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第32章

art of war-第32章

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Shortly afterwards; the whole of Ch‘u was conquered by Ch‘in; and 

the king Fu…ch‘u led into captivity。'



Keep your army continually on the move;



     'In order that the enemy may never know exactly where you 

are。  It has struck me; however; that the true reading might be 

〃link your army together。〃'



and devise unfathomable plans。

     23。  Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no 

escape; and they will prefer death to flight。  If they will face 

death; there is nothing they may not achieve。



     'Chang Yu quotes his favorite Wei Liao Tzu (ch。 3):  〃If one 

man were to run amok with a sword in the market…place;  and 

everybody else tried to get our of his way; I should not allow 

that this man alone had courage and that all the rest were 

contemptible cowards。  The truth is; that a desperado and a man 

who sets some value on his life do not meet on even terms。〃'



Officers and men alike will put forth their uttermost strength。



     'Chang Yu says:  〃If they are in an awkward place together; 

they will surely exert their united strength to get out of it。〃'



     24。  Soldiers when in desperate straits lose the sense of 

fear。  If there is no place of refuge; they will stand firm。  If 

they are in hostile country; they will show a stubborn front。  If 

there is no help for it; they will fight hard。

     25。  Thus;  without waiting to be marshaled;  the soldiers 

will be constantly on the qui vive; without waiting to be asked; 

they will do your will;



     'Literally; 〃without asking; you will get。〃'



without restrictions;  they will be faithful;  without giving 

orders; they can be trusted。

     26。  Prohibit the taking of omens;  and do away with 

superstitious doubts。  Then;  until death itself comes;   no 

calamity need be feared。



     'The superstitious; 〃bound in to saucy doubts and fears;〃 

degenerate into cowards and 〃die many times before their deaths。〃  

Tu Mu quotes Huang Shih…kung:  〃'Spells and incantations should 

be strictly forbidden;  and no officer allowed to inquire by 

divination into the fortunes of an army; for fear the soldiers' 

minds should be seriously perturbed。'   The meaning is;〃  he 

continues;  〃that if all doubts and scruples are discarded;  your 

men will never falter in their resolution until they die。〃'



     27。  If our soldiers are not overburdened with money; it is 

not because they have a distaste for riches; if their lives are 

not unduly long;  it is not because they are disinclined to 

longevity。



     'Chang Yu has the best note on this passage:   〃Wealth and 

long   life are things for which all men have a   natural 

inclination。  Hence; if they burn or fling away valuables;  and 

sacrifice their own lives; it is not that they dislike them;  but 

simply that they have no choice。〃  Sun Tzu is slyly insinuating 

that;  as soldiers are but human; it is for the general to see 

that temptations to shirk fighting and grow rich are not thrown 

in their way。'



     28。  On the day they are ordered out to battle;  your 

soldiers may weep;



     'The word in the Chinese is 〃snivel。〃  This is taken to 

indicate more genuine grief than tears alone。'



those sitting up bedewing their garments; and those lying down 

letting the tears run down their cheeks。



     'Not because they are afraid; but because; as Ts‘ao Kung 

says;  〃all have embraced the firm resolution to do or die。〃   We 

may remember that the heroes of the Iliad were equally childlike 

in showing their emotion。  Chang Yu alludes to the mournful 

parting at the I River between Ching K‘o and his friends;  when 

the former was sent to attempt the life of the King of Ch‘in 

(afterwards First Emperor) in 227 B。C。  The tears of all flowed 

down like rain as he bade them farewell and uttered the following 

lines:   〃The shrill blast is blowing; Chilly the burn;  Your 

champion is goingNot to return。〃 '1' '



But let them once be brought to bay; and they will display the 

courage of a Chu or a Kuei。



     'Chu was the personal name of Chuan Chu; a native of the Wu 

State and contemporary with Sun Tzu himself; who was employed by 

Kung…tzu Kuang; better known as Ho Lu Wang; to assassinate his 

sovereign Wang Liao with a dagger which he secreted in the belly 

of a fish served up at a banquet。  He succeeded in his attempt; 

but was immediately hacked to pieced by the king's bodyguard。  

This was in 515 B。C。  The other hero referred to; Ts‘ao Kuei  (or 

Ts‘ao Mo); performed the exploit which has made his name famous 

166 years earlier; in 681 B。C。  Lu had been thrice defeated by 

Ch‘i;  and was just about to conclude a treaty surrendering a 

large slice of territory; when Ts‘ao Kuei suddenly seized Huan 

Kung; the Duke of Ch‘i; as he stood on the altar steps and held a 

dagger against his chest。  None of the duke's retainers dared to 

move   a muscle;  and Ts‘ao Kuei proceeded to demand   full 

restitution; declaring the Lu was being unjustly treated because 

she was a smaller and a weaker state。  Huan Kung; in peril of his 

life; was obliged to consent; whereupon Ts‘ao Kuei flung away his 

dagger   and quietly resumed his place amid the   terrified 

assemblage without having so much as changed color。  As was to be 

expected;  the Duke wanted afterwards to repudiate the bargain; 

but his wise old counselor Kuan Chung pointed out to him the 

impolicy of breaking his word; and the upshot was that this bold 

stroke regained for Lu the whole of what she had lost in three 

pitched battles。'



     29。  The skillful tactician may be likened to the SHUAI…JAN。  

Now the SHUAI…JAN is a snake that is found in the Ch‘ang 

mountains。



     '〃Shuai…jan〃 means 〃suddenly〃 or 〃rapidly;〃 and the snake in 

question was doubtless so called owing to the rapidity of its 

movements。  Through this passage; the term in the Chinese has now 

come to be used in the sense of 〃military maneuvers。〃'



Strike at its head; and you will be attacked by its tail;  strike 

at its tail; and you will be attacked by its head; strike at its 

middle; and you will be attacked by head and tail both。

     30。  Asked if an army can be made to imitate the SHUAI…JAN;



     'That is; as Mei Yao…ch‘en says; 〃Is it possible to make the 

front and rear of an army each swiftly responsive to attack on 

the other;  just as though they were part of a single living 

body?〃'



I should answer; Yes。  For the men of Wu and the men of Yueh are 

enemies;



     'Cf。 VI。 ss。 21。'



yet if they are crossing a river in the same boat and are caught 

by a storm; they will come to each other's assistance just as the 

left hand helps the right。



     'The meaning is:  If two enemies will help each other in a 

time of common peril; how much more should two parts of the same 

army;  bound together as they are by every tie of interest and 

fellow…feeling。  Yet it is notorious that many a campaign has 

been ruined through lack of cooperation; especially in the case 

of allied armies。'



     31。  Hence it is not enough to put one's trust in the 

tethering of horses; and the burying of chariot wheels in the 

ground



     'These quaint devices to prevent one's army from running 

away recall the Athenian hero Sophanes; who carried the anchor 

with him at the battle of Plataea; by means of which he fastened 

himself firmly to one spot。  'See Herodotus; IX。 74。'  It is not 

enough;  says Sun Tzu;  to render flight impossible by such 

mechanical means。  You will not succeed unless your men have 

tenacity and unity of purpose; and; above all;  a spirit of 

sympathetic cooperation。  This is the lesson which can be learned 

from the SHUAI…JAN。'



     32。  The principle on which to manage an army is to set up 

one standard of courage which all must reach。



     'Literally;  〃level the courage 'of all' as though 'it were 

that of'  one。〃

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