【正文】 e the devious route the most direct and to turn disadvantage to advantage. Thus, forcing the enemy to deviate and slow down his march by luring him with a bait, you may set out after he does and arrive at the battlefield before him. One able to do this shows the knowledge of artifice of deviation.Thus, both advantage and danger are inherent in maneuvering for an advantageous position.One who sets the entire army in motion with impedimenta to pursue an advantageous position will be too slow to attain it. If he abandons the camp and all the impedimenta to contend for advantage, the baggage and stores will be lost.It follows that when the army rolls up the armour and sets out speedily, stopping neither day nor night and marching at double speed for a hundred miles to wrest an advantage, the mander of three divisions will be captured. The vigorous troops will arrive first and the feeble will straggle along behind, so that if this method is used only onetenth of the army will arrive.In a forced march of fifty miles the mander of the first and van division will fall, and using this method but half of the army will arrive.In a forced march of thirty miles, but twothirds will arrive.Hence, the army will be lost without baggage train。 and it cannot survive without provisions, nor can it last long without sources of supplies.One who is not acquainted with the design of his neighbours should not enter into alliances with them. Those who do not know the conditions of mountains and forests, hazardous defiles, marshes and swamps, cannot conduct the march of an army. Those who do not use local guides are unable to obtain the advantages of the ground.Now , war is based on deception. Move when it is advantageous and change tactics by dispersal and concentration of your troops.When campaigning, be swift as the wind。 in leisurely march, majestic as the forest。In raiding and plundering, be fierce as fire。 in standing, be firm as the mountains. When hiding, be as unfathomable as things behind the clouds。 when moving, fall like a thunderclap.When you plunder the countryside, divide your forces. When you conquer territory, defend strategic points. Weigh the situation before you move.He who knows the artifice of deviation will be victorious. Such is the art of manoeuvring.The Book of Army Management says: ‘As the voice cannot be heard in battle, gongs and drums are used. As troops cannot see each other clearly in battle, flags and banners are used.Hence, in night fighting, usually use drums and gongs。 in day fighting, banners and flags.Now, these instruments are used to unify the action of the troops. When the troops can be thus united, the brave cannot advance alone, nor can the cowardly retreat. This is the art of directing large masses of troops.A whole army may be robbed of its spirit, and its mander deprived of his presence of mind.Now, at the beginning of a campaign, the spirit of soldiers is keen。 after a certain period of time, it declines。 and in the later stage, it may be dwindled to nought. A clever mander, therefore, avoids the enemy when his spirit is keen and attack him when it is lost. This is the art of attaching importance to moods.In good order, he awaits a disorderly enemy。 in serenity, a clamorous one. This is the art of retaining selfpossession.Close to the field of battle, he awaits an enemy ing from afar。 at rest, he awaits an exhausted enemy。 with wellfed troops, he awaits hungry ones. This is the art of husbanding one’s strength.He refrains from intercepting an enemy whose banners are in perfect order, and desists from attacking an army whose formations are in an impressive array. This is the art of assessing circumstances.Now, the art of employing troops is that when the enemy occupies high ground, do not confront him uphill, and when his back is resting on hills, do not make a frontal attack. When he pretends to flee, do not pursue. Do not attack soldiers whose temper is keen. Do not swallow a bait offered by the enemy. Do not thwart an enemy who is returning homewards. When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate enemy too hard. Such is the method of using troops.CHAPTER 8 VARIATION OF TACTICS 九變篇Sun Zi said: Generally, in war, the general receives his mands from the sovereign, assembles troops and mobilizes the people. When on grounds hard of access, do not encamp. On grounds intersected with highways, join hands with your allies. Do not linger on critical ground. In encircled ground, resort to stratagem. In desperate ground, fight a lastditch battle.There are some roads which must not be followed, some troops which must not be attacked, some cities which must not be assaulted, some ground which must not be contested, and some mands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.Hence, the general who thoroughly understands the advantages that acpany variation of tactics knows how to employ troops.The general who does not is unable to use the terrain to his advantage even though he is well acquainted with it.In employing the troops for attack, the general who does not understand the variation of tactics will be unable to use them effectively, even if he is familiar with the Five Advantages.And for this reason, a wise general in his deliberations must consider both favourable and unfavourable factors. By taking into account the favourable factors, he makes his plan feasible。 by taking into account the unfavourable, he may avoid possible disasters.What can subdue the hostile neighbouring rulers is to hit what hurts them most。 what can keep them constantly occupied is to make trouble for them。 and what can make them rush about is to offer them ostensible allurements.It is a doctrine of war that we must not rely on the likelihood of the enemy not ing, but our own readiness to meet him。 not on the chance of his not attacking, but on the fact