尉缭子 （三）

---中国古代军事著作

陈水明（1962届） 英译

Weiliaozi （3）

---An ancient Chinese work for military strategy and tactics

                
Translated by Chen Shuiming

 第八章       武议

凡兵不攻无过之城，不杀无罪之人，夫杀人之父兄，利人之货财，臣妾人之子女，此皆盗也。故兵者，所以诛暴乱，禁不义也。兵之所加者，农不离其田业，贾不离其肆宅，士大夫不离其官府，由其武议，在于一人。故兵不血刃而天下亲焉。

万乘农战，千乘救守，百乘事养。农战不外索权，救守不外索助，事养不外索资。夫出不足战，入不足守者，治之以市。市者，所以外战守也。万乘无千乘之助，必有百乘之市。
凡诛者，所以明武也。杀一人而三军震者，杀之。杀一人而万人喜者，杀之。杀之贵大，赏之贵小。当杀而贵重，必杀之，是刑上究也。赏及牛童马圉者是赏下流也。夫能刑上究，赏下流。此将之武也。故人主贵将，

夫将，提鼓挥桴，临难决战，接兵角刃，鼓之而当，则赏功立名；鼓之而不当，则身死国亡。是存亡安危，在于桴端，奈何无重将也。夫提鼓挥桴，接兵角刃，君以武事成功者，臣以为非难也。古人曰：“无蒙冲而攻，无渠答而守，是为无善之军。”
视无见，听无闻，由国无市也。夫市也者，百货之官也。市贱卖贵，以限士人。人食粟一斗，马食菽三斗，人有饥色，马有瘠形，何也？市所出而官无主也。夫提天下之节制，而无百货之官，无谓其能战也。起兵直使甲胄生虮虱者，必为吾所效用也。鸷鸟逐雀，有袭人之怀，入人之室者，非出生，后有惮也。

太公望年七十屠牛朝歌，卖食盟津，过七年余而主不听，人人之谓狂夫也。及遇文王，则提三万之众，一战而天下定，非武议安得此合也。故曰：“良马有策，远道可致；贤士有合，大道可明。”

武王王伐纣，师渡盟津，右施左钺，死士三百，战士三万。纣之陈亿万，飞廉，恶来身先戟斧，陈开百里。武王不罢士民，兵不血刃而商诛纣。无祥异也，人事修不修而然也。今世将考孤虚，占城池，合龟兆，视吉凶，观星辰风云之变，欲以成胜立功，臣以为难。
夫将者，上不制于天，不下制于地，中不致于人。故兵者，凶器也；争者，逆德也；将者死官也。故不得已而用之。无天于上，无地于下，无主于后，无敌于前。一人之兵，如狼如虎，如风如雨，如雷如霆；震震冥冥，天下皆惊。

胜兵似水，夫水至柔弱者也，然所触丘陵，必为之崩，无异也，性专而触诚也。今以墨邪之利，犀兕之坚，三军之众，有所奇正，则天下默当其战矣。故曰：“举贤用能，不时而事利；明法审令，不卜筮而获吉；贵功养劳，不祷祠而得福。”又曰：“天时不如地利。地利不如人和。”古之圣人，谨人事而已。

吴起与秦战，舍不平陇亩，朴樕盖之，以避霜露。如此何也？不自高人故也。乞人之死不索尊。竭人之力不责礼。故古者，甲胄之士不拜，示人无己烦也。夫烦人而欲乞其死，竭其力，自古至今，未尝闻也。

将受命之日忘其家,张军宿野忘其亲,援桴而鼓忘其身.吴起临战,左右进剑,起说:”将专主旗鼓尔!临难决疑,挥兵指刃,此将事也;一剑之任,非将事也.”

三军成行,一舍而后成三舍,三舍之余,如决川源,望敌在前,因其所长而用之.敌白者垩之,赤者赭之,吴起与秦战,未合,一夫不胜其勇,前获双首而还.吴起立斩之.军吏谫曰: “此材士也,不可斩.”起曰: “材士则是矣,非吾令也.”斩之.

Chapter 8                High-ranking Military Officer’s Duties

The just army doesn’t strike on the innocent city, nor kill the innocent people. Those who kill other people’s parents and brothers, rob them of wealth, enslave their sons and daughters are called bandits. Fight is used to suppress riots and prohibit unjust actions. So, while the just troops are suppressing a riot, the peasants don’t leave their own farms, the tradesmen don’t leave their own shops and the government officials don’t leave their offices. The aim of fight is to punish the tyrants. Thus without fierce battle the just troops surely win and are supported by people.

