Искусство войны. Уровень 2 / The Art of War

В Through the enemy is stronger in numbers, we may prevent him from fighting. You need to discover his plans and the probability of their success.

23.В Rouse him, and learn the pattern of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his weak spots.

24.В Carefully compare the opposing army with your own, so that you may know where strength is extra and where it is not enough.

25.В When making tactical positions the most important things is to hide them. Thus you will be safe from the prying of the subtlest spies, from the machinations of the wisest brains.

26. How victory may be achieved for them out of the enemy’s own tactics-that is what most people cannot understand.

27.В Everyone can see the tactics whereby I win, but few can see the strategy out of which victory is evolved.

28.В Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the endless variety of circumstances.

29.В Military tactics are like water; for water in its natural course runs away from high places and rushes downwards.

30.В So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.

31.В Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory depending on the enemy he is facing.

32.В Therefore, just as water has no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.

33.В He who can change his tactics depending on what opponent he is facing and thereby win, may be called a heaven-born captain.

34. The five elements (water, fire, wood, metal, earth) are not always equally presented; the four seasons make way for each other in turn. There are short days and long; the moon has its periods of waning and waxing[8 - the moon has its periods of waning and waxing. – луна может убывать и прибывать.].

VII.В Maneuvering

1. Sun Tzŭ said: In war, the general receives his commands from the sovereign[9 - sovereign – глава государства].

2.В After creating an army and concentrating his forces, he must blend and harmonise the different elements of it before setting up his camp.

3.В After that, comes tactical maneuvering. This is the most difficult thing. The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the indirect into the direct, and misfortune into fortune.

4.