▸ 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.

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