三十六计英译

1、Thirty-Six Stratagems 第一套第一套 胜战计胜战计 Chapter 1: Winning Stratagems 第一计第一计 瞒天过海瞒天过海 crossing the sea under camouflage 原文：原文： 备周则意怠；常见则不疑。阴在阳之内，不在阳之对。太 阳，太阴 英文注释：英文注释： Mask your real goals, by using the ruse of a fake goal, until the real goal is achieved. Tactically, this is known as an open feint: in

2、 front of everyone, you point west, when your goal is actually in the east. 第二计第二计 围魏救赵围魏救赵 relieving the state of Zhao by besieging the state of Wei 原文：原文： 共敌不如分敌；敌阳不如敌阴。 英文注释：英文注释： When the enemy is too strong to be attacked directly, then attack something he holds dear. Know that he cannot be sup

3、erior in all things. Somewhere there is a gap in the armor, a weakness that can be attacked instead. The idea here is to avoid a head-on battle with a strong enemy, and instead strike at his weakness elsewhere. This will force the strong enemy to retreat in order to support his weakness. Battling ag

4、ainst the now tired and low-morale enemy will give a much higher chance of success. 第三计第三计 借刀杀人借刀杀人 killing someone with a borrowed knife 英文注释： When you do not have the means to attack your enemy directly, then attack using the strength of another. Trick an ally into attacking him, bribe an official

5、 to turn traitor, or use the enemys own strength against him. 原文：原文： 敌已明，友示定，引友杀敌， 不自出力，以损推演。 第四计第四计 以逸待劳以逸待劳 waiting at ones ease for the exhausted enemy 英文英文注释注释: It is an advantage to choose the time and place for battle. In this way you know when and where the battle will take place, while your

6、e n e m y d o e s n o t . Encourage your enemy to expend his energy in futile quests while you conserve your strength. When he is exhausted and confused, you attack w i t h e n e r g y a n d purpose. 原文：原文： 困敌之势，不以战；损刚 益柔。 第五计第五计 趁火打劫趁火打劫 plundering a burning house 英文注释 When a country is beset by in

7、ternal conflicts, when disease and famine ravage thepopulation, when corruption and crime are rampant, then it will be unable to deal with an outside threat. This is the time to attack. 原文 敌之害大，就势取利，刚决柔也。 第六计第六计 声东击西声东击西 making a feint to the east and attacking in the west 英文注释 In any battle the ele

8、ment of surprise can provide an overwhelming advantage. Even when face to face with an enemy, surprise can still be employed by attacking where he least expects it. To do this you must create an expectation in the enemys mind through the use of a feint. 原文 敌志乱萃，不虞，坤下兑上之象。 利其不自主而取之。 第二套第二套 敌战计敌战计 Cha

9、pter 2: Enemy Dealing Stratagems 第七计第七计 无中生有无中生有 creating something out of nothing 英文注释 You use the same feint twice. Having reacted to the first and often the second feint as well, the enemy will be hesitant to react to a third feint. Therefore the third feint is the actual attack catching your ene

10、my with his guard down. 原文 诳也，非诳也，实其所诳也。少阴， 太阴，太阳。 第八计第八计 暗渡陈仓暗渡陈仓 advancing secretly by an unknown path 英文注释 Deceive the enemy with an obvious approach that will take a very long time, while surprising him by taking a shortcut and sneak up to him. As the enemy concentrates on the decoy, he will mis

11、s you sneaking up to him. 原文 示之以动，利其静而有主，“益动 而巽”。 第九计第九计 隔岸观火隔岸观火 watching a fire from the other side of the river 原文 阳乖序乱，阴以待逆。暴戾恣睢， 其势自毙。顺以动豫，豫顺以动。 英文注释 Delay entering the field of battle until all the other players have become exhausted fighting amongst themselves. Then go in at full strength and

12、 pick up the pieces. 第十计第十计 笑里藏刀笑里藏刀 covering the dagger with a smile 英文注释 Charm and ingratiate yourself with your enemy. When you have gained his trust, move against him in secret. 原文 信而安之，阴以图之。备而后动， 勿使有变。刚中柔外也。 第十一计第十一计 李代桃僵李代桃僵 palming off substitute for the real thing 英文注释 There are circumstance

13、s in which you must sacrifice short-term objectives in order to gain the long- term goal. This is the scapegoat strategy whereby someone else suffers the consequences so that the rest do not. 原文 势必有损，损阴以益阳。 第十二计第十二计 顺手牵羊顺手牵羊 picking up something in passing 英文注释 While carrying out your plans be flexi