The strong country with ten thousand chariots of force pays attention to farming and fighting works; the moderate country with one thousand chariots of force pays attention to saving and defending itself; the weak country with one hundred chariots pays attention to cherishing and supporting its own people. Doing so, the strong country needn’t seek power from other countries; the moderate country needn’t ask other countries for help and the weak country needn’t ask other countries for relief. Those which have no power to go on an expedition externally, nor have power to support and defend domestically should devote themselves to domestic trade markets. The revenue is used to support the army. If a big country has no aid from a medium country, then it must have the markets whose revenue is about that of a small country for supporting its army.

Capital punishment is used to set military prestige. If executing one man can warn all the army, execute the man If all the army can be pleased by executing one man, kill him. It is valuable to execute the influential people and to reward the low-ranking meritorious people.

To punish the people who should be punished even he is a high-ranking officer means investigating the origin of guilt from the authorities and to reward the people who should be rewarded even he is a cowboy or a groom means presenting the awards to the low stratum. What mentioned above is the key to success of the military commanders. So, the emperor esteems the authority of the commander.

With the battle drumstick in hand, the commander directs the fight in the battlefield, leads his men in hand=to=hand combating against the enemy and faces the danger and decides the war. A proper direction will lead to his fame and merits, while an improper one will lead to his death and the country’s doom. A country’s safety or danger existence or doom is all determined by the commander’s direction. Why must the commander’s action not be taken seriously? It is the duty of the commander to direct the men in combating the enemy. I don’t think it is a difficult matter that an emperor can succeed with his military prestige and with good commander that can correctly lead his men in fighting against the enemy. Ancient people said: “It is crack troops that can capture a city without using striking devices and can defend a city a city without using defending devices.”

Without trade markets soldiers will be hungry enough not to see and hear. The market is the place where goods are bought and sold. The country buys commodities while the commodities are cheap and sells them while they are expensive so as to guard against the fact that the tradesmen easily gain. According to the law every soldier is provided with a dou (a unit of dry measure of grain) a day and every horse is provided with three dou of beans, but why does he appear hungry and it appear thin? It is because though there are plenty of commodities on the markets, yet no administrative department runs the markets and well ensures military supplies. He is not a lord good at running troops in fighting against the enemy that doesn’t set officials in his country to administrate the markets. He who sends an army to conduct operation must make the soldiers fight for the country even there live lice in their suits of armors. Such conditions are like the sparrows that are driven by eagles; sometimes they fly to people’s bosoms and sometimes into a house. It is not their nature to do so, but is something that they are afraid of forces them.

As old as 70, Jiang Ziya was still doing as a cow-slaughter in Zhaoge city and a food peddler in Mengjin city. Then, for more than seven years he had not been constantly employed by anyone and every man said he was good of nothing. Afterward, he met with Prince Wen of Zhou Kingdom and was treated highly. Leading thirty thousand men, Jiang put down the world with one blow. If he hadn’t unfathomable strategy, how could he get the opportunity to give full play of his talent? So, we may say: “With an excellent rider, a winged stead can reach a far destination; with a good opportunity, an able man can develop his talent to run a country well.”

While suppressing Emperor Zhou of Yin dynasty (about 1100 B.C.), Prince Wu of Zhou Kingdom led his men in crossing Mengjin ferry; then, with a mao (a kind of weapon) in right hand and a yue (a kind of weapon) in left hand he directed three hundred brave fighters and thirty thousand soldiers. While Emperor Zhou arranged one hundred thousand men occupying a battle space of 50 KM square to encounter the army of Prince Wu’s, and in his army the two brave military officers Feilian and E-lai charged at the head with long handle halberds and ax in hands. But Prince Wu defeated and killed Emperor Zhou. He succeeded without making the people tired and his men desperately fight. It was not because of good fortune or misfortune, but was because of people’s union or disunion.
Now, before fight, the conventional commanders only pay attention to choosing a lucky time, casting the horoscope, examining the divination marks on scared tortoise shell, by which they want to calculate military success or failure and perform meritorious deeds. Certainly, I don’t think it is easy for them to reach their goal by doing so.

As a military marshal that commands the whole army in fight, he shouldn’t be bound by the heaven, or by the earth, or by persons. Weapons are used for killing people; battles are immoral affairs; military commanders are the officers to decide man’s life and death. So, they must be used when there is no other way to make. The marshal must take charge of the whole military affair, he shouldn’t be restricted by celestial phenomena, or by terrain and its feature, or by the enemies or be controlled by the emperor. The army that is united as one will be as fierce as the tiger and the wolf, as violent as the storm and as swift as the thunder and the lighting. Once it acts, it comes and goes like a shadow and shocks the world.

