第三套:攻战计
Chapter 3: Attacking Stratagems
第十三计 打草惊蛇
beating the grass to frighten the snake
古:疑以叩实,察而后动。复者,阴之媒也。
白:以木棍挥打四周的草丛,使躲在草中的蛇惊惶奔走,进而加以捉捕。当敌情不明时,应切实掌握情况后,再展开行动,如此才不会陷入敌人的埋伏中。
英:Do something unaimed, but spectacular ("hitting the grass") to provoke a response of the enemy ("startle the snake"), thereby giving away his plans or position, or just taunt him.
Do something unusual, strange, and unexpected as this will arouse the enemy's suspicion and disrupt his thinking.
More widely used as "[Do not] startle the snake by hitting the grass". An imprudent act will give your position or intentions away to the enemy.
第十四计 借尸还魂
resurrecting a dead soul by borrowing a corpse
古:有用者,不可借;不能用者,求借。借不能用者而用之。匪我求童蒙,童蒙求我。
白:原意是指,已失去的效用东西,又以另外一种方式出现。
英:Take an institution, a technology, a method, or even an ideology that has been forgotten or discarded and appropriate it for your own purpose.
Revive something from the past by giving it a new purpose or bring to life old ideas, customs, or traditions and reinterpret them to fit your purposes.
第十五计 调虎离山
luring the tiger out of his den
古:待天以困之,用人以诱之,往蹇来返。
白:老虎是山中之王,因此若想打虎,必须要先把老虎从山中引诱出来,所谓虎落平阳被犬欺,因为老虎离开了山区后,威风尽失。这句话用在战略上,就是说当强敌一但离开其根据地,失去了优势后,再予以攻击。
英:Never directly attack an opponent whose advantage is derived from its position. Instead lure him away from his position thus separating him from his source of strength.
第十六计 欲擒故纵
letting the enemy off in order to catch him
古:逼则反兵,走则减势。紧随勿迫,累其气力,消其斗志,散而后擒,兵不血刃。需,有孚,光。
白:以退为进,却抑先与的策略。在包围攻击时,故意放纵敌人,并不是任意的放纵敌人,而是先放松一下,不把敌人逼的太紧,所谓的逼则兵反,纵则灭势,紧随勿迫,累其气力,散而后擒,兵不血刃。
英:Cornered prey will often mount a final desperate attack. To prevent this you let the enemy believe he still has a chance for freedom.
His will to fight is thus dampened by his desire to escape. When in the end the freedom is proven a falsehood the enemy's morale will be defeated and he will surrender without a fight.
第十七计 抛砖引玉
giving the enemy something to induce him to lose more valuable things
古:类以诱之,击蒙也。
白:其意是指利用没有价值的东西来换取珍贵而有价值的策略。有以小易大、以贱易贵的意思。
英:Bait someone by making him believe he gains something or just make him react to it ("toss out a brick") and obtain something valuable from him in return ("get a jade gem").
第十八计 擒贼擒王
capturing the ringleader first in order to capture all the followers
古:摧其坚,夺其魁,以解其体。龙战于野,其道穷也。
白:挽弓当自强,用箭当用长,射人先射马,擒贼先擒王。作战时要先把敌方的主力摧毁,先俘虏其领导人,就可以瓦解敌人的战力。
英:If the enemy's army is strong but is allied to the commander only by money, superstition or threats, then take aim at the leader.
If the commander falls the rest of the army will disperse or come over to your side.
If, however, they are allied to the leader through loyalty then beware, the army can continue to fight on after his death out of vengeance.
Chapter 3: Attacking Stratagems
第十三计 打草惊蛇
beating the grass to frighten the snake
古:疑以叩实,察而后动。复者,阴之媒也。
白:以木棍挥打四周的草丛,使躲在草中的蛇惊惶奔走,进而加以捉捕。当敌情不明时,应切实掌握情况后,再展开行动,如此才不会陷入敌人的埋伏中。
英:Do something unaimed, but spectacular ("hitting the grass") to provoke a response of the enemy ("startle the snake"), thereby giving away his plans or position, or just taunt him.
Do something unusual, strange, and unexpected as this will arouse the enemy's suspicion and disrupt his thinking.
More widely used as "[Do not] startle the snake by hitting the grass". An imprudent act will give your position or intentions away to the enemy.
第十四计 借尸还魂
resurrecting a dead soul by borrowing a corpse
古:有用者,不可借;不能用者,求借。借不能用者而用之。匪我求童蒙,童蒙求我。
白:原意是指,已失去的效用东西,又以另外一种方式出现。
英:Take an institution, a technology, a method, or even an ideology that has been forgotten or discarded and appropriate it for your own purpose.
Revive something from the past by giving it a new purpose or bring to life old ideas, customs, or traditions and reinterpret them to fit your purposes.
第十五计 调虎离山
luring the tiger out of his den
古:待天以困之,用人以诱之,往蹇来返。
白:老虎是山中之王,因此若想打虎,必须要先把老虎从山中引诱出来,所谓虎落平阳被犬欺,因为老虎离开了山区后,威风尽失。这句话用在战略上,就是说当强敌一但离开其根据地,失去了优势后,再予以攻击。
英:Never directly attack an opponent whose advantage is derived from its position. Instead lure him away from his position thus separating him from his source of strength.
第十六计 欲擒故纵
letting the enemy off in order to catch him
古:逼则反兵,走则减势。紧随勿迫,累其气力,消其斗志,散而后擒,兵不血刃。需,有孚,光。
白:以退为进,却抑先与的策略。在包围攻击时,故意放纵敌人,并不是任意的放纵敌人,而是先放松一下,不把敌人逼的太紧,所谓的逼则兵反,纵则灭势,紧随勿迫,累其气力,散而后擒,兵不血刃。
英:Cornered prey will often mount a final desperate attack. To prevent this you let the enemy believe he still has a chance for freedom.
His will to fight is thus dampened by his desire to escape. When in the end the freedom is proven a falsehood the enemy's morale will be defeated and he will surrender without a fight.
第十七计 抛砖引玉
giving the enemy something to induce him to lose more valuable things
古:类以诱之,击蒙也。
白:其意是指利用没有价值的东西来换取珍贵而有价值的策略。有以小易大、以贱易贵的意思。
英:Bait someone by making him believe he gains something or just make him react to it ("toss out a brick") and obtain something valuable from him in return ("get a jade gem").
第十八计 擒贼擒王
capturing the ringleader first in order to capture all the followers
古:摧其坚,夺其魁,以解其体。龙战于野,其道穷也。
白:挽弓当自强,用箭当用长,射人先射马,擒贼先擒王。作战时要先把敌方的主力摧毁,先俘虏其领导人,就可以瓦解敌人的战力。
英:If the enemy's army is strong but is allied to the commander only by money, superstition or threats, then take aim at the leader.
If the commander falls the rest of the army will disperse or come over to your side.
If, however, they are allied to the leader through loyalty then beware, the army can continue to fight on after his death out of vengeance.