Искусство войны. Уровень 2 / The Art of War

В Fighting with a large army under your command is no different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of setting up signs and signals.

3. Direct and indirect ways in defense is what provides the ability to resist the enemy’s attack and remain unshaken.

4.В The impact of your army may be like a grindstone broken against an egg. That is effected by the science of weak points and strong.

5.В In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to win.

6.В Indirect tactics, when applied efficiently, are endless as Heaven and Earth; like the sun and moon, they end but to begin anew.

7.В There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard.

8.В There are not more than five main colours (blue, yellow, red, white, and black), yet in combination they produce more shades than one can ever see.

9.В There are not more than five cardinal tastes (sour, acrid, salt, sweet, bitter), yet combinations of them makes more flavours than one can eve taste.

10.В In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack-the direct and the indirect; yet these two in combination makes an endless series of ways to fight.

11.В 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. How can the possibilities of their combination end?

12.В The onset of troops is like the rush of a torrent which will even roll stones onwards.

13.В Timing is critical for the quality of decision like it is critical for a falcon to strike and destroy its victim at the right time.

14.В Therefore the good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and quick in his decision.

15.В Energy is like the bending of a crossbow; decision is like the releasing of the trigger.

16.В In the battlefield there may be seeming disorder and yet no real disorder at all. This seeming chaos will be proof against defeat.

17.В Simulated disorder means perfect discipline; simulated fear means courage; simulated weakness means strength.

18.В Making order look like disorder is simply a question of subdivision. Hiding courage under a show of hesitation means a fund of latent energy; masking strength with weakness is made by tactical dispositions.

19.В Thus the skillful general keeps the enemy on move to maintain false appearances, according to which the enemy will act.