孙子日：昔之善战者，先为不可胜，以待敌
    之可胜。
        Sun  Tzu  said，‘  In  ancient  times  the  adepts  in  war-
    fare  would  first  place  themselves  in  an  invulnerable
    position  before  they  would  wait  to  seize  some  favourable
    opportunity  to  defeat  the  enemy.
        不可胜在己，可胜在敌。
        To  secure  oneself  against  defeat  depends  on  one's
    own  efforts，  while  the  opportunity  of  victory  must  be
    afforded  by  the  enemy.
        故善战者，能为不可胜，不能使敌之可胜。
        Thus  even  the  adepts  in  warfare  can  only  prepare
    themselves  secure  against  defeat  but  they  cannot  be  sure
    of  opportunities  for  victory，which  must  be  provided  by
    the  enemy.
        故曰：胜可知，而不可为。
        Therefore  it  may  be  said  ：  One  may  know  victory
    but  no  one  can  create  victory.
        不可胜者，守也，可胜者，攻也。
        To  secure  oneself  against  defeat  means  defensive
    tactics．  To  fight  for  victory  means  offensive  tactics.    守则不足，攻则有余。
    When  one  has  an  inferior  force  it  is  best  to  adopt
defensive  tactics．  When  one  has  a  superior  force  it  is  best
to  adopt  offensive  tactics.
    善守者，藏于九地之下，善攻者，动于九天
之上；故能自保而全胜也。
    An  adept  in  defensive  tactics  is  able  to  place  his
forces  in  the  most  inaccessible  place  of  safety.  An  adept
in  offensive  tactics  is  able  to  marshal  his  forses  on  all
vantage  grouds．  Therefore，  one  is  able  to  preserve  his
forces  intact，  while  the  other  is  able  to  win  a  complete
vlctory.
    见胜不过众人之所知，非善之善者也；
    To  be  able  to  win  a  victory  that  is  within  the  cal-
culations  of  everybody  does  not  deserve  the  highest
praises.
    战胜而天下曰善，非善之善者也；
    To  be  able  to  conquer  the  whole  Empire  because  of
the  skill  in  killing  does  not  deserve  the  highest  praises.
    故举秋毫不为多力，见日月不为明目，闻雷
霆不为聪耳。
    To  be  able  to  lift  a  thin  hair  does  not  indicate
unusual  strength．  To  be  able  to  see  the  sun  and  moon  does
not  indicate  sharp  vision.  To  be  able  to  hear  thunderings
does  not  indicate  sensitive  audition.
        古之所谓善战者，胜于易胜者也。
        By  the  standard  of  the  ancients  the  adepts  in  war-
fare  are  those  who  not  only  can  win  but  also  can  win
with  ease  and  in  the  way  unexpected  by  most  men.
        故善战者之胜也，无智名，无勇功。故其
战胜不忒；不忒者，其所措必胜，胜已败者也。
        Therefore，  in  the  case  of  the  adepts  in  warfare
victories  often  fail  to  bring  them  praises  for  either
wisdom  or  courage.  They  are  able  to  win  without  ex-
ception  because  they  would  make  victory  certain  before
they  commence  action.
        故善战者，立于不败之地，而不失敌之败
也。
        The  adept  in  warfare  is  one  who  places  himself  in
an  invulnerable  position  and  does  not  miss  a  favourable
opportunity  to  defeat  the  enemy.
        是故胜兵先胜而复求战，败兵先战而后求
胜。
    The  winner  is  one  who  always  makes  sure  of  success
before  he  challenges  the  enemy.  The  loser  is  one  who
always  challenges  the  enemy  before  he  makes  sure  of
Success.
        善用兵者，修道而保法，故能为胜败之政。
    The  adept  in  warfare  sees  to  it  that  he  first  has  a
good  moral  cause  and  a  strict  military  discipline  at  the
same  time.  Because  of  this  he  can  always  be  sure  of
victory.