14、ble enough to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself, however small, and avail yourself of any profit, however slight. 原文 微隙在所必乘，微利在所必得。少 阴，少阳。 第三套：攻战计第三套：攻战计 Chapter 3: Attacking Stratagems 第十三计第十三计 打草惊蛇打草惊蛇 beating the grass to frighten the snake 英文注释 Do something unaimed, but spec

15、tacular (hitting the grass) to provoke a response of the enemy (startle the snake), thereby giving away his plans or position, or just taunt him. Do something unusual, strange, and unexpected as this will arouse the enemys suspicion and disrupt his thinking. More widely used as Do not startle the sn

16、ake by hitting the grass. An imprudent act will give your position or intentions away to the enemy. 原文 疑以叩实，察而后动。复者，阴之 媒也。 第十四计第十四计 借尸还魂借尸还魂 resurrecting a dead soul by borrowing a corpse 英文注释 Take an institution, a technology, a method, or even an ideology that has been forgotten or discarded and a

17、ppropriate it for your own purpose. Revive something from the past by giving it a new purpose or bring to life old ideas, customs, or traditions and reinterpret them to fit your purposes. 原文 有用者，不可借；不能用者，求借。 借不能用者而用之。匪我求童蒙， 童蒙求我。 第十五计第十五计 调虎离山调虎离山 luring the tiger out of his den 英文注释 Never directly

18、attack an opponent whose advantage is derived from its position. Instead lure him away from his position thus separating him from his source of strength. 原文 待天以困之，用人以诱之，往蹇来 返。 第十六计第十六计 欲擒故纵欲擒故纵 letting the enemy off in order to catch him 英文注释 Cornered prey will often mount a final desperate attack.

19、To prevent this you let the enemy believe he still has a chance for freedom. His will to fight is thus dampened by his desire to escape. When in the end the freedom is proven a falsehood the enemys morale will be defeated and he will surrender without a fight. 原文 逼则反兵，走则减势。紧随勿迫， 累其气力，消其斗志，散而后擒， 兵不血刃

20、。需，有孚，光。 第十七计第十七计 抛砖引玉抛砖引玉 giving the enemy something to induce him to lose more valuable things 原文 类以诱之，击蒙也。 英文注释 Bait someone by making him believe he gains something or just make him react to it (toss out a brick) and obtain something valuable from him in return (get a jade gem). 第十八计第十八计 擒贼擒王擒贼擒

21、王 capturing the ringleader first in order to capture all the followers 英文注释 If the enemys army is strong but is allied to the commander only by money, superstition or threats, then take aim at the leader. If the commander falls the rest of the army will disperse or come over to your side. If, howeve

22、r, they are allied to the leader through loyalty then beware, the army can continue to fight on after his death out of vengeance. 原文 摧其坚，夺其魁，以解其体。龙战 于野，其道穷也。 Chapter 4: Chaos Stratagems 第四套：混战计第四套：混战计 第十九计第十九计 釜底抽薪釜底抽薪 extracting the firewood from under the cauldron 原文 不敌其力，而消其势，兑下乾上之象。 英文注释 Take ou

23、t the leading argument or asset of someone; steal someones thunder. This is the very essence of indirect approach: instead of attacking enemys fighting forces, the attacks are directed against his ability to wage war. 第二十计第二十计 混水摸鱼混水摸鱼 muddling the water to catch the fish; fishing in troubled waters

24、 英文注释 Create confusion and use this confusion to further your own goals. 原文 乘其阴乱，利其弱而无主。随，以 向晦入宴息。 第二十一计第二十一计 金蝉脱壳金蝉脱壳 slipping away by casting off a cloak; getting away like the cicada sloughing its skin 原文 存其形，完其势；友不疑，敌不动。 巽而止蛊。 英文注释 Mask yourself. Either leave ones distinctive traits behind, thus

25、 becoming inconspicuous, or masquerade as something or someone else. This strategy is mainly used to escape from enemy of superior strength. 第二十二计第二十二计 关门捉贼关门捉贼 catching the thief by closing / blocking his escape route 英文注释 To capture your enemy, or more generally in fighting wars, to deliver the fi

26、nal blow to your enemy, you must plan prudently if you want to succeed. Do not rush into action. Before you move in for the kill, first cut off your enemys escape routes, and cut off any routes through which outside help can reach them. 原文 小敌困之。剥，不利有攸往。 第二十三计第二十三计 远交近攻远交近攻 befriending the distant en