The victorious army is like water. Water is a very soft and weak matter, but once it rushes even the hills will be destroyed by it. Such strength doesn’t come from any special character, but comes from its constant and concentrated action. Now, let’s arm our troops with the swords as sharp as Mo-ye (a kind of well-known sword in ancient China), the armors as hard as rhinoceros’ hide; besides, flexibly us the strategy and tactics, then we’ll have an army unmatched anywhere in the world. So, we may say: “If we use virtuous and talented people, every thing will be all right without selecting fortunate days; if we carry out strict and impartial laws, surely we’ll be lucky without seeking divine advice; if we reward those who have military merits and encourage those who work hard, then we’ll obtain good fortune without praying gods and ancestors.” We may also say: “Timeliness is not as good as favorable geographical position, and favorable geographical position is not as good as people’s union.” What the ancient wise people took seriously was nothing but developing the positive action of people.

While General Wu Qi (a well-known militarist) led his men in fighting with those of Qi kingdom, he used to lie on the trench of the field open air for night with some twigs and leaves covering his body to prevent dew and frost. So doing, he showed that he hadn’t a cut above others. While encouraging soldiers to dedicate themselves, you needn’t demand them to be reverent and respectful to their superior; while wanting them to do all they can, you needn’t demand them to pay unnecessary and tedious etiquette to their higher authorities So, in ancient times soldiers with armors and hamlets did not do kneeling salute, thus showed they were not asked to do minute and all kinds of complicated etiquette. I have never heard about such a thing as demanding soldiers both to sacrifice themselves for the country and do all kinds of minute and complicated etiquette to their higher authorities.
As a military general, he should forget his wife when he receives an assignment; he should forget his family members when the army assembles and awaits orders and should forget his own life when the army is going into battle. When General Wu Qi was on the eve of battle, his attendants presented him with a precious sword, he declined and said: “It is the general’s duty to issue orders with battle drum-stick, solve difficult problems at the critical moment and direct the whole army to bravely fight. But it isn’t the general’s affairs to fight the enemy face-to-face with a sword.”

In ancient times, when the army started to fight, it marched one she (one she is equal to 15 KM) a day; after three days. it would rush as swift as the river surges forward. Seeing the enemy in front, you should take proper measure to cope with them according to their traits. Such as if the enemy uses red marks, you’ll use them as well, so as to confuse the enemy.

Once General Wu Qi led his men in fighting with those of Qi kingdom. Before the battle started, one of his men showed himself off by rushing into the enemy camp and bringing two heads back. Immediately General Wu Qi ordered to have him killed. Some officers advised: “He is a brave soldier, better to spare his life.” Wu Qi said. “Yes, he is brave. But he breaks my military order.” At last the soldier was put to death.

第九章       将理

凡将，理官也，万物之主也，不私于一人。夫能无移于一人，故万物至而制之，万物至而命之。
君子不救囚于五步之外，虽钩矢射之，弗追也。故善审囚之情，不待棰楚而囚之情可毕矣。笞人之背，灼人之胁，束人之指而讯囚之情，虽国士有不胜其酷而自诬矣。今世谚云：“千金不死，百金不刑。”试听臣之言，行臣之术，虽有尧舜之智，不能关一言；虽有万金，不能用一铢。今夫决狱，小圄不下十数，中圄不下百数，大圄不下千数。十人联百人之事，百人联千人之事，千人联万人之事。所联之者，亲戚兄弟也，其次婚姻也，其次知识故人也。是农无不离田业，贾不离肆宅，士大夫无不离官府。如此关联良民，皆囚之情也。兵法曰：“十万之师出，日费千金。”今良民十万而联于囚圄，上不能省，臣以为危也。

Chapter  9                 Commander’s Duty of Judge

Generally speaking, the military commander still undertakes the duty of judge and decides various military affairs, so that he shouldn’t take side with anyone. If he can really not be biased against anyone, then he will be able to fairly handle various affairs and impartially decide all sorts of law cases.

