Grandson Translation Notes

Author: Guo Huaruo
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The second part of the "Operations" chapter [Explanation] This chapter is named "Operations," following the discussion of pre-war planning in the "Strategy" chapter, and further addresses the issue of operations (ancient warfare did not distinguish between campaigns and battles, nor did it differentiate between large and small wars; all were). To launch a large-scale operation, one must first plan for expenses, provisions, and supplies. The main argument of this chapter emphasizes that the outcome of war depends on the strength of the economy (including material conditions such as finance and supplies). At that time, the mode of production was still very backward, supplies were scarce, and military organizations were also disorganized and unstable. The wars of annexation among the feudal states were opposed by slaves, serfs, and other poor laborers, so The Art of War advocates swift victory in offensive operations while opposing protracted warfare. Additionally, due to poor transportation and logistical difficulties, it proposes the principle of "obtaining provisions from the enemy."
(Seven) Sun Tzu said: "In the laws of warfare, if a thousand chariots are driven, a thousand war wagons are deployed, one hundred thousand armored soldiers are mobilized, and food is supplied for a thousand miles... then the expenses both at home and abroad, the use of guests, the materials of glue and lacquer, and the provisions for chariots and armor will cost a thousand gold coins daily. Only then can the army of one hundred thousand be mobilized. The value of warfare lies in victory, but if the army is worn down and its sharpness is, if it exhausts its strength and depletes its wealth, then the feudal lords will take advantage of its weaknesses and rise up. Even the wisest cannot remedy the situation. Therefore, in warfare, it is better to be clumsy but swift than to be clever but prolonged. There has never been a case where a war that lasts long benefits the state. Therefore, those who do not fully understand the harm of warfare cannot fully understand its benefits."
[Collation]
(1) "A thousand miles of provisions": The Shiji edition and the Wujing edition do not have the character "" after "." The bamboo slips have "," but it is irrelevant to the original meaning and is not added.
[2] "Inner and outer": The bamboo slips write "." In terms of meaning, it should be "inner before outer," but in terms of text, "inner and outer" is smooth. The bamboo slips are not followed.
[3] "The value of warfare lies in victory": The Shiji edition does not have the character "" before "," while the Wujing edition has "." According to the following text "，," it is suspected that the Shiji edition omitted "." The character "" is added according to the Wujing edition. The bamboo slips do not have the character "" after "."
[Annotations]
① []: The principles of warfare.
② []: Chariots refer to light chariots used to attack the enemy, carrying armored soldiers. A "" originally referred to four horses pulling a single chariot, and thus a chariot pulled by four horses was also called a "."
③ []: Revolving chariots refer to heavy chariots used to transport military supplies. A "" (shèng) means a vehicle.
④ []: "" was the general term for infantry at that time. Du Mu's annotation cites the Sima Fa saying: "One chariot carries three armored soldiers, seventy-two infantry, ten cooks, five people for guarding clothing, five people for horse stables, and five people for firewood and water. Light chariots have seventy-five people, and heavy chariots have twenty-five people." Thus, one hundred people are organized into a team. Based on this calculation, if light and heavy chariots each number a thousand, the total number of armored soldiers would be one hundred thousand. Here, chariots are counted in "thousand chariots," while armored soldiers are counted in "one hundred thousand"—these are theoretical general numbers, not fixed numbers.
⑤ []: "A thousand miles" refers to a long distance. "" (kuì) means to transport. It means transporting grain for a distant expedition, which is both labor-intensive and costly in transport expenses.
⑥ []: Refers to the expenses of the front and rear.
⑦ []: Refers to the expenses for entertaining foreign guests and envoys.
⑧ []: The glue and lacquer required for maintaining and repairing bows, arrows, armor, and shields in ancient times. Here, it refers to the materials necessary for making and maintaining weapons and equipment.