Wuzi — Measuring the Enemy吳子 料敵
1Six states guard us on every side, and the position is most uneasy
武侯謂吳起曰：「今秦脅吾西，楚帶吾南，趙衝吾北，齊臨吾東，燕絕吾後，韓據吾前。六國兵四守，勢甚不便。憂此奈何？」
Marquis Wu said to Wu Qi, "Now Qin threatens our west, Chu girdles our south, Zhao butts against our north, Qi lies along our east, Yan cuts off our rear, and Han holds our front. The troops of six states guard us on every side, and the position is most uneasy. I am troubled by this; what is to be done?"
2The customs of the six states and the way each draws up its formation
起對曰：「夫安國家之道，先戒為寶，今君已戒，禍其遠矣。臣請論六國之俗：夫齊陳重而不堅，秦陳散而自鬥，楚陳整而不久，燕陳守而不走，三晉陳治而不用。夫齊性剛，其國富，君臣驕奢而簡於細民，其政寬而祿不均，一陳兩心，前重後輕，故重而不堅。擊此之道，必三分之，獵其左右，脅而從之，其陳可壞。秦性強，其地險，其政嚴，其賞罰信，其人不讓，皆有鬥心，故散而自戰。擊此之道，必先示之以利而引去之，士貪於得而離其將，乘乖獵散，設伏投機，其將可取。楚性弱，其地廣，其政騷，其民疲，故整而不久。擊此之道，襲亂其屯，先奪其氣，輕進速退，弊而勞之，勿與爭戰，其軍可敗。燕性愨，其民慎，好勇義，寡詐謀，故守而不走。擊此之道，觸而迫之，凌而遠之，馳而後之，則上疑而下懼，謹我車騎必避之路，其將可虜。三晉者，中國也，其性和，其政平，其民疲於戰，習於兵，輕其將，薄其祿，士無死志，故治而不用。擊此之道，阻陳而壓之，眾來則拒之，去則追之，以倦其師。此其勢也。然則一軍之中，必有虎賁之士，力輕扛鼎，足輕戎馬，搴旗取將，必有能者。若此之等，選而別之，愛而貴之，是謂軍命。其有工用五兵、材力健疾、志在吞敵者，必加其爵列，可以決勝。厚其父母妻子，勸賞畏罰，此堅陳之士，可與持久。審能料此，可以擊倍。」武侯曰︰「善。」
Wu Qi answered, "The way of making a state safe is to hold being on guard the first treasure, and now that my lord is on guard, disaster is far off. Let your servant speak of the customs of the six states. The formation of Qi is heavy but not firm; the formation of Qin is scattered but each man fights for himself; the formation of Chu is orderly but does not last; the formation of Yan holds fast but does not run; and the formation of the Three Jin is well governed but is not used. Qi is hard by nature, its state is rich, its lord and servants are proud and extravagant and neglect the small people, its government is lax and its stipends uneven, so that one formation holds two minds and the front is heavy and the rear light; therefore it is heavy but not firm. The way to strike it is to divide into three, to hunt its left and its right, and to press it and make it follow you, and its formation can be broken. Qin is strong by nature, its land is rugged, its government stern, its rewards and punishments trustworthy, its men do not give way and all have the heart to fight; therefore it is scattered but each fights for himself. The way to strike it is first to show it gain and draw it away, and its soldiers, greedy for the taking, will leave their general; then ride on the rift and hunt the scattered, set ambushes and seize the moment, and its general can be taken. Chu is weak by nature, its land is broad, its government is troubled and its people worn out; therefore it is orderly but does not last. The way to strike it is to raid its camps and throw them into disorder, to take away its spirit first, to advance lightly and withdraw quickly, wearing it down and tiring it, and not to contend in battle with it, and its army can be beaten. Yan is honest by nature, its people are careful, they love bravery and righteousness and have little deceit or scheming; therefore it holds fast but does not run. The way to strike it is to push against it and press it, to overbear it and then keep far from it, to gallop around and come at its rear, so that those above doubt and those below are afraid; and if our chariots and horsemen are careful of the roads they must avoid, its general can be taken captive. The Three Jin are the central states; they are peaceable by nature, their government is even, their people are worn out with fighting and used to arms, they make light of their generals and their stipends are thin, and the soldiers have no will to die; therefore they are well governed but are not used. The way to strike them is to block their formation and press upon it, to hold them off when the host comes and pursue it when it goes, and so to tire out their army. Such is the shape of things. Even so, within any one army there are sure to be warriors like tigers, whose strength lifts a cauldron as though it were light, whose feet are lighter than a war horse, and who can pull down a flag and seize a general; there are sure to be such able men. Pick these out and set them apart, hold them dear and honor them, and this is called the life of the army. Those who are skilled with the five weapons, whose talent and strength are sturdy and quick, and whose will is set on swallowing the enemy, must be given higher rank, and with them victory can be decided. Deal generously with their fathers and mothers and their wives and children, urge them on with reward and make them fear punishment, and these are the soldiers who make the formation firm, and with them you can hold out for a long time. If you can examine and measure all this, you can strike an enemy twice your number." Marquis Wu said, "Good."
