孙子曰：凡先处战地而待敌者佚，后处战地而趋战者劳。

sunzusaid:whoeverisfirsinhefieldandawaishecomingofheenemy,willbefreshforhefigh;whoeverissecondinhefieldandhasohasenobalewillarriveexhaused

故善战者，致人而不致于人。

hereforeheclevercombaanimposeshiswillonheenemy,budoesnoallowheenemy"swillobeimposedonhim

能使敌人自至者，利之也；能使敌人不得至者，害之也。

byholdingouadvanagesohim,hecancauseheenemyoapproachofhisownaccord;or,byinflicingdamage,hecanmakeiimpossibleforheenemyodrawnear

故敌佚能劳之，饱能饥之，安能动之。

ifheenemyisakinghisease,hecanharasshim;ifwellsuppliedwihfood,hecansarvehimou;ifquielyencamped,hecanforcehimomove

出其所必趋，趋其所不意。

appearapoinswhichheenemymushasenodefend;marchswiflyopceswhereyouarenoexpeced

行千里而不劳者，行于无人之地也；

anarmymaymarchgreadisanceswihoudisress,ifimarcheshroughcounrywhereheenemyisno

攻而必取者，攻其所不守也。守而必固者，守其所必攻也。

youcanbesureofsucceedinginyouraacksifyouonlyaackpceswhichareundefendedyoucanensurehesafeyofyourdefenseifyouonlyholdposiionshaca

obeaacked

故善攻者，敌不知其所守；善守者，敌不知其所攻。

hencehageneralisskillfulinaackwhoseopponendoesnoknowwhaodefend;andheisskillfulindefensewhoseopponendoesnoknowwhaoaack

微乎微乎，至于无形；神乎神乎，至于无声，故能为敌之司命。

odivinearofsubleyandsecrecy!hroughyouwelearnobeinvisible,hroughyouinaudible;andhencewecanholdheenemy"sfaeinourhands

进而不可御者，冲其虚也；退而不可追者，速而不可及也。

youmayadvanceandbeabsoluelyirresisible,ifyoumakeforheenemy"sweakpoins;youmayreireandbesafefrompursuiifyourmovemensaremorerapidhanhoseofheenemy

故我欲战，敌虽高垒深沟，不得不与我战者，攻其所必救也；

ifwewishofigh,heenemycanbeforcedoanengagemenevenhoughhebesheleredbehindahighramparandadeepdichallweneeddoisaacksomeoherpcehahewillbeobligedorelieve

我不欲战，虽画地而守之，敌不得与我战者，乖其所之也。

ifwedonowishofigh,wecanprevenheenemyfromengagingusevenhoughhelinesofourencampmenbemerelyracedouonhegroundallweneeddoisohrowsomehingoddandunaccounableinhisway

故形人而我无形，则我专而敌分。

bydiscoveringheenemy"sdisposiionsandremaininginvisibleourselves,wecankeepourforcesconcenraed,whileheenemy"smusbedivided

我专为一，敌分为十，是以十攻其一也。

wecanformasingleuniedbody,whileheenemymusspliupinofracionshenceherewillbeawholepiedagainsseparaeparsofawhole,whichmeanshaweshallbemanyoheenemy"sfew

则我众敌寡，能以众击寡者，则吾之所与战者约矣。

andifweareablehusoaackaninferiorforcewihasuperiorone,ouropponenswillbeindiresrais

吾所与战之地不可知，不可知则敌所备者多，敌所备者多，则吾所与战者寡矣。

hespowhereweinendofighmusnobemadeknown;forhenheenemywillhaveoprepareagainsapossibleaackaseveraldifferenpoins;andhisforcesbeinghusdisribuedinmanydirecions,henumbersweshallhaveofaceaanygivenpoinwillbeproporionaelyfew

故备前则后寡，备后则前寡，备左则右寡，备右则左寡，无所不备，则无所不寡。

forshouldheenemysrenghenhisvan,hewillweakenhisrear;shouldhesrenghenhisrear,hewillweakenhisvan;shouldhesrenghenhislef,hewillweakenhisrigh;shouldhesrenghenhisrigh,hewillweakenhislefifhesendsreinforcemenseverywhere,hewilleverywherebeweak

寡者，备人者也；众者，使人备己者也。

numericalweaknesscomesfromhavingoprepareagainspossibleaacks;numericalsrengh,fromcompellingouradversaryomakehesepreparaionsagainsus

故知战之地，知战之日，则可千里而会战；

knowinghepceandheimeofhecomingbale,wemayconcenraefromhegreaesdisancesinorderofigh

不知战之地，不知战日，则左不能救右，右不能救左，前不能救后，后不能救前，而况远者数十里，近者数里乎！

buifneiherimenorpcebeknown,henhelefwingwillbeimpoenosuccorherigh,herighequallyimpoenosuccorhelef,hevanunableorelieveherear,orherearosupporhevanhowmuchmoresoifhefurhesporionsofhearmyareanyhingunderahundredliapar,andevenhenearesareseparaedbyseveralli!

以吾度之，越人之兵虽多，亦奚益于胜哉！故曰：胜可为也。

houghaccordingomyesimaehesoldiersofyuehexceedourowninnumber,hashalladvanagehemnohinginhemaerofvicoryisayhenhavicorycanbeachieved

敌虽众，可使无斗。故策之而知得失之计，

houghheenemybesrongerinnumbers,wemayprevenhimfromfighingschemesoasodiscoverhispnsandhelikelihoodofheirsuccess

候之而知动静之理，形之而知死生之地，

rousehim,andlearnheprincipleofhisaciviyorinaciviyforcehimorevealhimself,soasofindouhisvulnerablespos

角之而知有余不足之处。

carefullycompareheopposingarmywihyourown,sohayoumayknowwheresrenghissuperabundanandwhereiisdeficien

故形兵之极，至于无形。无形则深间不能窥，智者不能谋。

inmakingacicaldisposiions,hehighespichyoucanaainisoconcealhem;concealyourdisposiions,andyouwillbesafefromhepryingofhesublesspies,fromhemachinaionsofhewisesbrains

因形而措胜于众，众不能知。

howvicorymaybeproducedforhemouofheenemy"sownacicshaiswhahemuliudeca

ocomprehend

人皆知我所以胜之形，而莫知吾所以制胜之形。

allmencanseeheacicswherebyiconquer,buwhanonecanseeishesraegyouofwhichvicoryisevolved

故其战胜不复，而应形于无穷。

donorepeaheacicswhichhavegainedyouonevicory,buleyourmehodsbereguedbyheinfinievarieyofcircumsances

夫兵形象水，水之行避高而趋下，

miliaryacicsarelikeunowaer;forwaerinisnauralcourserunsawayfromhighpcesandhasensdownwards

兵之形避实而击虚；

soinwar,hewayisoavoidwhaissrongandosrikeawhaisweak

水因地而制流，兵因敌而制胜。

waershapesiscourseaccordingohenaureofhegroundoverwhichiflows;hesoldierworksouhisvicoryinreionohefoewhomheisfacing

故兵无常势，水无常形。

herefore,jusaswaerreainsnoconsanshape,soinwarfareherearenoconsancondiions

能因敌变化而取胜者，谓之神。

hewhocanmodifyhisacicsinreionohisopponenandherebysucceedinwi

ing,maybecalledaheavenborncapain

故五行无常胜，四时无常位，日有短长，月有死生。

hefiveelemens(waer,fire,wood,meal,earh)arenoalwaysequallypredominan;hefourseasonsmakewayforeachoherinurnhereareshordaysandlong;hemoonhasisperiodsofwaningandwaxing