Chapter 6 of Sunzi

孙Sūn子zǐ曰yuē：凡fán先xiān处chǔ战zhàn地dì而ér待dài敌dí者zhě佚yì，后hòu处chǔ战zhàn地dì而ér趋qū战zhàn者zhě劳láo。故gù善shàn战zhàn者zhě，致zhì人rén而ér不bù致zhì于yú人rén。能néng使shǐ敌dí人rén自zì至zhì者zhě，利lì之zhī也yě；能néng使shǐ敌dí人rén不bù得dé至zhì者zhě，害hài之zhī也yě。故gù敌dí佚yì能néng劳láo之zhī，饱bǎo能néng饥jī之zhī，安ān能néng动dòng之zhī。

Sunzi said: The one who first occupies the battlefield and waits for the enemy is at ease; the one who arrives last and must rush to battle is weary. A good strategist draws the enemy to him and does not let the enemy draw him. He knows how to lure the enemy with advantage and prevent him from coming with obstacles. Thus, if he is at ease, he can weary the enemy; if he is well-fed, he can starve the enemy; if he is secure, he can make the enemy move.

出chū其qí所suǒ必bì趋qū，趋qū其qí所suǒ不bù意yì。行xíng千qiān里lǐ而ér不bù劳láo者zhě，行xíng于yú无wú人rén之zhī地dì也yě；攻gōng而ér必bì取qǔ者zhě，攻gōng其qí所suǒ不bù守shǒu也yě；守shǒu而ér必bì固gù者zhě，守shǒu其qí所suǒ必bì攻gōng也yě。故gù善shàn攻gōng者zhě，敌dí不bù知zhī其qí所suǒ守shǒu；善shàn守shǒu者zhě，敌dí不bù知zhī其qí所suǒ攻gōng。微wēi乎hū微wēi乎hū，至zhì于yú无wú形xíng；神shén乎hū神shén乎hū，至zhì于yú无wú声shēng，故gù能néng为wéi敌dí之zhī司sī命mìng。

Strike where the enemy is forced to rescue, and direct your efforts where he does not expect it. Marching a thousand li without fatigue is moving on ground without an enemy. To attack and surely capture an objective is to attack an undefended point. To defend and surely hold a position is to defend a point that the enemy will surely attack. A good attacker hides his defensive points; a good defender hides his attacking points. Subtle, this tactic can become invisible; mysterious, it can become silent. Thus, one can become the master of the enemy's fate.

进jìn而ér不bù可kě御yù者zhě，冲chōng其qí虚xū也yě；退tuì而ér不bù可kě追zhuī者zhě，速sù而ér不bù可kě及jí也yě。故gù我wǒ欲yù战zhàn，敌dí虽suī高gāo垒lěi深shēn沟gōu，不bù得dé不bù与yǔ我wǒ战zhàn者zhě，攻gōng其qí所suǒ必bì救jiù也yě；我wǒ不bù欲yù战zhàn，虽suī画huà地dì而ér守shǒu之zhī，敌dí不bù得dé与yǔ我wǒ战zhàn者zhě，乖guāi其qí所suǒ之zhī也yě。

If I want to fight, even if the enemy has high walls and deep ditches, he will not be able to avoid the battle, for I will attack a point he must rescue. If I do not want to fight, even if I draw a line on the ground to defend myself, the enemy will not be able to force me to fight, for I will divert his intentions.

故gù形xíng人rén而ér我wǒ无wú形xíng，则zé我wǒ专zhuān而ér敌dí分fēn。我wǒ专zhuān为wéi一yī，敌dí分fēn为wéi十shí，是shì以yǐ十shí攻gōng其qí一yī也yě。则zé我wǒ众zhòng敌dí寡guǎ，能néng以yǐ众zhòng击jī寡guǎ者zhě，则zé吾wú之zhī所suǒ与yǔ战zhàn者zhě约yuē矣yǐ。吾wú所suǒ与yǔ战zhàn之zhī地dì不bù可kě知zhī，不bù可kě知zhī则zé敌dí所suǒ备bèi者zhě多duō，敌dí所suǒ备bèi者zhě多duō，则zé吾wú所suǒ与yǔ战zhàn者zhě寡guǎ矣yǐ。故gù备bèi前qián则zé后hòu寡guǎ，备bèi后hòu则zé前qián寡guǎ，备bèi左zuǒ则zé右yòu寡guǎ，备bèi右yòu则zé左zuǒ寡guǎ，无wú所suǒ不bù备bèi，则zé无wú所suǒ不bù寡guǎ。寡guǎ者zhě，备bèi人rén者zhě也yě；众zhòng者zhě，使shǐ人rén备bèi己jǐ者zhě也yě。

If I display a form to the enemy while remaining formless myself, I can concentrate my forces while the enemy divides his. If I am concentrated at one point and the enemy is dispersed at ten, I attack one of his points with ten of mine. Thus, I am many where the enemy is few. If the enemy does not know where I will fight, he must prepare on all fronts, and the more he prepares on all fronts, the fewer forces he will have where we will fight. If he reinforces his front, his rear will be weak; if he reinforces his rear, his front will be weak; if he reinforces his left, his right will be weak; if he reinforces his right, his left will be weak. If he prepares everywhere, he will be weak everywhere. Being few is preparing for the enemy; being many is making the enemy prepare for us.

