行军第九

IX. The Army on the March

孙子曰：凡处军相敌，绝山依谷，

Sun Tzu said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy. Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighborhood of valleys.

视生处高，战隆无登，此处山之军也。

Camp in high places, facing the sun. Do not climb heights in order to fight. So much for mountain warfare.

绝水必远水，

After crossing a river, you should get far away from it.

客绝水而来，勿迎之于水内，令半渡而击之利，

When an invading force crosses a river in its onward march, do not advance to meet it in mid-stream. It will be best to let half the army get across, and then deliver your attack.

欲战者，无附于水而迎客，

If you are anxious to fight, you should not go to meet the invader near a river which he has to cross.

视生处高，无迎水流，此处水上之军也。

Moor your craft higher up than the enemy, and facing the sun. Do not move up-stream to meet the enemy. So much for river warfare.

绝斥泽，唯亟去无留，

In crossing salt-marshes, your sole concern should be to get over them quickly, without any delay.

若交军于斥泽之中，必依水草而背众树，此处斥泽之军也。

If forced to fight in a salt-marsh, you should have water and grass near you, and get your back to a clump of trees. So much for operations in salt-marches.

平陆处易，右背高，前死后生，此处平陆之军也。

In dry, level country, take up an easily accessible position with rising ground to your right and on your rear, so that the danger may be in front, and safety lie behind. So much for campaigning in flat country.

凡此四军之利，黄帝之所以胜四帝也。

These are the four useful branches of military knowledge which enabled the Yellow Emperor to vanquish four several sovereigns.

凡军好高而恶下，贵阳而贱阴，

All armies prefer high ground to low and sunny places to dark.

养生而处实，军无百疾，是谓必胜。

If you are careful of your men, and camp on hard ground, the army will be free from disease of every kind, and this will spell victory.

丘陵堤防，必处其阳而右背之，此兵之利，地之助也。

When you come to a hill or a bank, occupy the sunny side, with the slope on your right rear. Thus you will at once act for the benefit of your soldiers and utilize the natural advantages of the ground.

上雨水流至，欲涉者，待其定也。

When, in consequence of heavy rains up-country, a river which you wish to ford is swollen and flecked with foam, you must wait until it subsides.

凡地有绝涧、天井、天牢、天罗、天陷、天隙，必亟去之，勿近也。

Country in which there are precipitous cliffs with torrents running between, deep natural hollows, confined places, tangled thickets, quagmires and crevasses, should be left with all possible speed and not approached.

吾远之，敌近之；吾迎之，敌背之。

While we keep away from such places, we should get the enemy to approach them; while we face them, we should let the enemy have them on his rear.

军旁有险阻、潢井、蒹葭、小林、蘙荟者，必谨覆索之，此伏奸之所处也。