The General Who Hated War

HSK 3 · 409 characters · The Art of War

2,500 years ago a general wrote a little book about war — and its biggest secret is that it hates war.

两liǎng千qiān五wǔ百bǎi年前nián qián，中国zhōng guó有yǒu一位yī wèi很hěn特别tè bié的de将军jiāng jūn，他tā叫jiào孙子sūn zǐ。Two and a half thousand years ago, China had a very unusual general. His name was Sunzi.他tā写了xiě le一本yī běn很hěn短duǎn的de书shū，一共yī gòng只有zhǐ yǒu十三shí sān章zhāng。He wrote a very short book — just thirteen chapters in all.这zhè本běn书shū叫jiào《孙子兵法sūn zǐ bīng fǎ》，讲jiǎng的de是shì怎么zěn me打仗dǎ zhàng。The book is called The Art of War, and it is about how to fight.奇怪qí guài的de是shì，这zhè本běn讲jiǎng战争zhàn zhēng的de书shū，最zuì讨厌tǎo yàn战争zhàn zhēng。The strange thing is: this book about war hates war more than anything.

孙子sūn zǐ认为rèn wéi，最好zuì hǎo的de胜利shèng lì，是shì不用bù yòng打仗dǎ zhàng的de胜利shèng lì。Sunzi believed the best victory is the one you win without fighting.他说tā shuō，战争zhàn zhēng太tài危险wēi xiǎn了le，聪明cōng ming的de人rén不会bù huì随便suí biàn开始kāi shǐ战争zhàn zhēng。War is too dangerous, he said; a wise person never starts one lightly.今天jīn tiān，不bù只是zhǐ shì将军jiāng jūn读dú这zhè本běn书shū。Today, it is not only generals who read this book.运动员yùn dòng yuán读dú它tā，做生意zuò shēng yì的de人rén也yě读dú它tā。Athletes read it, and businesspeople read it too.因为yīn wèi它tā讲jiǎng的de道理dào li，在哪里zài nǎ lǐ都dōu有用yǒu yòng。Because the ideas it teaches are useful everywhere.

关于guān yú孙子sūn zǐ，有yǒu一个yī ge很hěn有名yǒu míng的de故事gù shì。There is a famous story about Sunzi.大王dà wáng听说tīng shuō孙子sūn zǐ很hěn会huì训练xùn liàn士兵shì bīng，想xiǎng试一试shì yī shì他tā。The king heard that Sunzi was very good at training soldiers, and wanted to test him.大王dà wáng笑着xiào zhe说shuō：“你nǐ能néng把bǎ我wǒ宫gōng里lǐ的de女人nǚ rén训练xùn liàn成chéng士兵shì bīng吗ma？”The king said with a smile, "Can you train the women of my palace into soldiers?"孙子sūn zǐ说shuō：“可以kě yǐ。”"I can," said Sunzi.

孙子sūn zǐ把bǎ女人nǚ rén们men分成fēn chéng两liǎng队duì，让ràng大王dà wáng最喜欢zuì xǐ huān的de两位liǎng wèi当dāng队长duì zhǎng。Sunzi divided the women into two teams and made the king's two favorites the team leaders.他tā说完shuō wán命令mìng lìng，女人nǚ rén们men都dōu笑了xiào le，没有méi yǒu人rén动dòng。When he gave the order, the women all laughed, and nobody moved.孙子sūn zǐ说shuō：“命令mìng lìng不清楚bù qīng chu，这是zhè shì将军jiāng jūn的de错cuò。”Sunzi said, "If the order is not clear, that is the general's fault."他tā又yòu说shuō了le一次yī cì命令mìng lìng，这次zhè cì说得shuō de非常fēi cháng清楚qīng chu。He gave the order again, and this time he made it perfectly clear.女人nǚ rén们men还是hái shi笑xiào。The women laughed anyway.

孙子sūn zǐ说shuō：“命令mìng lìng清楚qīng chu了le还hái不bù听tīng，这zhè就是jiù shì队长duì zhǎng的de错cuò。”Sunzi said, "When the order is clear and still no one obeys, that is the leaders' fault."他tā让ràng两位liǎng wèi队长duì zhǎng离开lí kāi了le自己的zì jǐ de位置wèi zhi，换huàn了le新的xīn de队长duì zhǎng。He removed the two leaders from their posts and appointed new ones.从那以后cóng nà yǐ hòu，没有méi yǒu人rén再zài笑了xiào le。From then on, nobody laughed again.每měi一个yī ge命令mìng lìng，大家dà jiā都dōu做得zuò de又yòu快kuài又yòu好hǎo。Every order was carried out quickly and perfectly.大王dà wáng看了kàn le，知道zhī dào孙子sūn zǐ是shì一位yī wèi真正的zhēn zhèng de将军jiāng jūn。Watching this, the king knew that Sunzi was a true general.

后来hòu lái的de人rén把bǎ这个zhè ge道理dào li叫做jiào zuò“军令如山jūn lìng rú shān”：规则guī zé对duì每个人měi ge rén都dōu一样yī yàng，军队jūn duì才cái会huì强大qiáng dà。Later generations called this idea "military orders are like mountains": only when the rules apply to everyone does an army become strong.孙子sūn zǐ的de书shū里lǐ，还有hái yǒu很多hěn duō这样zhè yàng的de道理dào li。Sunzi's book is full of ideas like this.打开dǎ kāi这zhè本běn书shū，你nǐ会huì发现fā xiàn它tā讲jiǎng的de不bù只是zhǐ shì战争zhàn zhēng。Open the book, and you will find it is about much more than war.