故gù知zhī战zhàn之zhī地dì，知zhī战zhàn之zhī日rì，则zé可kě千qiān里lǐ而ér会huì战zhàn；不bù知zhī战zhàn之zhī地dì，不bù知zhī战zhàn日rì，则zé左zuǒ不bù能néng救jiù右yòu，右yòu不bù能néng救jiù左zuǒ，前qián不bù能néng救jiù后hòu，后hòu不bù能néng救jiù前qián，而ér况kuàng远yuǎn者zhě数shù十shí里lǐ，近jìn者zhě数shù里lǐ乎hū？以yǐ吾wú度dù之zhī，越Yuè人rén之zhī兵bīng虽suī多duō，亦yì奚xī益yì于yú胜shèng哉zāi？故gù曰yuē：胜shèng可kě为wéi也yě。敌dí虽suī众zhòng，可kě使shǐ无wú斗dòu。

If I know the place and time of the battle, I can march a thousand li to fight there. If I do not know the place and time, then the left cannot rescue the right, the right cannot rescue the left, the front cannot rescue the rear, and the rear cannot rescue the front, and even less so if the distances are several dozen li. According to my estimation, even if the Yue troops are numerous, what good is that for victory? Thus, victory can be created. Even if the enemy is numerous, one can prevent him from fighting.

故gù策cè之zhī而ér知zhī得dé失shī之zhī计jì，候hòu之zhī而ér知zhī动dòng静jìng之zhī理lǐ，形xíng之zhī而ér知zhī死sǐ生shēng之zhī地dì，角jué之zhī而ér知zhī有yǒu余yú不bù足zú之zhī处chù。故gù形xíng兵bīng之zhī极jí，至zhì于yú无wú形xíng。无wú形xíng则zé深shēn间jiàn不bù能néng窥kuī，智zhì者zhě不bù能néng谋móu。因yīn形xíng而ér措cuò胜shèng于yú众zhòng，众zhòng不bù能néng知zhī。人rén皆jiē知zhī我wǒ所suǒ以yǐ胜shèng之zhī形xíng，而ér莫mò知zhī吾wú所suǒ以yǐ制zhì胜shèng之zhī形xíng。故gù其qí战zhàn胜shèng不bù复fù，而ér应yìng形xíng于yú无wú穷qióng。

By analyzing the enemy's plans, I can discover his strengths and weaknesses; by observing his movements, I can understand his intentions; by feinting, I can discover lethal positions and vulnerable points. The pinnacle of military art is to show no form. Without form, even the most skilled spies can discover nothing, and the wisest strategists can plan nothing. I create victory according to the enemy's situation, so that no one knows how I won. Everyone sees the form by which I have triumphed, but no one knows the form that allowed me to secure victory. Thus, my victories never repeat and adapt to infinite situations.

夫fú兵bīng形xíng象xiàng水shuǐ，水shuǐ之zhī行xíng避bì高gāo而ér趋qū下xià，兵bīng之zhī形xíng避bì实shí而ér击jī虚xū；水shuǐ因yīn地dì而ér制zhì流liú，兵bīng因yīn敌dí而ér制zhì胜shèng。故gù兵bīng无wú常cháng势shì，水shuǐ无wú常cháng形xíng。能néng因yīn敌dí变biàn化huà而ér取qǔ胜shèng者zhě，谓wèi之zhī神shén。故gù五wǔ行xíng无wú常cháng胜shèng，四sì时shí无wú常cháng位wèi，日rì有yǒu短duǎn长cháng，月yuè有yǒu死sǐ生shēng。

Military strategy is like water: water flows by avoiding heights and rushing to lowlands; military strategy avoids the enemy's strong points and strikes at his weak points. As water adapts to the terrain to determine its course, military strategy adapts to the enemy to win victory. Thus, there is no constant military configuration, just as there is no constant shape for water. He who knows how to adapt to the enemy's changes and gain victory is called brilliant. The five elements have no constant victory, the four seasons have no fixed position, days have varying lengths, and the moon has its phases of growth and waning.