9 The Army On The March 行军
Encampment, Engagement, Obeisance
Main ideas:
- Use of terrain 好高恶下, 贵阳贱阴. 吾远之, 敌近之, 吾迎之, 敌背之
- Overcoming a larger army 兵非益多, 惟无武进, 足以并力, 料敌, 取人而已
- Trust and discipline 令之以文, 齐之以武
Chapter nine discusses practical details in combat, and covers one’s encampment and engagement of the enemy. The tactics involve using the terrain to one’s advantage, occupying favourable positions and avoiding unfavourable positions 吾远之, and to lure 敌近之 and engage the enemy 吾迎之 at her most vulnerable 敌背之.
In general, one seeks to occupy dominating features 好高恶下 for safety and combat advantage, and positions where subsistence conditions are favourable 贵阳贱阴.
When moving and fighting at heights, one avoids dominated positions and occupies the higher ground, and fights downwards so that she expends less energy than her enemy.
Water bodies are unpredictable and pose risks to an army moving in it. One crosses rivers quickly and distances herself from it, and seeks to engage the enemy only when she has committed most of her forces into the river with little recourse of recalling her forces. This surprises the enemy at her most vulnerable state. Similarly, engage from the upstream and fight downstream.
Marshes severely restrict the movements of the army. Cross marshes quickly, and if necessary, fight in marshes with the safety of dry lands and water nearby from where one can replenish herself, and to where one retreats for safety.
Similarly, when fighting on flat terrain, leverage the safety of heights to the rear and limits one’s enemy’s approach to the front.
Numerical superiority alone does not guarantee victory in war. One with a smaller force should be cautious, concentrate her forces, and assess her enemy for an opportune moment to overcome her. On the other hand, one who underestimates her enemy and acts recklessly is bound to lose.
Trust in authority is precondition for a disciplined, and therefore, effective army. One seeks first to gain the trust and respect of her soldiers by educating them and setting a personal example, through her own conscientiousness and respect for military authority 令之以文. With trust, discipline can be better achieved as soldiers more willingly submit to orders and the related punishments meted out to those who fail to follow them 齐之以武.
孙子曰：
凡处军相敌：
Sun Tzu said:
We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.绝山依谷，视生处高，战隆无登，此处山之军也。
Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighborhood of valleys. Camp in high places, facing the sun. Do not climb heights in order to fight. So much for mountain warfare.绝水必远水；
客绝水而来，勿迎之于水内，令半济而击之，利；
欲战者，无附于水而迎客；
视生处高，无迎水流，此处水上之军也。
After crossing a river, you should get far away from it.
When an invading force crosses a river in its onward march, do not advance to meet it in mid-stream. It will be best to let half the army get across, and then deliver your attack.
If you are anxious to fight, you should not go to meet the invader near a river which he has to cross. Moor your craft higher up than the enemy, and facing the sun. Do not move up-stream to meet the enemy. So much for river warfare.绝斥泽，惟亟去无留；
若交军于斥泽之中，必依水草而背众树，此处斥泽之军也。
In crossing salt-marshes, your sole concern should be to get over them quickly, without any delay.
If forced to fight in a salt-marsh, you should have water and grass near you, and get your back to a clump of trees. So much for operations in salt-marches.平陆处易，而右背高，前死后生，此处平陆之军也。
In dry, level country, take up an easily accessible position with rising ground to your right and on your rear, so that the danger may be in front, and safety lie behind. So much for campaigning in flat country.凡此四军之利，黄帝之所以胜四帝也。
These are the four useful branches of military knowledge which enabled the Yellow Emperor to vanquish four several sovereigns.凡军好高而恶下，贵阳而贱阴，养生而处实，军无百疾，是谓必胜。
All armies prefer high ground to low and sunny places to dark. If you are careful of your men, and camp on hard ground, the army will be free from disease of every kind, and this will spell victory.丘陵堤防，必处其阳，而右背之。此兵之利，地之助也。
When you come to a hill or a bank, occupy the sunny side, with the slope on your right rear. Thus you will at once act for the benefit of your soldiers and utilize the natural advantages of the ground.上雨，水沫至，欲涉者，待其定也。
凡地有绝涧、天井、天牢、天罗、天陷、天隙，必亟去之，勿近也。
When, in consequence of heavy rains up-country, a river which you wish to ford is swollen and flecked with foam, you must wait until it subsides. Country in which there are precipitous cliffs with torrents running between, deep natural hollows, confined places, tangled thickets, quagmires and crevasses, should be left with all possible speed and not approached.吾远之，敌近之；
吾迎之，敌背之。
While we keep away from such places, we should get the enemy to approach them;
while we face them, we should let the enemy have them on his rear.军行有险阻、潢井、葭苇、山林、蘙荟者，必谨覆索之，此伏奸之所处也。
If in the neighborhood of your camp there should be any hilly country, ponds surrounded by aquatic grass, hollow basins filled with reeds, or woods with thick undergrowth, they must be carefully routed out and searched; for these are places where men in ambush or insidious spies are likely to be lurking.敌近而静者，恃其险也；
远而挑战者，欲人之进也；
其所居易者，利也。
众树动者，来也；
众草多障者，疑也；
鸟起者，伏也；
兽骇者，覆也；
When the enemy is close at hand and remains quiet, he is relying on the natural strength of his position.
