雙語詩歌翻譯|孫武·《孫子兵法--作戰(zhàn)篇》

《孫子兵法--作戰(zhàn)篇》是春秋末年的齊國人孫武的作品。《作戰(zhàn)篇》是《孫子兵法》第二篇，也是最重要的一篇。之所以說其最重要，是從軍事歷史角度說的。《作戰(zhàn)篇》的本義是說，要速勝，不要持久戰(zhàn)，因為對后勤的消耗太大，對人員的消耗太大，對國力的消耗太大。在這種情況下，國家很容易遭受別人暗算從而面臨毀滅的危險。孫武在這篇文章里提煉出核心觀點：“兵貴勝，不貴久”。

《孫子兵法---作戰(zhàn)篇》
孫子曰：凡用兵之法，馳車千駟，革車千乘，帶甲十萬，千里饋糧。則內外之費，賓客之用，膠漆之材，車甲之奉，日費千金，然后十萬之師舉矣。
其用戰(zhàn)也勝，久則鈍兵挫銳，攻城則力屈，久暴師則國用不足。夫鈍兵挫銳，屈力殫貨，則諸侯乘其弊而起，雖有智者，不能善其后矣。故兵聞拙速，未睹巧之久也。夫兵久而國利者，未之有也。故不盡知用兵之害者，則不能盡知用兵之利也。
善用兵者，役不再籍，糧不三載，取用于國，因糧于敵，故軍食可足也。國之貧于師者遠輸，遠輸則百姓貧；近師者貴賣，貴賣則百姓財竭，財竭則急于丘役。力屈、財殫，中原內虛其家，百姓之費，十去其七；公家之費，破軍罷馬，甲胄矢弩，戟楯蔽櫓，丘牛大車，十去其六。
故智將務食于敵，食敵一鐘，當吾二十鐘；[艸+忌]桿一石，當吾二十石。
故殺敵者，怒也；取敵之利者，貨也。故車戰(zhàn)得車十乘以上，賞其先得者，而更其旌旗，車雜而乘之，卒善而養(yǎng)之，是謂勝敵而益強。
故兵貴勝，不貴久。
故知兵之將，生民之司命，國家安危之主也。

Waging War

Sun Wu

In operations of war — when one thousand fast four-horse chariots, one thousand heavy chariots, and one thousand mail-clad soldiers are required; when provisions are transported for a thousand li; when there are expenditures at home and at the front, and stipends for entertainment of envoys and advisers — the cost of materials such as glue and lacquer, and of chariots and armor, will amount to one thousand pieces of gold a day. One hundred thousand troops may be dispatched only when this money is in hand.

A speedy victory is the main object in war. If this is long in coming, weapons are blunted and morale depressed. If troops are attacking cities, their strength will be exhausted. When the army engages in protracted campaigns, the resources of the state will fall short. When your weapons are dulled and ardor dampened, your strength exhausted and treasure spent, the chieftains of the neighboring states will take advantage of your crisis to act. In that case, no man, however wise, will be able to avert the disastrous consequences that ensue. Thus, while we have heard of stupid haste in war, we have not yet seen a clever operation that was prolonged. For there has never been a protracted war which benefited a country. Therefore, those unable to understand the evils inherent in employing troops are equally unable to understand the advantageous ways of doing so.

Those adept in waging war do not require a second levy of conscripts or more that two provisionings. They carry military equipment from the homeland, but rely on the enemy for provisions. Thus, the army is plentifully provided with food.

When a country is impoverished by military operations, it is due to distant transportation; carrying supplies for great distances renders the people destitute. Where troops are gathered, prices go up. When prices rise, the wealth of the people is drained away. When wealth is drained away, the people will be afflicted with urgent and heavy exactions. With this loss of wealth and exhaustion of strength the households in the country will be extremely poor and seven-tenths of their wealth dissipated. As to government expenditures, those due to broken-down chariots, worn-out horses, armor and helmets, bows and arrows, spears and shields, protective mantlets, draft oxen, and wagons will amount to 60 percent of the total.

Hence, a wise general sees to it that his troops feed on the enemy, for one zhong of the enemy's provisions is equivalent to twenty of one's own and one shi of the enemy's fodder to twenty shi of one's own.
In order to make the soldiers courageous in overcoming the enemy, they must be roused to anger. In order to capture more booty from the enemy, soldiers must have their rewards.

Therefore, in chariot fighting when more than ten chariots are captured, reward those who take the first. Replace the enemy's flags and banners with you own, mix the captured chariots with yours, and mount them. Treat the prisoners of war well, and care for them. This is called 'winning a battle and becoming stronger.'
Hence, what is valued in war is victory, not prolonged operations. And the general who understands how to employ troops is the minister of the people's fate and arbiter of the nation's destiny.