孙子的智慧
2010-1
五洲传播出版社
郭闻平，钟少异 著，（美）格雷 译
128
格雷
After the advent of the 6th century B.C., a new era of spiritual creativity was welcomed, bringing with it an explosion of new thoughts. In Greece, there were Thales and Pythagoras, who initiated the development of philosophy and science. Sakyamuni arose in India and created Buddhism. In China, Lao Tzu, Confucius and Sun Tzu revealed the prologue to an era of free thought and innovation beginning in the late Spring and Autumn Period. Sun Tzus Art of War is one of the achievements that sprung forth from this explosion of thoughts. Compared to the theoretical creations of other great thinkers of that age (in the East as well as the West） in philosophy, politics, science, religion and other fields, Sun Tzus theoretical creations in the military arena were unique but equally great. Together, their philosophical achievements had a huge and profound influence on the spiritual world and realistic world shaped by human beings themselves.
Sun Tzu's The Art of War is a Chinese military treatise that was written by Sun Tzu in the 6th century BC, during the Spring and Autumn period.Composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare, it is said to be the definitive work on military strategies and tactics of its time, and still one of the basic texts. The Art of War is one of the oldest and most successful books on military strategy. It has had an influence on Eastern military thinking, business tactics, and beyond. Sun Tzu suggested the importance of positioning in strategy and that position is affected both by objective conditions in the physicalenvironment and the subjective opinions of competitive actors in that environment. He thought that strategy was not planning in the sense of working through an established list, but rather that it requires quick and appropriate responses to changing conditions. Planning works in a controlled envi-ronment, but in a changing environment, competing plans collide, creating unexpected situations. "Ihe book was translated into the French lan-guage in 1772 by French Jesuit Jean Joseph Marie Amiot, and into English by British officer Everard Ferguson Calthrop in 1905. It likely influenced Na-poleon, and leaders as diverse as Mao Zedong,General Vo Nguyen Giap, Baron Antoine-Henri Jomini, and General Douglas MacArthur have claimed to have drawn inspiration from the work. The Art of War has also been applied to busi-ness and managerial strategies.
Foreword The Life and Times of Sun Tzu The Basic Structure of Sun Tzu's Art of WarChapter Ⅰ Laying Plans On Being Cautious of War On the Gist of the Book On Political ElementsChapter Ⅱ Waging War On the Dangers of War On Quick VictoryChapter Ⅲ Attack by Stratagem On Complete Victory On Knowing the Enemy and Knowing YourselfChapter Ⅳ Disposition of Military Strength On Conquering an Enemy Easily Conquered On Calculating PowerChapter Ⅴ Use of Energy On Momentum and Timing On Extraordinary and NormalChapter Ⅵ Weaknesses and Strengths To Avoid What is Strong and Strike at What is Weak On Initiative and Flexibility On Initiative in War On the Three Levels of Sun Tzu's TheoryChapter Ⅶ Maneuvering On Advantageous Maneuvering On Turning the Devious into the Direct On Logistical SupportChapter Ⅷ Variation in Tactics On Generals On War PreparednessChapter Ⅸ On the March On Flexible Movement of Troops On Governing the ForcesChapter Ⅹ Terrain On Aid of Terrain to Operations On Knowing the Weather and Knowing the TerrainChapter Ⅺ The Nine Varieties of Ground On Operational Environment On the Psychology of an Army On Coordination and CooperationChapter Ⅻ Attack by Fire On Methods and Principles of Attacking by Fire On Waste and StagnationChapter ⅩⅢ Use of Spies On the Meaning and Principles of UsingSpies On the Structure of Sun Tzu's Chapters
When he has penetrated into hostile territory, but to no great distance, he is in frontier ground. Ground equally advantageous for us and the enemy to occupy is key ground. Ground equally accessible to both sides is open. Ground contiguous to three other states is focal. He who first gets control of it will gain the support of the majority of neighboring states. When an army has penetrated deep into hostile territory, leaving far behind many enemy cities and towns, it is in serious ground. Mountain forests, rugged steeps, marshes, fens and all that is hard to traverse fall into the category of difficult ground. Ground to which access is constricted and from which we can only retire by tortuous paths so that a small number of the enemy would suffice to crush a large body of our men is encircled ground. Ground on which the army can avoid annihilation only through a desperate fight without delay is called a desperate one.
"In civilian discussions of military affairs, they inevitably refer to the thirteen chapters of Sun Tzus Art of War." ——Sima Qian (145 BC ~ 86 BC), the great Chinese historian, author of The Records of the Grand Historian Sun Tzu is a "great military expert: ——Mao Zedong (1893~ 1976), the founder of the Peoples Republic of China "Sun Tzu s essays on” The Art of War form the earliest of known treatises on the subject, but have never been surpassed in corn comprehensiveness and depth of understanding. They might be termed the concentrated essence of wisdom on the conduct of war. Among all the military thinkers of the past, only Clausewitz is comparable, and even he is more dated than Sun Tzu, and in part antiquated, although he was writing more than two thousand years later. Sun Tzu has clearer vision, more profound insight, and eternal freshness." ——Liddell Hart (1895~1970), the English military strategist "Sun Tzu s "The Art of War is less than 100 pages, but much deeper in substance and much easier to understand and apply. Sun Tzu stresses the importance of out-thinking the enemy, while Clausewitz focuses on destroying the enemy s army and occupying his lands. Sun Tzu focuses on the end, while Clausewitz stresses only one means to that end. Destruction and occupation are simply methods to achieve victory through force, according to Clausewitz. While not discouraging the use of force, Sun Tzu openly examinees other methods for achieving victory which require more flexibility, creativity and foresight than brute force alone. Sun Tzus writings are as pertinent today as they were when written in 500 B.C." ——Walter S. Zapotoczny Jr., the command historian of the U.S. Armys 28th Infantry Division "Sun Tzus The Art of War is, of course, a classic. At least six English translations can be found in most large bookstores on bookshelves next to another much cited but little read military favorite, Carl von Clausewitzs On War. Translator Roger Ames describes The Art of War as the worlds foremost classic on military strategy.…In the coming decades, with the United States remaining the worlds dominant military force, employing Sun Tzus strategic lessons will be more important than ever. The United States might not incorporate all of Sun Tzus lessons into its offensive strategy, but it will face opponents who use these lessons, or similar lessons, against the United States. Opponents recognize that direct confrontation with the United States can only result in their defeat." ——Colonel Douglas M. McCready, author of Learning from Sun Tzu