When he keeps aloof and tries to provoke a battle, he is anxious for the other side to advance.
If his place of encampment is easy of access, he is tendering a bait.
Movement amongst the trees of a forest shows that the enemy is advancing.
The appearance of a number of screens in the midst of thick grass means that the enemy wants to make us suspicious.
The rising of birds in their flight is the sign of an ambuscade.
Startled beasts indicate that a sudden attack is coming.尘高而锐者，车来也；
卑而广者，徒来也；
散而条达者，樵采也；
少而往来者，营军也。
辞卑而益备者，进也；
辞强而进驱者，退也；
When there is dust rising in a high column, it is the sign of chariots advancing;
when the dust is low, but spread over a wide area, it betokens the approach of infantry.
When it branches out in different directions, it shows that parties have been sent to collect firewood.
A few clouds of dust moving to and fro signify that the army is encamping.
Humble words and increased preparations are signs that the enemy is about to advance.
Violent language and driving forward as if to the attack are signs that he will retreat.轻车先出居其侧者，陈也；
无约而请和者，谋也；
奔走而陈兵车者，期也；
半进半退者，诱也。
杖而立者，饥也；
汲而先饮者，渴也；
见利而不进者，劳也；
鸟集者，虚也；
夜呼者，恐也；
军扰者，将不重也；
旌旗动者，乱也；
吏怒者，倦也；
When the light chariots come out first and take up a position on the wings, it is a sign that the enemy is forming for battle.
Peace proposals unaccompanied by a sworn covenant indicate a plot.
When there is much running about and the soldiers fall into rank, it means that the critical moment has come.
When some are seen advancing and some retreating, it is a lure.
When the soldiers stand leaning on their spears, they are faint from want of food.
If those who are sent to draw water begin by drinking themselves, the army is suffering from thirst.
If the enemy sees an advantage to be gained and makes no effort to secure it, the soldiers are exhausted.
If birds gather on any spot, it is unoccupied.
Clamor by night betokens nervousness.
If there is disturbance in the camp, the general’s authority is weak.
If the banners and flags are shifted about, sedition is afoot.
If the officers are angry, it means that the men are weary.粟马肉食，军无悬缻，不返其舍者，穷寇也；
谆谆翕翕，徐与人言者，失众也；
数赏者，窘也；
数罚者，困也；
先暴而后畏其众者，不精之至也；
来委谢者，欲休息也。
兵怒而相迎，久而不合，又不相去，必谨察之。
When an army feeds its horses with grain and kills its cattle for food, and when the men do not hang their cooking-pots over the camp-fires, showing that they will not return to their tents, you may know that they are determined to fight to the death.
The sight of men whispering together in small knots or speaking in subdued tones points to disaffection amongst the rank and file.
Too frequent rewards signify that the enemy is at the end of his resources;
too many punishments betray a condition of dire distress.
To begin by bluster, but afterwards to take fright at the enemy’s numbers, shows a supreme lack of intelligence.
When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce.
If the enemy’s troops march up angrily and remain facing ours for a long time without either joining battle or taking themselves off again, the situation is one that demands great vigilance and circumspection.兵非益多也，惟无武进，足以并力、
料敌、取人而已。
If our troops are no more in number than the enemy, that is amply sufficient; it only means that no direct attack can be made.
What we can do is simply to concentrate all our available strength, keep a close watch on the enemy, and obtain reinforcements.夫惟无虑而易敌者，必擒于人。
He who exercises no forethought but makes light of his opponents is sure to be captured by them.卒未亲附而罚之，则不服，
不服则难用也。
卒已亲附而罚不行，则不可用也。
If soldiers are punished before they have grown attached to you, they will not prove submissive;
and, unless submissive, then will be practically useless.
If, when the soldiers have become attached to you, punishments are not enforced, they will still be unless.故令之以文，齐之以武，是谓必取。
Therefore soldiers must be treated in the first instance with humanity, but kept under control by means of iron discipline. This is a certain road to victory.令素行以教其民，则民服；
令不素行以教其民，则民不服。
令素行者，与众相得也。
If in training soldiers commands are habitually enforced, the army will be well-disciplined;
if not, its discipline will be bad.
If a general shows confidence in his men but always insists on his orders being obeyed, the gain will be mutual.Translation by Lionel Giles
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