Bilingual Sage Wisdom 圣贤智慧|孙子兵法之④：形篇 Tactical Dispositions

形篇 Tactical Dispositions

【原文】

孙子曰：昔之善战者，先为不可胜，以待敌之可胜。不可胜在己，可胜在敌。故善战者，能为不可胜，不能使敌之可胜。故曰：胜可知而不可为。

不可胜者，守也；可胜者，攻也。守则不足，攻则有余。善守者，藏于九地之下；善攻者，动于九天之上。故能自保而全胜也。

见胜不过众人之所知，非善之善者也；战胜而天下曰善，非善之善者也。故举秋毫不为多力，见日月不为明目，闻雷霆不为聪耳。古之所谓善战者，胜于易胜者也。故善战者之胜也，无智名，无勇功，故其战胜不忒。不忒者，其所措必胜，胜已败者也。故善战者，立于不败之地，而不失敌之败也。是故胜兵先胜而后求战，败兵先战而后求胜。善用兵者，修道而保法，故能为胜败之政。

兵法：一曰度，二曰量，三曰数，四曰称，五曰胜。地生度，度生量，量生数，数生称，称生胜。故胜兵若以镒称铢，败兵若以铢称镒。胜者之战民也，若决积水于千仞之谿者，形也。

【译文】

孙子说：从前善于作战的人，先要创造不会被敌战胜的条件，然后待机战胜敌人。不会被敌人战胜的主动权操在自己手中，能否战胜敌人则取决于敌人是否有可乘之机。因此，善于作战的人，能够为自己创造不被敌人战胜的条件，但却不可能做到使敌人必定被我所战胜。所以说，胜利可以预见，但是不可强求。

想要不被敌人战胜，在于防守严密；想要战胜敌人，在于进攻得当。采取防御，是由于自己的兵力不足；实施进攻，是因为自己的兵力有余。善于防守的人，如同深藏于地下那样隐蔽自己的兵力(令敌无法察觉)；善于进攻的人，就像自九霄而降展开自己的兵力(令敌猝不及防)。所以，既能够保全自己，又能取得完全的胜利。

预见胜利不超过一般人的见识，这算不得高明中最高明的。打了胜仗，即使是普天下人都说好，也不算是高明中最高明的。这就像能举起秋毫算不得力大，能看见日月不能算目明，能听到雷霆算不上耳朵灵一样。古时候所说的善于打仗的人，总是战胜容易取胜的敌人。因此，善于作战的人打了胜仗，既显露不出智慧的名声，也显不出勇武的战功。他们取得胜利，是因为他们在打仗时没有出现差错。其所以不会有差错，是由于他们的作战措施建立在必胜的基础之上，是战胜那些已经处在失败地位的敌人。所以，善于打仗的人，总是使自己立于不败之地，同时不放过任何击败敌人的机会。所以，胜利的军队总是先创造取胜的条件，而后才同敌决战；而失败的军队，却总是先同敌人交战，而后企求侥幸取胜。善于指挥作战的人，必须修明政治，确保法制，从而能掌握战争胜负的决定权。

兵法的基本原则有五条：一是土地面积的“度”，二是物产资源的“量”，三是兵员众寡的“数”，四是军力强弱的“称”，五是胜负优劣的“胜”。敌我所处地域的不同，产生双方土地面积大小不同的“度”；敌我地幅大小的“度”的不同，产生了双方物质资源丰瘠的“量”的不同；敌我物质资源丰瘠的“量”的不同，产生了双方兵员多寡不同的“数”；敌我兵员多寡的“数”的不同，产生了双方军事实力强弱不同的“称”；敌我军事实力强弱的“称”的不同，最终决定了战争的胜负成败。胜利的军队较之于失败的军队，有如以“镒”来称“铢”那样，占有绝对的优势。而失败的军队较之于胜利的军队，则就像用“铢”来称“镒”那样，处于绝对的劣势。军事实力强大的胜利者指挥军队作战，就像在万丈悬崖决开山涧的积水一样，所向披靡，这就是军事实力的表现。

【英文】

Sun Tzu said: The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy. Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.

Security against defeat implies defensive tactics; ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive. Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength. The general who is skilled in defense hides in the most secret recesses of the earth; he who is skilled in attack flashes forth from the topmost heights of heaven. Thus on the one hand we have ability to protect ourselves; on the other, a victory that is complete.

To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence. Neither is it the acme of excellence if you fight and conquer and the whole Empire says, “Well done!” To lift an autumn hair is no sign of great strength; to see the sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight; to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a quick ear. What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease. Hence his victories bring him neither reputation for wisdom nor credit for courage. He wins his battles by making no mistakes. Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated. Hence the skillful fighter puts himself into a position which makes defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy. Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory. The consummate leader cultivates the moral law, and strictly adheres to method and discipline; thus it is in his power to control success.

In respect of military method, we have, firstly, Measurement; secondly, Estimation of quantity; thirdly, Calculation; fourthly, Balancing of chances; fifthly, Victory. Measurement owes its existence to Earth; Estimation of quantity to Measurement; Calculation to Estimation of quantity; Balancing of chances to Calculation; and Victory to Balancing of chances. A victorious army opposed to a routed one, is as a pound's weight placed in the scale against a single grain. The onrush of a conquering force is like the bursting of pent-up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep.

大众新闻·齐鲁壹点记者 王娟 王晓莹 绘画 徐进 实习生 徐玉婷 张雅瑄 康云霞