小编导读：《孙子兵法--势篇》是春秋末年的齐国人孙武的作品。势篇是《孙子兵法》的第五篇，本篇主要论述在军事实力的基础上，发挥将帅的指挥才能，造成和利用有利态势，出奇制胜地打击敌人。“势”就是在军事实力的基础上，由于实行正确的作战指挥，从而在战场上所表现出的实际作战能力。

《孙子兵法---势篇》

孙子曰：凡治众如治寡，分数是也；斗众如斗寡，形名是也；三军之众，可使必受敌而无败者，奇正是也；兵之所加，如以碫击卵者，虚实是也。

凡战者，以正合，以奇胜。故善出奇者，无穷如天地，不竭如江河。终而复始，日月是也。死而复生，四时是也。声不过五，五声之变，不可胜听也；色不过五，五色之变，不可胜观也；味不过五，五味之变，不可胜尝也；战势不过奇正，奇正之变，不可胜穷也。奇正相生，如循环之无端，孰能穷之？

激水之疾，至于漂石者，势也；鸷鸟之疾，至于毁折者，节也。故善战者，其势险，其节短。势如彍弩，节如发机。纷纷纭纭，斗乱而不可乱也；浑浑沌沌，形圆而不可败也。乱生于治，怯生于勇，弱生于强。治乱，数也；勇怯，势也；强弱，形也。故善动敌者，形之，敌必从之；予之，敌必取之。以利动之，以卒待之。

故善战者，求之于势，不责于人，故能择人而任势。任势者，其战人也，如转木石。木石之性，安则静，危则动，方则止，圆则行。故善战人之势，如转圆石于千仞之山者，势也。

On Military Situation

Sun WU

Sun Zi says: To manage a large army is the same in principle as to manage a small one. It is a matter of organization. To direct a large army in war is the same in principle as to direct a small one. It is a matter of unified command and order. The whole army may suffer from an all-out attack from the enemy but does not sustain a defeat. This is because extraordinary and ordinary forces are skillfully operated. The army may deal the enemy a heavy blow as a grindstone crushes an egg. This is an example of beating the weak with the strong.

It is a general rule in war that the ordinary force is used to engage and the extraordinary force to win victory. The warcrafts of a commander skilled in using extraordinary force to win victory are as inexhaustible as boundless heaven and earth or as endless as flow of running rivers. Although they have come to an end, they can start again like the motion of the sun and the moon. Although they have died away, they can be reborn like the changing of the four seasons of a year. There are no more than five musical notes, but there combination would make more melodies than can be ever heard. There are no more than five pigments, but their mixture would produce more colours than can be ever seen. There are no more than five cardinal tastes but the blending of them would yield more flavours than can be ever tasted. There are no more than two kinds of troops—ordinary and extraordinary, but the skillful operation of them will lead to infinite results just as a rolling circle has no ends. Who can exhaust the possibility of their combinations?

It is the momentum of the torrential water that moves boulders. It is in quick tempo that a hawk kills the prey. Those skilled in the art of war can create a posture that possesses an irresistible momentum and can attack the enemy in a timely and quick tempo. The posture is like a fully-drawn crossbow, and the tempo, a released trigger.

Amidst the turmoil of war, fluttering flags and crowding troops may seem to be disordered, but our army must be kept in good order. On a battle field, there may seem to be confusion and chaos, but our army must be in good battle array and face the situation with ease so that we are not defeated. Sometimes if we want to pretend to be in disorder, we must be in good order; if we want to pretend to be cowards, we must have courage; if we want to pretend to be weak, we must be strong. If we are in good order but pretend to be in disorder, we must be organized; if we are courageous but pretend to be cowardices, we must be good in posture; if we are strong but pretend to be weak, we must be well disposed. Thus, those who are skillful in keeping the enemy on the move puzzle he enemy with deceptive appearances according to which he will act. They lure the enemy with a bait which he is certain to take. They move the enemy with small profit and ambush him with picked troops.

Therefore, a skillful commander manages to make the best use of the situation but does not make excessive demand on his subordinates. Thus, he can select a suitable man to control the situation. He who is skillful in taking advantage of the situation can direct his men in battles as rolling logs or stones. Logs or stones remain unmoved on a flat land but roll forward on a steep slope. The square ones stop and the round ones roll. Thus, the situation a skilled commander creates is like the momentum of round rock quickly rolling down from a thousand-feet-high mountain. This is what a favourable situation means.

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