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| | *"He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared." | | *"He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared." |
| | *"For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill." | | *"For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill." |
| − | *"The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy."
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| − | *"Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate." (An alternative translation: "Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible. Thus, he is master of his enemy's fate.").
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| − | *"The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers."
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| − | *"Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals."
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| − | *"And therefore those skilled in war bring the enemy to the field of battle and are not brought there by him."
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| − | *"Speed is the essence of war. Take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness; travel by unexpected routes and strike him where he has taken no precautions."
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| − | *"The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim."
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| − | *"Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him."
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| − | *"...when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near."
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| − | *"Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move."
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| − | *"What is essential in war is victory, not prolonged operations."
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| − | *"In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory."
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| − | *" Indirect tactics, efficiently applied, are inexhaustible as Heaven and Earth, unending as the flow of rivers and streams; like the sun and moon, they end but to begin anew; like the four seasons, they pass away to return once more."
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| − | *"If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him."
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| | == Notes == | | == Notes == |