小編導讀：《孫子兵法--勢篇》是春秋末年的齊國人孫武的作品。勢篇是《孫子兵法》的第五篇，本篇主要論述在軍事實力的基礎上，發揮將帥的指揮才能，造成和利用有利態勢，出奇制勝地打擊敵人。“勢”就是在軍事實力的基礎上，由于實行正確的作戰指揮，從而在戰場上所表現出的實際作戰能力。

《孫子兵法---勢篇》

孫子曰：凡治眾如治寡，分數是也；斗眾如斗寡，形名是也；三軍之眾，可使必受敵而無敗者，奇正是也；兵之所加，如以碫擊卵者，虛實是也。

凡戰者，以正合，以奇勝。故善出奇者，無窮如天地，不竭如江河。終而復始，日月是也。死而復生，四時是也。聲不過五，五聲之變，不可勝聽也；色不過五，五色之變，不可勝觀也；味不過五，五味之變，不可勝嘗也；戰勢不過奇正，奇正之變，不可勝窮也。奇正相生，如循環之無端，孰能窮之？

激水之疾，至于漂石者，勢也；鷙鳥之疾，至于毀折者，節也。故善戰者，其勢險，其節短。勢如彍弩，節如發機。紛紛紜紜，斗亂而不可亂也；渾渾沌沌，形圓而不可敗也。亂生于治，怯生于勇，弱生于強。治亂，數也；勇怯，勢也；強弱，形也。故善動敵者，形之，敵必從之；予之，敵必取之。以利動之，以卒待之。

故善戰者，求之于勢，不責于人，故能擇人而任勢。任勢者，其戰人也，如轉木石。木石之性，安則靜，危則動，方則止，圓則行。故善戰人之勢，如轉圓石于千仞之山者，勢也。

On Military Situation

Sun WU

Sun Zi says: To manage a large army is the same in principle as to manage a small one. It is a matter of organization. To direct a large army in war is the same in principle as to direct a small one. It is a matter of unified command and order. The whole army may suffer from an all-out attack from the enemy but does not sustain a defeat. This is because extraordinary and ordinary forces are skillfully operated. The army may deal the enemy a heavy blow as a grindstone crushes an egg. This is an example of beating the weak with the strong.

It is a general rule in war that the ordinary force is used to engage and the extraordinary force to win victory. The warcrafts of a commander skilled in using extraordinary force to win victory are as inexhaustible as boundless heaven and earth or as endless as flow of running rivers. Although they have come to an end, they can start again like the motion of the sun and the moon. Although they have died away, they can be reborn like the changing of the four seasons of a year. There are no more than five musical notes, but there combination would make more melodies than can be ever heard. There are no more than five pigments, but their mixture would produce more colours than can be ever seen. There are no more than five cardinal tastes but the blending of them would yield more flavours than can be ever tasted. There are no more than two kinds of troops—ordinary and extraordinary, but the skillful operation of them will lead to infinite results just as a rolling circle has no ends. Who can exhaust the possibility of their combinations?

It is the momentum of the torrential water that moves boulders. It is in quick tempo that a hawk kills the prey. Those skilled in the art of war can create a posture that possesses an irresistible momentum and can attack the enemy in a timely and quick tempo. The posture is like a fully-drawn crossbow, and the tempo, a released trigger.

Amidst the turmoil of war, fluttering flags and crowding troops may seem to be disordered, but our army must be kept in good order. On a battle field, there may seem to be confusion and chaos, but our army must be in good battle array and face the situation with ease so that we are not defeated. Sometimes if we want to pretend to be in disorder, we must be in good order; if we want to pretend to be cowards, we must have courage; if we want to pretend to be weak, we must be strong. If we are in good order but pretend to be in disorder, we must be organized; if we are courageous but pretend to be cowardices, we must be good in posture; if we are strong but pretend to be weak, we must be well disposed. Thus, those who are skillful in keeping the enemy on the move puzzle he enemy with deceptive appearances according to which he will act. They lure the enemy with a bait which he is certain to take. They move the enemy with small profit and ambush him with picked troops.

Therefore, a skillful commander manages to make the best use of the situation but does not make excessive demand on his subordinates. Thus, he can select a suitable man to control the situation. He who is skillful in taking advantage of the situation can direct his men in battles as rolling logs or stones. Logs or stones remain unmoved on a flat land but roll forward on a steep slope. The square ones stop and the round ones roll. Thus, the situation a skilled commander creates is like the momentum of round rock quickly rolling down from a thousand-feet-high mountain. This is what a favourable situation means.

更多精品翻譯素材，敬請關注可可英語。