Искусство войны. Уровень 2 / The Art of War

18. Numerical weakness comes from having to prepare against possible attacks; numerical strength, from making our enemy to make these preparations against us.

19. Knowing the place and the time of the coming battle, we may concentrate from the greatest distances in order to fight.

20. But if neither time nor place is known, then the left wing won’t be able to help the right, the right won’t be able to help the left, the front unable to relieve the back, or the back to support the front. How much more so if the furthest portions of the army are anything under a hundred li[7 - li – ли, китайская единица измерения расстояния, равная пятистам метрам.] apart, and even the nearest are separated by several li!

21. Though according to my estimate the soldiers of Yüeh exceed your own in number, that will not help them in the matter of victory. I say then that victory can be achieved.

22. Through the enemy is stronger in numbers, we may prevent him from fighting. You need to discover his plans and the probability of their success.

23. Rouse him, and learn the pattern of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his weak spots.

24. Carefully compare the opposing army with your own, so that you may know where strength is extra and where it is not enough.

25. When making tactical positions the most important things is to hide them. Thus you will be safe from the prying of the subtlest spies, from the machinations of the wisest brains.

26. How victory may be achieved for them out of the enemy’s own tactics-that is what most people cannot understand.

27. Everyone can see the tactics whereby I win, but few can see the strategy out of which victory is evolved.

28. Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the endless variety of circumstances.

29. Military tactics are like water; for water in its natural course runs away from high places and rushes downwards.

30. So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.

31. Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory depending on the enemy he is facing.

32. Therefore, just as water has no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.

33. He who can change his tactics depending on what opponent he is facing and thereby win, may be called a heaven-born captain.

34. The five elements (water, fire, wood, metal, earth) are not always equally presented; the four seasons make way for each other in turn. There are short days and long; the moon has its periods of waning and waxing[8 - the moon has its periods of waning and waxing. – луна может убывать и прибывать.].

VII. Maneuvering

1. Sun Tzŭ said: In war, the general receives his commands from the sovereign[9 - sovereign – глава государства].

2. After creating an army and concentrating his forces, he must blend and harmonise the different elements of it before setting up his camp.

3. After that, comes tactical maneuvering. This is the most difficult thing. The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the indirect into the direct, and misfortune into fortune.

4. Thus, taking a long and roundabout route and making the enemy go out of the way shows knowledge of the art of deviation. This knowledge helps to reach the goal before your enemy even if you started after him.

5. Maneuvering with an army is advantageous; with an undisciplined multitude[10 - multitude – множество людей], most dangerous.

6. If you send a fully equipped army to march[11 - to march – в поход] in order to snatch an advantage, you probably will be too late. On the other hand, you have to sacrifice your baggage and stores to detach a flying column[12 - flying column – боевая колонна] so it can move quickly.

7. Thus, if you order your men to roll up their buff-coats[13 - to roll up their buff-coats – закатать рукава], and make forced marches without resting day or night, covering double the usual distance at a stretch, doing a hundred li in order to gain an advantage, the leaders of all your three divisions will fall into the hands of the enemy.

8. The stronger men will be in front, the exhausted ones will fall behind, and on this plan only one-tenth of your army will reach its destination.

9. If you march fifty li in order to overtake the enemy, you will lose the leader of your first division, and only half your force will reach the goal.

10. If you march thirty li with the same object, two-thirds of your army will arrive.

11. We may take it then that an army without its baggage-train is lost; without provisions it is lost; without bases of supply it is lost.

12. We cannot enter into alliances until we learn the plans of our neighbours.

13. We can’t lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country-its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps.

14. We won’t be able to benefit from natural advantages unless we use of local guides.

15. In war, practise pretense, and you will succeed. Move only if there is a real advantage to be gained.

16. Concentrate or divide your troops depending on circumstances.

17. Let your rapidity be that of the wind, your compactness that of the forest.

18. In raiding and destroying be like fire, in immovability like a mountain.

19. Let your plans be dark and dense as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.

20. When you rob a countryside, let the plunder be divided among your men; when you capture new territory, cut it up into parts for the benefit[14 - for the benefit – в интересах] of the soldiery.

21. Weigh and think before you make a move.

22. He will win who has learnt the art of deviation. Such is the art of maneuvering.

23. The Book of Army Management says: On the field of battle, the spoken word are too quiet: hence the need of gongs and drums. Nor are ordinary objects seen clearly enough: hence the need of banners and flags.

24. Gongs and drums, banners and flags, are means whereby the ears and eyes of the host may be focused on one particular point.

25. The host must form a single united body so it is impossible for the brave to advance alone, or for the cowardly to retreat alone. This is the art of handling large masses of men.

26. Use signal-fires and drums in night-fighting, and flags and banners in day-fighting. Thus you will influence the ears and eyes of your army.

27. A whole army may be robbed of its spirit; a commander-in-chief may be robbed of his presence of mind