3Eight cases for fighting without divining, and six for avoiding without divining
吳子曰：「凡料敵，有不卜而與之戰者八：一曰疾風大寒，早興寤遷，剖冰濟水，不憚艱難；二曰盛夏炎熱，晏興無間，行驅飢渴，務於取遠；三曰師既淹久，糧食無有，百姓怨怒，祅祥數起，上不能止；四曰軍資既竭，薪芻既寡，天多陰雨，欲掠無所；五曰徒眾不多，水地不利，人馬疾疫，四鄰不至；六曰道遠日暮，士眾勞懼，倦而未食，解甲而息；七曰將薄吏輕，士卒不固，三軍數驚，師徒無助；八曰陳而未定，舍而未畢，行阪涉險，半隱半出。諸如此者，擊之勿疑。有不占而避之者六：一曰土地廣大，人民富眾；二曰上愛其下，惠施流布；三曰賞信刑察，發必得時；四曰陳功居列，任賢使能；五曰師徒之眾，兵甲之精；六曰四鄰之助，大國之援。凡此不如敵人，避之勿疑。所謂見可而進，知難而退也。」
Wu Zi said, "In measuring the enemy there are eight cases in which you fight him without divining. The first is when in a fierce wind and great cold they rise early and shift camp while still half asleep, breaking the ice to cross the water and not shrinking from hardship. The second is when in the height of summer's heat they rise late and are driven on without a pause, hungry and thirsty on the march, striving to reach some distant place. The third is when the army has already lain long in the field, the provisions are gone, the hundred families are resentful and angry, and ominous signs rise again and again, and those above cannot stop them. The fourth is when the army's stores are spent, firewood and fodder are scarce, the sky is heavy with cloud and rain, and they would plunder but have nowhere to do it. The fifth is when their numbers are not many, the water and the ground are against them, men and horses are sick with plague, and no help comes from the neighbors on any side. The sixth is when the road is long and the day is late, the host is weary and afraid, they are tired and have not eaten, and they have taken off their armor to rest. The seventh is when the general is of small account and the officers are made light of, the officers and soldiers are not firm, the three armies are startled again and again, and the host has no help. The eighth is when the formation is drawn up but not settled, they have halted but not finished making camp, and as they go along a slope and cross rough ground half of them are hidden and half are out in the open. In cases like these, strike without doubting. There are six cases in which you avoid him without divining. The first is when the land is broad and great and the people are rich and many. The second is when those above love those below, and kindness flows out and spreads. The third is when reward is trustworthy and punishment is weighed with care, and what is set in motion always takes its right time. The fourth is when merit is set out in the order of rank, and the worthy are given charge and the able are employed. The fifth is the multitude of their host and the keenness of their weapons and armor. The sixth is the help of neighbors on all sides and the backing of a great state. Whenever in these you are not the equal of the enemy, avoid him without doubting. This is what is called advancing when you see that it can be done, and withdrawing when you know that it is hard."
4Look at the outside of the enemy and know his inside
武侯問曰：「吾欲觀敵之外，以知其內，察其進，以知其止，以定勝負，可得聞乎？」起對曰：「敵人之來，蕩蕩無慮，旌旗煩亂，人馬數顧，一可擊十，必使無措；諸侯未會，君臣未和，溝壘未成，禁令未施，三軍匈匈，欲前不能，欲去不敢，以半擊倍，百戰不殆。」
Marquis Wu asked, "I would look at the outside of the enemy and so know his inside, and examine his advance and so know where he will stop, and settle victory and defeat by it. May I hear of this?" Wu Qi answered, "When the enemy comes on loosely and without reckoning, his flags in a tangle and disorder and his men and horses looking back again and again, then one may strike ten, and you must leave him no time to set himself right. When the feudal lords have not gathered, lord and servants are not in accord, the ditches and ramparts are not finished, the prohibitions and commands are not in force, and the three armies are in an uproar, wishing to go forward and unable, wishing to leave and not daring, then with half the number you may strike twice your number, and in a hundred battles you will not be in danger."
5The thirteen cases in which the enemy may surely be struck
武侯問敵必可擊之道。起對曰：「用兵必審敵虛實而趨其危。敵人遠來新至，行列未定，可擊；既食未設備，可擊；奔走，可擊；勤勞，可擊；未得地利，可擊；失時不從，可擊；涉長道，後行未息，可擊；涉水半渡，可擊；險道狹路，可擊；旌旗亂動，可擊；陳數移動，可擊；將離士卒，可擊；心怖，可擊。凡若此者，選銳衝之，分兵繼之，急擊勿疑。」
Marquis Wu asked about the way in which the enemy may surely be struck. Wu Qi answered, "In using soldiers you must examine where the enemy is empty and where he is full, and hurry to where he is in danger. When the enemy has come from afar and newly arrived and his ranks are not yet settled, he may be struck. When he has eaten but has not set his guard, he may be struck. When he is running, he may be struck. When he is toiling, he may be struck. When he has not got the advantage of the ground, he may be struck. When he has lost the season and cannot follow it, he may be struck. When he has come a long road and the rear has not rested, he may be struck. When he is halfway across the water, he may be struck. When he is on rough ground and narrow roads, he may be struck. When his flags move in disorder, he may be struck. When his formation shifts again and again, he may be struck. When the general is parted from his officers and soldiers, he may be struck. When their hearts are afraid, he may be struck. In all such cases pick out the keen troops to charge him and divide the soldiers to follow after, and strike quickly without doubting."