谋攻 Attack by Stratagem

孙子曰：凡用兵之法，全国为上，破国次之；全军为上，破军次之；全旅为上，破旅次之；全卒为上，破卒次之；全伍为上，破伍次之。 sūn zǐ yuē: fán yòng bīng zhī fǎ, quán guó wéi shàng, pò guó cì zhī; quán jūn wéi shàng, pò jūn cì zhī; quán lǚ wéi shàng, pò lǚ cì zhī; quán zú wéi shàng, pò zú cì zhī; quán wǔ wéi shàng, pò wǔ cì zhī.
Master Sun said: In warfare, taking a state intact is best; destroying it comes next. Taking an army intact is best; destroying it comes next. The same applies to a brigade, a company and a squad: preserving each is best, destroying it comes next.

是故百战百胜，非善之善者也；不战而屈人之兵，善之善者也。 shì gù bǎi zhàn bǎi shèng, fēi shàn zhī shàn zhě yě; bù zhàn ér qū rén zhī bīng, shàn zhī shàn zhě yě.
Therefore winning every battle is not the highest skill; making an opponent’s army submit without battle is the highest skill.

故上兵伐谋，其次伐交，其次伐兵，其下攻城。 gù shàng bīng fá móu, qí cì fá jiāo, qí cì fá bīng, qí xià gōng chéng.
So the best military action attacks plans; next comes attacking alliances, then armies; attacking a walled city comes last.

攻城之法，为不得已。 gōng chéng zhī fǎ, wéi bù dé yǐ.
A siege is undertaken only when there is no alternative.

修橹轒辒，具器械，三月而后成；距闉，又三月而后已。 xiū lǔ fén wēn, jù qì xiè, sān yuè ér hòu chéng; jù yīn, yòu sān yuè ér hòu yǐ.
Building shields and covered assault carts and preparing equipment takes three months; piling up earthworks takes another three months.

将不胜其忿，而蚁附之，杀士三分之一而城不拔者，此攻之灾也。 jiàng bù shèng qí fèn, ér yǐ fù zhī, shā shì sān fēn zhī yī ér chéng bù bá zhě, cǐ gōng zhī zāi yě.
When a commander cannot contain his anger and sends soldiers swarming up like ants, a third of them are killed and the city remains untaken. This is the disaster of a siege.

故善用兵者，屈人之兵而非战也，拔人之城而非攻也，毁人之国而非久也，必以全争于天下，故兵不顿而利可全，此谋攻之法也。 gù shàn yòng bīng zhě, qū rén zhī bīng ér fēi zhàn yě, bá rén zhī chéng ér fēi gōng yě, huǐ rén zhī guó ér fēi jiǔ yě, bì yǐ quán zhēng yú tiān xià, gù bīng bù dùn ér lì kě quán, cǐ móu gōng zhī fǎ yě.
Thus a skilled commander makes an opponent’s army submit without battle, takes their city without assault, and brings down their state without a prolonged campaign. He must contend for supremacy with his forces intact, so the troops are not exhausted and the gains can be preserved. This is the method of attacking through strategy.

故用兵之法，十则围之，五则攻之，倍则分之，敌则能战之，少则能守之，不若则能避之。 gù yòng bīng zhī fǎ, shí zé wéi zhī, wǔ zé gōng zhī, bèi zé fēn zhī, dí zé néng zhàn zhī, shǎo zé néng shǒu zhī, bù ruò zé néng bì zhī.
The rule for using troops is therefore: with ten times the enemy’s numbers, surround them; with five times, attack them; with twice, divide them; when evenly matched, be able to fight; when fewer, be able to defend; when inferior, be able to avoid them.

故小敌之坚，大敌之擒也。 gù xiǎo dí zhī jiān, dà dí zhī qín yě.
Thus a small force that stubbornly holds out becomes the captive of a larger enemy.

夫将者，国之辅也。辅周则国必强，辅隙则国必弱。 fú jiàng zhě, guó zhī fǔ yě. fǔ zhōu zé guó bì qiáng, fǔ xì zé guó bì ruò.
A commander supports the state. If that support is complete, the state will be strong; if there are gaps in it, the state will be weak.

故君之所以患于军者三：不知军之不可以进而谓之进，不知军之不可以退而谓之退，是为縻军；不知三军之事，而同三军之政，则军士惑矣；不知三军之权，而同三军之任，则军士疑矣。 gù jūn zhī suǒ yǐ huàn yú jūn zhě sān: bù zhī jūn zhī bù kě yǐ jìn ér wèi zhī jìn, bù zhī jūn zhī bù kě yǐ tuì ér wèi zhī tuì, shì wéi mí jūn; bù zhī sān jūn zhī shì, ér tóng sān jūn zhī zhèng, zé jūn shì huò yǐ; bù zhī sān jūn zhī quán, ér tóng sān jūn zhī rèn, zé jūn shì yí yǐ.
A ruler can therefore bring trouble on an army in three ways. Ordering it forward without knowing it cannot advance, or back without knowing it cannot retreat, fetters the army. Sharing in its administration without understanding military affairs confuses the soldiers. Sharing in its command without understanding how to weigh changing circumstances leaves the soldiers doubtful.

三军既惑且疑，则诸侯之难至矣，是谓乱军引胜。 sān jūn jì huò qiě yí, zé zhū hóu zhī nàn zhì yǐ, shì wèi luàn jūn yǐn shèng.
Once the army is confused and doubtful, trouble from the other lords arrives. This is called throwing the army into disorder and bringing victory to the enemy.

故知胜有五：知可以战与不可以战者胜，识众寡之用者胜，上下同欲者胜，以虞待不虞者胜，将能而君不御者胜。 gù zhī shèng yǒu wǔ: zhī kě yǐ zhàn yǔ bù kě yǐ zhàn zhě shèng, shí zhòng guǎ zhī yòng zhě shèng, shàng xià tóng yù zhě shèng, yǐ yú dài bù yú zhě shèng, jiàng néng ér jūn bù yù zhě shèng.
There are therefore five grounds for knowing victory: those who know when they can fight and when they cannot will win; those who understand how to use large and small forces will win; those whose superiors and subordinates share the same aim will win; those who meet the unprepared with preparation will win; those whose capable commander is free from the ruler’s interference will win.

此五者，知胜之道也。 cǐ wǔ zhě, zhī shèng zhī dào yě.
These five are the way to know whether victory is possible.

故曰：知彼知己，百战不殆；不知彼而知己，一胜一负；不知彼不知己，每战必殆。 gù yuē: zhī bǐ zhī jǐ, bǎi zhàn bù dài; bù zhī bǐ ér zhī jǐ, yī shèng yī fù; bù zhī bǐ bù zhī jǐ, měi zhàn bì dài.
Thus it is said: know the enemy and know yourself, and a hundred battles will bring no peril; know yourself but not the enemy, and victories and defeats will alternate; know neither the enemy nor yourself, and every battle will bring peril.