Bilingual Sage Wisdom 圣贤智慧|孙子兵法之⑤：势篇 Energy

齐鲁晚报·齐鲁壹点记者 王娟 王晓莹 绘画 徐进 实习生 康云霞

势篇 Energy

【原文】

孙子曰：凡治众如治寡，分数是也；斗众如斗寡，形名是也。三军之众，可使毕受敌而无败者，奇正是也；兵之所加，如以碫投卵者，虚实是也。

凡战者以正合，以奇胜。故善出奇者，无穷如天地，不竭如江海。终而复始，日月是也。死而复生，四时是也。声不过五，五声之变不可胜听也；色不过五，五色之变不可胜观也；味不过五，五味之变不可胜尝也。战势不过奇正，奇正之变不可胜穷也。奇正相生，如循环之无端，孰能穷之哉？激水之疾，至于漂石者，势也；鸷鸟之疾，至于毁折者，节也。

故善战者，其势险，其节短。势如彍弩，节如发机。纷纷纭纭，斗乱而不可乱；浑浑沌沌，形圆而不可败。乱生于治，怯生于勇，弱生于强。治乱，数也；勇怯，势也；强弱，形也。

故善动敌者，形之，敌必从之；予之，敌必取之。以利动之，以卒待之。故善战者，求之于势，不责于人，故能择人而任势。任势者，其战人也，如转木石。木石之性，安则静，危则动，方则止，圆则行。

故善战人之势，如转圆石于千仞之山者，势也。

【译文】

孙子说：管理大部队如同管理小部队一样，是属于军队的组织编制问题；指挥大量士兵作战如同指挥少量士兵作战一样，是属于指挥号令的问题。三军将士，可全面承受敌人攻击而不会失败，是靠“奇正”的战术变化；兵力所向，如同以石击卵，是靠“虚实”的正确运用。

一般作战，是以“正”兵当敌，以“奇”兵取胜。所以善于出奇制胜的将帅，其战术变化有如天地变化一样无穷无尽，像江海一样永不枯竭。周而复始，如同日月出没；去而又来，就像四季变换。音阶不过五种，五种音阶的变化组合，就能产生出听也听不完的音乐来；颜色不过五种，五种颜色的变化组合，就能产生出看也看不完的色彩；味道不过五种，五种味道的变化组合，就能产生出尝也尝不完的味道；作战的战术不过“奇、正”两种，但“奇、正”的变化组合，就能产生出变化无穷的战略战术。“奇”与“正”相互转化，如同顺着圆圈旋转，无始无终，谁能够穷尽它呢？湍急的流水飞快地奔泻，竟使水中的石头漂起，是借助水势；猛禽的搏击，竟使小动物当即毙命，是靠掌握节奏。

所以善战的人，他所造成的态势是险峻的，所掌握的节奏是短促的。制造态势有如张满强弩，掌握节奏有如击发弩机，纷纷纭纭，战斗混乱而军队不乱；混混沌沌，阵容严整而不可挫败。混乱产生于整齐，怯懦产生于勇敢，虚弱产生于强大。整齐与混乱，是由组织编制好坏造成的；勇敢与怯懦，是由态势优劣造成的；强大与虚弱，是由实力大小对比显现的。

所以善于诱使敌人行动的人，伪装假象迷惑敌人，敌必信从；用小利引诱敌人，敌人一定会为其所诱。用这样的办法去调动敌人，用重兵伺机来攻击它。所以善战的人，只求之于“势”，而不求之于人，能选择人以适应“势”。善于造“势”的将领，指挥士兵作战，有如转动滚木圆石。木头石块的特性，平放则静止，倾斜则滚动，方形容易静止，圆形滚动灵活。

因此善于作战的人，有如从千仞高山滚下圆石，这就是所谓“势”。

【英文】

Sun Tzu said: The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers. Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals. To ensure that your whole host may withstand the brunt of the enemy's attack and remain unshaken-this is effected by maneuvers direct and indirect. That the impact of your army may be like a grindstone dashed against an egg-this is effected by the science of weak points and strong.

In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory. Indirect tactics, efficiently applied, are inexhaustible as Heaven and Earth, unending as the flow of rivers and streams; like the sun and moon, they end but to begin anew; like the four seasons, they pass away to return once more. There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard. There are not more than five primary colors (blue, yellow, red, white, and black), yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen. There are not more than five cardinal tastes (sour, acrid, salt, sweet, bitter), yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted. In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack---the direct and the indirect; yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers. The direct and the indirect lead on to each other in turn. It is like moving in a circle---you never come to an end. Who can exhaust the possibilities of their combination? The onset of troops is like the rush of a torrent which will even roll stones along in its course. The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.

Therefore the good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and prompt in his decision. Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of a trigger. Amid the turmoil and tumult of battle, there may be seeming disorder and yet no real disorder at all; amid confusion and chaos, your array may be without head or tail, yet it will be proof against defeat. Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline, simulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness postulates strength. Hiding order beneath the cloak of disorder is simply a question of subdivision; concealing courage under a show of timidity presupposes a fund of latent energy; masking strength with weakness is to be effected by tactical dispositions.

Thus one who is skillful at keeping the enemy on the move maintains deceitful appearances, according to which the enemy will act. He sacrifices something, that the enemy may snatch at it. By holding out baits, he keeps him on the march; then with a body of picked men he lies in wait for him. The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals. Hence his ability to pick out the right men and utilize combined energy. When he utilizes combined energy, his fighting men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones. For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope; if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if round-shaped, to go rolling down.

Thus the energy developed by good fighting men is as the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain thousands of feet in height. So much on the subject of energy.