    兵法：
    The  science  of  war  may  be  summarized  under  these
headings：
        一曰度，
        Measurement  of  distances
        二曰量，
        Estimation  of  costs
        三曰数，
        Calculation  of  forces
        四曰称，
        Balancing  of  possibilities
        五曰胜；
        Planning  for  victory
    地生度，度生量，量生数，数生称，称生
胜。
    As  regards  the  geographical  distances  we  use  mea-
surement．On  the  measurement  of  distances  we  make  an
estimation  of  expenses．  On  the  estimation  of  expenses  we
make  a  calculation  of  forces．  On  the  calculation  of  forces
we  balance  the  possibilities  of  success  and  failure.  On  the
possibilities  of  success  and  failure  we  make  plans  for  vic-
tory.
        故胜兵若以镒称铢，败兵若以铢称镒（注一）
    。胜者之战民也，若决积水于千仞之  者（注二），
    形也。
        An  army  confident  of  victory  easily  outmatch  an
    army  of  defeatists  just  as  a  weight  of  20  taels  easily
    outbalances  a  weight  of  l／24  tael．  The  onrush  of  an  army
    confident  of  victory  may  be  compared  to  floods  of  water
    rushing  into  a  chasm  of  thousands  of  fathoms  deep-due
    to  the  difference  in  elevation.'
        （注一）：镒，古代二十四两为一镒，
                铢，古代二十四分之一两为一铢，
                镒比铢重（24  x24）五百七十六倍。
        （注二）：仞，周代长度单位， 八尺为仞。
                  译文
   孙子说：从前善于用兵打仗的人，先要造成
不会被敌人战胜的条件，来等待可以战胜敌人的
机会。不会被敌人战胜，主动权在自己；可能战
胜敌人，在于敌人有可乘之隙。所以，善于用兵
打仗的人，能使自己不被战胜，而不能使敌人一
定被我所战胜。所以说，胜利可以预见，而不能
强求。当我不可能战胜敌人时，应进行防守；可
能战胜敌人时，应采取进攻。防守是由于取胜条
件不足，进攻是由于取胜条件有余。善于防守的
人，深深隐蔽自己兵力于各种地形之下；善于进
攻的人，高度发挥自己力量，动作于各种天候之
中，所以能保存自己并取得完全的胜利。预见胜
利，不超过一般人的见识，不算高明中最高明
的，经过力战而后取胜，天下人都说好，也不算
高明中最高明的；这就像能举起秋毫算不得力
大，能看见日月算不得眼明，能听到雷声算不得
耳灵一样。古时所谓善于打仗的人，总是取胜于
容易战胜的敌人。所以，这些所谓善于打仗的人
所取得的胜利，既没有智谋的名声，也没有勇武
的战功。所以他的取胜是无疑的，其所以无疑，
由于他的胜利是建立在必胜的基础上，他所战胜
的敌人是已经处于失败地位的敌人。所以，善于
打仗的人是已经处于失败地位的敌人。所以，善
于打仗的人，总是使自己立于不败之地，同时又
不放过任何足以战胜敌人的机会。因此，打胜仗
的军队，总是先创造取胜的条件，而后才同敌人
作战；打败仗的军队，总是先同敌人作战，而后
期求侥幸取胜。善于用兵的人，能够从各方面修
治“不可胜”之道，确保必胜之法度，所以能掌
握胜败的决定权。用兵之法：一是“度”，二
是“量”，三是“数”，四是“称”，五是“
胜”。地形情况产生判断；对地形的判断，得出
战场容量；根据战场容量，计算投入兵力的数
量；根据敌对双方兵力的对比，判断双方军事实
力的强弱；根据双方军事实力强弱，产生战斗的
胜败。所以，胜利的军队在力量对比上，就好比
像用「镒」称「铢」那样占绝对优势地位；失败        
的军队，在力量对比上，就好比像用「铢」称「
镒」那样，处于绝对劣势地位。军事实力强大而
取胜的军队，其指挥军队作战，就像决开在八千
尺高处的溪中积水那样，这是一种力量的表现。