军争第七
vii. maneuvering
孙子曰：凡用兵之法，将受命于君，
sun tzu said: in war, the general receives his commands from the sovereign.
合军聚众，交和而舍，
having collected an army and concentrated his forces, he must blend and harmonize the different elements thereof before pitching his camp.
莫难于军争。军争之难者，以迂为直，以患为利。
after that, comes tactical maneuvering, than which there is nothing more difficult. the difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.
故迂其途，而诱之以利，后人发，先人至，此知迂直之计者也。
thus, to take a long and circuitous route, after enticing the enemy out of the way, and though starting after him, to contrive to reach the goal before him, shows knowledge of the artifice of deviation.
军争为利，军争为危。
maneuvering with an army is advantageous; with an undisciplined multitude, most dangerous.
举军而争利则不及，委军而争利则辎重捐。
if you set a fully equipped army in march in order to snatch an advantage, the chances are that you will be too late. on the other hand, to detach a flying column for the purpose involves the sacrifice of its baggage and stores.
是故卷甲而趋，日夜不处，倍道兼行，百里而争利，则擒三将军，
thus, if you order your men to roll up their buff-coats, and make forced marches without halting day or night, covering double the usual distance at a stretch, doing a hundred li in order to wrest an advantage, the leaders of all your three divisions will fall into the hands of the enemy.
劲者先，疲者后，其法十一而至；
the stronger men will be in front, the jaded ones will fall behind, and on this plan only one-tenth of your army will reach its destination.
五十里而争利，则蹶上将军，其法半至；
if you march fifty li in order to outmaneuver the enemy, you will lose the leader of your first division, and only half your force will reach the goal.
三十里而争利，则三分之二至。
if you march thirty li with the same object, two-thirds of your army will arrive.
是故军无辎重则亡，无粮食则亡，无委积则亡。
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.
故不知诸侯之谋者，不能豫交；
we cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors.
不知山林、险阻、沮泽之形者，不能行军；
we are not fit to 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.
不用乡导者，不能得地利。
we shall be unable to turn natural advantage to account unless we make use of local guides.
故兵以诈立，以利动，
in war, practice dissimulation, and you will succeed.
以分和为变者也。
whether to concentrate or to divide your troops, must be decided by circumstances.
故其疾如风，其徐如林，
let your rapidity be that of the wind, your compactness that of the forest.
侵掠如火，不动如山，
in raiding and plundering be like fire, is immovability like a mountain.
难知如阴，动如雷震。
let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.
掠乡分众，廓地分利，
when you plunder a countryside, let the spoil be divided amongst your men; when you capture new territory, cut it up into allotments for the benefit of the soldiery.
悬权而动。
ponder and deliberate before you make a move.
先知迂直之计者胜，此军争之法也。
he will conquer who has learnt the artifice of deviation. such is the art of maneuvering.
《军政》曰：“言不相闻，故为之金鼓；视不相见，故为之旌旗。”
the book of army management says: on the field of battle, the spoken word does not carry far enough: hence the institution of gongs and drums. nor can ordinary objects be seen clearly enough: hence the institution of banners and flags.
夫金鼓旌旗者，所以一民之耳目也。
gongs and drums, banners and flags, are means whereby the ears and eyes of the host may be focused on one particular point.
民既专一，则勇者不得独进，怯者不得独退，此用众之法也。