art of war-第32章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
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。〃