27、emy while attacking a nearby enemy 英文注释 It is known that nations that border each other become enemies while nations separated by distance and obstacles make better allies. When you are the strongest in one field, your greatest threat is from the second strongest in your field, not the strongest fro

28、m another field. 原文 形禁势格，利从近取，害以远隔。 上火下泽。 第二十四计第二十四计 假途伐虢假途伐虢 attacking the enemy by passing through a common neighbor 英文注释 Borrow the resources of an ally to attack a common enemy. Once the enemy is defeated, use those resources to turn on the ally that lent you them in the first place. 原文 两大之间，敌胁以

29、从，我假以势。 困，有言不信。 第五套：并战计第五套：并战计 Chapter 5: Proximate Stratagems 第二十五计第二十五计 偷梁换柱偷梁换柱 stealing the beams and pillars and replacing them with rotten timbers 英文注释 Disrupt the enemys formations, interfere with their methods of operations, change the rules in which they are used to following, go contrary t

30、o their standard training. In this way you remove the supporting pillar, the common link that makes a group of men an effective fighting force. 原文 频更其阵，抽其劲旅，待其自败， 而后乘之。曳其轮也。 第二十六计第二十六计 指桑骂槐指桑骂槐 reviling/abusing the locust tree while pointing to the mulberry 英文注释 To discipline, control, or warn other

31、s whose status or position excludes them from direct confrontation; use analogy and innuendo. Without directly naming names, thoseaccused cannot retaliate without revealing their complicity. 原文 大凌小者，警以诱之。刚中而应， 行险而顺。 第二十七计第二十七计 假痴不癫假痴不癫 feigning madness without becoming insane 英文注释 Hide behind the ma

32、sk of a fool, a drunk, or a madman to create confusion about your intentions and motivations. Lure your opponent into underestimating your ability until, overconfident, he drops his guard. Then you may attack. 原文 宁伪作不知不为，不伪作假知妄为。 静不露机，云雷屯也。 第二十八计第二十八计 上屋抽梯上屋抽梯 removing the ladder after the enemy has

33、 climbed up the roof 英文注释 With baits and deceptions, lure your enemy into treacherous terrain. Then cut off his lines of communication and avenue of escape. To save himself, he must fight both your own forces and the elements of nature. 原文 假之以便，唆之使前，断其援应， 陷之死地。遇毒，位不当也。 第二十九计第二十九计 树上开花树上开花 putting ar

34、tificial flowers on trees 原文 借局布势，力小势大。鸿渐于陆， 其羽可以为仪也。 英文注释 Tying silk blossoms on a dead tree gives the illusion that the tree is healthy. Through the use of artifice and disguise, make something of no value appear valuable; of no threat appear dangerous; of no use appear useful. 第三十计第三十计 反客为主反客为主 t

35、urning from the guest into the host 英文注释 Usurp leadership in a situation where you are normally subordinate. Infiltrate your target. Initially, pretend to be a guest to be accepted, but develop from inside and become the owner later. 原文 乘隙插足，扼其主机，渐之进也。 第六套：败战计第六套：败战计 Chapter 6: Desperate Stratagems

36、原文 兵强者，攻其将；将智者，伐其情。将弱兵颓，其势自萎。利用御寇，顺相保也。 英文注释 Send your enemy beautiful women to cause discord within his camp. This strategy can work on three levels. First, the ruler becomes so enamoured with the beauty that he neglects his duties and allows his vigilance to wane. Second, other males at court will

37、 begin to display aggressive behaviour that inflames minor differences hindering co-operation and destroying morale. Third, other females at court, motivated by jealousy and envy, begin to plot intrigues further exacerbating the situation. 第三十二计第三十二计 空城计空城计 presenting a bold front to conceal unprepa

38、redness 英文注释 When the enemy is superior in numbers and your situation is such that you expect to be overrun at any moment, then drop all pretense of military preparedness, act calmly and taunt the enemy, so that the enemy will think you have a huge ambush hidden for them. It works best by acting cal

39、m and at ease when your enemy expects you to be tense. 原文 虚者虚之，疑中生疑。刚柔之际， 奇而复奇。 第三十三计第三十三计 反间计反间计 sowing discord among the enemy 原文 疑中之疑。比之自内，不自失也。 英文注释 Undermine your enemys ability to fight by secretly causing discord between him and his friends, allies, advisors, family, commanders, soldiers, and population. While he is preoccupied settling internal disputes, his ability to attack or defend is compromised. 第三十四计第三十四计 苦肉计苦肉计 deceiving th