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Sun Zi's Art of War was written by Sun Wu in the final year of the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC - 476BC).
It is not only the oldest Chinese military work in existence but also the oldest book of military theory in the world, well-known for a long time in the history of the military academy in China and abroad.
Sun Zi's Art of War has altogether 13 chapters. Both concise and comprehensive, this book sum up the experience of ancient wars, bring to light the many laws of war which are of universal significance.

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Sun Zi Bing Fa Sun Tzu on the Art of War - IV. Tactical Dispositions - xing pian di si

原文：

xíng piān dì sì
 形   篇  第 四

sūn ziyuē : xī zhī shàn zhàn zhĕ，xiān wéi bù kĕ shèng , yĭ dàidí zhīkĕ
孙 子 曰 ：昔 之  善   战   者 ，先  为 不  可  胜  ， 以 待  敌 之  可
shèng。bù kĕ shèng zài jĭ , kĕ shèng zài dí . gù shàn zhàn zhĕ，néngwéi
胜  。 不 可 胜    在 己， 可 胜    在  敌。 故 善   战   者  ，能   为
bù kĕ shèng , bù néng shĭ dí zhī kĕ shèng . gù yuē : shèng kĕ zhī ,
不 可 胜    ， 不 能   使  敌 之  可 胜    。 故 曰  ： 胜    可 知  ，
ér bù kĕ wéi .
而 不 可 为  。

bù kĕ shèng zhĕ , shŏu yĕ ; kĕ shèng zhĕ , gōng yĕ . shŏu zé bù zú ,
不 可 胜    者  ， 守   也 ； 可 胜    者  ， 攻   也 。 守   则 不 足 ，
gōng zé yŏu yú . shàn shŏu zhĕ , cáng yú jiŭ dì zhī xià ; shàn gōng
攻   则 有  余 。 善   守   者  ， 藏   于 九  地 之  下  ； 善   攻 
zhĕ , dòng yú jiŭ tiān zhī shàng , gù néng zì băo ér quán shèng yĕ .
者  ， 动   于 九  天   之  上    ， 故 能   自 保  而 全   胜    也 。
　 　
jiàn shèng bú guò zhòng rén zhī suŏ zhī , fēi shàn zhī shàn zhĕ yĕ ;
见   胜    不 过  众    人  之  所  知  ， 非  善   之  善   者  也 ；
zhàn shèng ér tiān xià yuē shàn , fēi shàn zhī shàn zhĕ yĕ . gù jŭ
战    胜   而 天   下  曰  善   ，非  善   之  善   者  也 。故 举
qiū háo bù wéi duō lì , jiàn rì yuè bù wéi mù míng, wén léi tíng bù
秋  毫  不 为  多  力 ，  见  日 月  不 为  目  明 ，闻  雷  霆   不
wéi cōng ĕr .
为  聪   耳 。

gŭ zhī suŏ wèi shàn zhàn zhĕ , shèng yú yì shèng zhĕ yĕ . gù shàn
古 之  所  谓  善   战   者  ， 胜    于 易 胜    者  也 。 故 善
zhàn zhĕ zhī shèng yĕ , wú zhì míng , wú yŏng gōng , gù qí zhàn
战   者  之  胜    也 ， 无 智  名   ， 无 勇   功   ， 故 其 战
shèng bú tè . bú tè zhĕ , qí suŏ cuò bì shèng , shèng yĭ bài zhĕ .
胜    不 忒 。 不 忒 者  ， 其 所  措  必 胜    ， 胜    已 败  者  。
gù shàn zhàn zhĕ , lì yú bú bài zhī dì , ér bù shī dí zhī bài zhĕ .
故 善   战   者  ， 立 于 不 败  之  地 ， 而 不 失  敌 之  败  者  。
shì gù shèng bīng xiān shèng ér hòu qiú zhàn , bài bīng xiān zhàn ér
是  故 胜    兵   先   胜    而 后  求  战   ， 败  兵   先   战   而

hòu qiú shèng . shàn yòng bīng zhĕ , xiū dào ér băo fă , gù néng
后  求  胜    。 善   用   兵   者  ， 修  道  而 保  法 ， 故 能 
wéi shèng bài zhī zhèng .
为  胜    败  之  政    。

bīng fă : yì yuē dù , èr yuē liàng , sān yuē shù , sì yuē chēng ,
兵   法 ： 一 曰  度 ， 二 曰  量    ， 三  曰  数  ， 四 曰  称    ，
wŭ yuē shèng . dì shēng dù , dù shēng liàng , liàng shēng shù ,
五 曰  胜    。 地 生    度 ， 度 生    量    ， 量    生    数  ，
shù shēng chēng , chēng shēng shèng .
数  生    称    ， 称    生    胜    。

gù shèng bīng ruò yĭ yì chēng zhū , bài bīng ruò yĭ zhū chēng yì .
故 胜    兵   若  以 镒 称    铢  ， 败  兵   若  以 铢  称    镒 。
shèng zhĕ zhī zhàn mín yĕ , ruò jué jī shuĭ yú qiān rèn zhī xī zhĕ ,
胜    者  之  战   民  也 ， 若  决  积 水   于 千   仞  之  溪 者  ，
xíng yĕ .
形   也 。

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Translation:(Translated from the Chinese version By LIONEL GILES, M.A. (1910))

IV. TACTICAL DISPOSITIONS

1. Sun Tzu said: The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.

2. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.

3. Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.

4. Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.

5. Security against defeat implies defensive tactics; ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive.

6. Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength.

7. The general who is skilled in defense hides in the most secret recesses of the earth; he who is skilled in attack flashes forth from the topmost heights of heaven. Thus on the one hand we have ability to protect ourselves; on the other, a victory that is complete.

8. To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence.

9. Neither is it the acme of excellence if you fight and conquer and the whole Empire says, "Well done!" 10. To lift an autumn hair is no sign of great strength; to see the sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight; to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a quick ear.

11. What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease. 12. Hence his victories bring him neither reputation for wisdom nor credit for courage.

13. He wins his battles by making no mistakes. Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.

14. Hence the skillful fighter puts himself into a position which makes defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy.

15. Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.

16. The consummate leader cultivates the moral law, and strictly adheres to method and discipline; thus it is in his power to control success.

17. In respect of military method, we have, firstly, Measurement; secondly, Estimation of quantity; thirdly, Calculation; fourthly, Balancing of chances; fifthly, Victory.

18. Measurement owes its existence to Earth; Estimation of quantity to Measurement; Calculation to Estimation of quantity; Balancing of chances to Calculation; and Victory to Balancing of chances.

19. A victorious army opposed to a routed one, is as a pound's weight placed in the scale against a single grain.

20. The onrush of a conquering force is like the bursting of pent-up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep.

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