Искусство войны. Уровень 2 / The Art of War

В Thus, taking a long and roundabout route and making the enemy go out of the way shows knowledge of the art of deviation. This knowledge helps to reach the goal before your enemy even if you started after him.

5. Maneuvering with an army is advantageous; with an undisciplined multitude[10 - multitude – множество людей], most dangerous.

6. If you send a fully equipped army to march[11 - to march – в поход] in order to snatch an advantage, you probably will be too late.

7. Thus, if you order your men to roll up their buff-coats[13 - to roll up their buff-coats – закатать рукава], and make forced marches without resting day or night, covering double the usual distance at a stretch, doing a hundred li in order to gain an advantage, the leaders of all your three divisions will fall into the hands of the enemy.

8.В The stronger men will be in front, the exhausted ones will fall behind, and on this plan only one-tenth of your army will reach its destination.

9.В If you march fifty li in order to overtake the enemy, you will lose the leader of your first division, and only half your force will reach the goal.

10.В If you march thirty li with the same object, two-thirds of your army will arrive.

11.В 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.

12.В We cannot enter into alliances until we learn the plans of our neighbours.

13. We can’t 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.

14. We won’t be able to benefit from natural advantages unless we use of local guides.

15.В In war, practise pretense, and you will succeed. Move only if there is a real advantage to be gained.

16.В Concentrate or divide your troops depending on circumstances.

17.В Let your rapidity be that of the wind, your compactness that of the forest.

18.В In raiding and destroying be like fire, in immovability like a mountain.

19.В Let your plans be dark and dense as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.

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