

art of war-第16章

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victory abnormal maneuvers must be employed。〃   Mei Yao…ch‘en:  

〃CH‘I is active; CHENG is passive; passivity means waiting for an 

opportunity; activity beings the victory itself。〃  Ho Shih:   〃We 

must cause the enemy to regard our straightforward attack as one 

that is secretly designed; and vice versa; thus CHENG may also be 

CH‘I;  and CH‘I may also be CHENG。〃  He instances the famous 

exploit of Han Hsin; who when marching ostensibly against Lin…

chin (now Chao…i in Shensi); suddenly threw a large force across 

the Yellow River in wooden tubs;  utterly disconcerting his 

opponent。 'Ch‘ien Han Shu; ch。 3。'  Here; we are told; the march 

on Lin…chin was CHENG; and the surprise maneuver was CH‘I。〃  

Chang Yu gives the following summary of opinions on the words:  

〃Military writers do not agree with regard to the meaning of CH‘I 

and CHENG。  Wei Liao Tzu '4th cent。 B。C。' says:  'Direct warfare 

favors frontal attacks; indirect warfare attacks from the rear。'  

Ts‘ao Kung says:  'Going straight out to join battle is a direct 

operation;   appearing on the enemy's rear is an   indirect 

maneuver。'  Li Wei…kung '6th and 7th cent。 A。D。' says:  'In war; 

to march straight ahead is CHENG; turning movements; on the other 

hand; are CH‘I。'  These writers simply regard CHENG as CHENG; and 

CH‘I as CH‘I;  they do not note that the two are mutually 

interchangeable and run into each other like the two sides of a 

circle 'see infra; ss。 11'。  A comment on the T‘ang Emperor T‘ai 

Tsung goes to the root of the matter:  'A CH‘I maneuver may be 

CHENG; if we make the enemy look upon it as CHENG; then our real 

attack will be CH‘I; and vice versa。  The whole secret lies in 

confusing the enemy; so that he cannot fathom our real intent。'〃  

To put it perhaps a little more clearly:  any attack or other 

operation is CHENG; on which the enemy has had his attention 

fixed;  whereas that is CH‘I;〃 which takes him by surprise or 

comes from an unexpected quarter。  If the enemy perceives a 

movement which is meant to be CH‘I;〃  it immediately becomes 

CHENG。〃'



     4。  That the impact of your army may be like a grindstone 

dashed against an egg … this is effected by the science of weak 

points and strong。

     5。  In all fighting; the direct method may be used for 

joining battle; but indirect methods will be needed in order to 

secure victory。



     'Chang Yu says:  〃Steadily develop indirect tactics;  either 

by pounding the enemy's flanks or falling on his rear。〃   A 

brilliant example of  〃indirect tactics〃  which decided   the 

fortunes of a campaign was Lord Roberts' night march round the 

Peiwar Kotal in the second Afghan war。 '1'



     6。  Indirect tactics; efficiently applied; are inexhausible 

as Heaven and Earth; unending as the flow of rivers and streams; 

like the sun and moon; they end but to begin anew; like the four 

seasons; they pass away to return once more。



     'Tu Yu and Chang Yu understand this of the permutations of 

CH‘I and CHENG。〃  But at present Sun Tzu is not speaking of CHENG 

at all;  unless; indeed; we suppose with Cheng Yu…hsien that a 

clause relating to it has fallen out of the text。  Of course;  as 

has already been pointed out; the two are so inextricably 

interwoven in all military operations; that they cannot really be 

considered apart。  Here we simply have an expression;   in 

figurative language; of the almost infinite resource of a great 

leader。'



     7。  There are not more than five musical notes;  yet the 

combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can 

ever be heard。

     8。  There are not more than five primary colors  (blue; 

yellow;  red; white; and black); yet in combination they produce 

more hues than can ever been seen。

     9   There are not more than five cardinal tastes  (sour; 

acrid; salt; sweet; bitter); yet combinations of them yield more 

flavors than can ever be tasted。

     10。  In battle;  there are not more than two methods of 

attack  …  the direct and the indirect;  yet these two   in 

combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers。

     11。  The direct and the indirect lead on to each other in 

turn。  It is like moving in a circle … you never come to an end。  

Who can exhaust the possibilities of their combination?

     12。  The onset of troops is like the rush of a torrent which 

will even roll stones along in its course。

     13。  The quality of decision is like the well…timed swoop of 

a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim。



     'The Chinese here is tricky and a certain key word in the 

context it is used defies the best efforts of the translator。  Tu 

Mu defines this word as 〃the measurement or estimation of 

distance。〃  But this meaning does not quite fit the illustrative 

simile in ss。 15。  Applying this definition to the falcon;  it 

seems to me to denote that instinct of SELF RESTRAINT which keeps 

the bird from swooping on its quarry until the right moment; 

together with the power of judging when the right moment has 

arrived。  The analogous quality in soldiers is the highly 

important one of being able to reserve their fire until the very 

instant at which it will be most effective。  When the  〃Victory〃 

went into action at Trafalgar at hardly more than drifting pace; 

she was for several minutes exposed to a storm of shot and shell 

before replying with a single gun。  Nelson coolly waited until he 

was within close range; when the broadside he brought to bear 

worked fearful havoc on the enemy's nearest ships。'



     14。  Therefore the good fighter will be terrible in his 

onset; and prompt in his decision。



     'The word 〃decision〃 would have reference to the measurement 

of distance mentioned above; letting the enemy get near before 

striking。  But I cannot help thinking that Sun Tzu meant to use 

the word in a figurative sense comparable to our own idiom 〃short 

and sharp。〃   Cf。 Wang Hsi's note; which after describing the 

falcon's mode of attack;  proceeds:  〃This is just how the 

'psychological moment' should be seized in war。〃'



     15。  Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; 

decision; to the releasing of a trigger。



     'None of the commentators seem to grasp the real point of 

the simile of energy and the force stored up in the bent cross…

bow until released by the finger on the trigger。'



     16。  Amid the turmoil and tumult of battle; there may be 

seeming disorder and yet no real disorder at all; amid confusion 

and chaos; your array may be without head or tail; yet it will be 

proof against defeat。



     'Mei Yao…ch‘en says:  〃The subdivisions of the army having 

been previously fixed; and the various signals agreed upon;  the 

separating and joining; the dispersing and collecting which will 

take place in the course of a battle; may give the appearance of 

disorder when no real disorder is possible。  Your formation may 

be without head or tail; your dispositions all topsy…turvy;  and 

yet a rout of your forces quite out of the question。〃'



     17。  Simulated disorder postulates perfect   discipline; 

simulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness postulates 

strength。



     'In order to make the translation intelligible;  it is 

necessary to tone down the sharply paradoxical form of the 

original。  Ts‘ao Kung throws out a hint of the meaning in his 

brief note:   〃These things all serve to destroy formation and 

conceal one's condition。〃  But Tu Mu is the first to put it quite 

plainly:   〃If you wish to feign confusion in order to lure the 

enemy on; you must first have perfect discipline; if you wish to 

display timidity in order to entrap the enemy;  you must have 

extreme courage; if you wish to parade your weakness in order to 

make   the   enemy over…confident;  you must   have   exceeding 

strength。〃'



     18。  Hiding order beneath the cloak of diso

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