The just man does not lightly have a man arrested and put into jail even the man is his personal enemy. Therefore, he who is good at judging never extorts confession by torturing but still well settles the lawsuit. If he inquires the object by torturing his back, ironing his costal regions and squeezing his fingers, then even a staunch fellow will be unable to bear and confess to false charge. Now, a common saying goes: “With one thousand pieces of gold to give a bribe, one can be free from capital punishment; with one hundred pieces of gold to give a bribe, one can be free from being wiped..” If Your Majesty listens to and acts according to me, then even a man is as eloquent as Emperors Yao and Shun, he cannot intercede with anyone on behalf of any condemned fellow. Even he is very wealthy, he cannot use any coin to offer a bribe. Now, the suspects confined in your small size jails are over ten; in medium size jails are over hundred and in large size jails are over thousand.  Ten cases implicate over hundred; one hundred implicate over one thousand and one thousand implicate over ten thousand. Among the implicated are the accused people’s parents, brothers, sisters, relations or friends. Thus many peasants have to leave their farms, tradesmen have to leave their shops and government officials have to leave their offices. As the lord of the country isn’t care for about penalties, so many innocent people are implicated in criminal suits. Art of war goes: “It must cost one thousand pieces of gold everyday for one hundred thousand men to go out to battle.” At present, one hundred thousand men are needed to garrison the frontiers but they are implicated in criminal cases and the lord of the country cannot be aware of the gravity of such a matter. In my opinion, it is a dangerous thing.    

第十章     原官

官者，事之所主，为治之本也。制者，职分四民，治之分也。贵爵富禄必称，尊卑之体也。好善惩恶，正比法令，计民之具也。均井地，节赋敛，取与之度也。程工人，备器用，匠工之功也。分地塞，要殄怪，禁淫之事也。守法稽断，臣下之节也。明法稽验，主上之操也。明主守，等轻重，臣主之权也。明赏赉，严诛责，止奸之术也。审开塞，守一道，为政之要也。下达上通，至聪之听也。知国有无之数，用其功也。知彼弱者，强之体也。知彼动者，静之决也。官分文武，惟王之二术也。俎豆同制，天子之会也。游说开谋无自入，正议之术也。诸侯有谨天子之礼，君民继世，承王之命也。更造易常，讳王明德，故礼得以伐也。官无事治，上无庆赏，民无狱讼，国无商贾，何王之至。明举上达，在王垂听也。

 Chapter    10                    Government Official System

It is the foundation of running the country for the lord to appoint various government officials in charge of various state works and it is the official’s duty to administrate scholars, peasants, workers and tradesmen respectively according to their division of work. Awarding the official rank, salary of the official must be in accordance with his morality, ability and political achievement, which is the foundation for determining the social rank systems. Rewarding the good, punishing the evil, and rectifying the current tendencies in society are the duty of the officials in charge of the internal affairs. Equally distributing land, adjusting and collecting the agricultural tax from the peasants, encouraging the peasants to farm and protecting them from harm are the duty of the officials in charge of agriculture. Planning various projects and engineering, making various devices and tools, training and running various kinds of workers and craftsmen are the duty of the engineering officials. Guarding passes, checking the customhouses, restricting the circulation of rare commodities and queer things and prohibiting loose conducts are the duty of the business officials. Resolutely handling government affairs according to the laws is the duty of the officials. Clarifying the laws and decrees and supervising their enforcement are the duty of the lord. Defining the officials’ duty, adjusting their positions and measuring the social rank are the foundation for the lord to manage the country. Fairly carrying out rewards and punishments is the key to prohibiting craft and evil. Making it clear what should be rewarded and punished and persisting in united policies are the key to management of the country. Making the lord’s and the masses’ wishes known to each other is the effective way for the lord to know the actual situations of his country. Knowing the actual condition of the state capital and goods and keeping the expenditures within the limit is the way to saving the state expenses. Knowing the weak link of the country is the foundation of making the country strong. Knowing the turbulent situations in the country is the key to the country stable. Setting up civil officials and military officers and letting them help each other is the way to making the country thriving and prosperous. Unifying sacrificial rites is the necessity to the emperor (In old China the emperor was called the Heaven’s son) when he calls the lords of various subordinate kingdoms for conferences. Making the spies and the political-view-peddlers have no method to carry out their schemes is the way to carrying through correct plans.
That by adhering to the rites drawn up by the emperor the lords of various kingdoms well rule their people and hand down their posts to their legal successors is the essential prerequisite for them to obey the orders of the emperor. He who changes his title, breaks the conventional routines and betrays the good government decrees set up by former virtuous emperors must be punished. The best political situation the lord faces is: In his country the society is stable and there are no trouble things for the government officials to deal with; the people are diligent without being urged and encouraged; there is no civil case and no illegal tradesmen. It is the best reflection of the lord’s virtue that his order can be obeyed by his subjects.

--- 待续