孫子兵法 Sun Zi's Art of War

九變第八 Chapter 8: Variation in Tactics

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1	孫子曰：凡用兵之法，將受命于君，合軍聚眾，	Sun Zi said: In war, the general receives his commands from the sovereign, collects his army and concentrates his forces.
2	圮地無舍，衢地交和，絕地勿留，圍地則謀，死地則戰。	When in difficult country, do not encamp. In country where high roads intersect, join hands with your allies. Do not linger in dangerously isolated positions. In hemmed-in situations, you must resort to stratagem. In desperate position, you must fight.
3	途有所不由，軍有所不擊，城有所不攻，地有所不爭，君命有所不受。	There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must be not attacked, towns which must not be besieged, positions which must not be contested, commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.
4	故將通于九變之利者，知用兵矣﹔	The general who thoroughly understands the advantages that accompany variation of tactics knows how to handle his troops.
5	將不通于九變之利，雖知地形，不能得地之利矣﹔	The general who does not understand these, may be well acquainted with the configuration of the country, yet he will not be able to turn his knowledge to practical account.
6	治兵不知九變之朮，雖知地利，不能得人之用矣。	So, the student of war who is unversed in the art of war of varying his plans, even though he be acquainted with the Five Advantages, will fail to make the best use of his men.
7	是故智者之慮，必雜于利害。	Hence in the wise leader's plans, considerations of advantage and of disadvantage will be blended together.

8	雜于利，而務可信也﹔	If our expectation of advantage be tempered in this way, we may succeed in accomplishing the essential part of our schemes.
9	雜于害，而患可解也。	If, on the other hand, in the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune.
10	是故屈諸侯者以害，役諸侯者以業，趨諸侯者以利。	Reduce the hostile chiefs by inflicting damage on them; and make trouble for them, and keep them constantly engaged; hold out specious allurements, and make them rush to any given point.
11	故用兵之法，無恃其不來，恃吾有以待也﹔無恃其不攻，恃吾有所不可攻也。	The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.
12	故將有五危：必死，可殺也﹔必生，可虜也﹔忿速，可侮也﹔廉潔，可辱也﹔愛民，可煩也。	There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general: (1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction; (2) cowardice, which leads to capture; (3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults; (4) a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame; (5) over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.
13	凡此五者，將之過也，用兵之災也。	These are the five besetting sins of a general, ruinous to the conduct of war.
14	覆軍殺將，必以五危，不可不察也。	When an army is overthrown and its leader slain, the cause will surely be found among these five dangerous faults. Let them be a subject of meditation.

繁體 Trad ↔ 简体 Simp

English

孫子曰：凡用兵之法，將受命于君，合軍聚眾，

Sun Zi said: In war, the general receives his commands from the sovereign, collects his army and concentrates his forces.

圮地無舍，衢地交和，絕地勿留，圍地則謀，死地則戰。

When in difficult country, do not encamp. In country where high roads intersect, join hands with your allies. Do not linger in dangerously isolated positions. In hemmed-in situations, you must resort to stratagem. In desperate position, you must fight.

途有所不由，軍有所不擊，城有所不攻，地有所不爭，君命有所不受。

There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must be not attacked, towns which must not be besieged, positions which must not be contested, commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.

故將通于九變之利者，知用兵矣﹔

The general who thoroughly understands the advantages that accompany variation of tactics knows how to handle his troops.

將不通于九變之利，雖知地形，不能得地之利矣﹔

The general who does not understand these, may be well acquainted with the configuration of the country, yet he will not be able to turn his knowledge to practical account.

治兵不知九變之朮，雖知地利，不能得人之用矣。

So, the student of war who is unversed in the art of war of varying his plans, even though he be acquainted with the Five Advantages, will fail to make the best use of his men.

是故智者之慮，必雜于利害。

Hence in the wise leader's plans, considerations of advantage and of disadvantage will be blended together.

雜于利，而務可信也﹔

If our expectation of advantage be tempered in this way, we may succeed in accomplishing the essential part of our schemes.

雜于害，而患可解也。

If, on the other hand, in the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune.

是故屈諸侯者以害，役諸侯者以業，趨諸侯者以利。

Reduce the hostile chiefs by inflicting damage on them; and make trouble for them, and keep them constantly engaged; hold out specious allurements, and make them rush to any given point.

故用兵之法，無恃其不來，恃吾有以待也﹔無恃其不攻，恃吾有所不可攻也。

The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.

故將有五危：必死，可殺也﹔必生，可虜也﹔忿速，可侮也﹔廉潔，可辱也﹔愛民，可煩也。

There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general:
(1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction;
(2) cowardice, which leads to capture;
(3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;
(4) a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame;
(5) over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.

凡此五者，將之過也，用兵之災也。

These are the five besetting sins of a general, ruinous to the conduct of war.

覆軍殺將，必以五危，不可不察也。

When an army is overthrown and its leader slain, the cause will surely be found among these five dangerous faults. Let them be a subject of meditation.