谋攻第三 | 其下攻城

攻城之法，为不得已。
修橹□①□②，具器械，三月而后成；
距堙，又三月而后已。
将不胜其忿而蚁附之，杀士卒三分之一，而城不拔者，此攻之灾也。

故善用兵者，屈人之兵而非战也，拔人之城而非攻也，毁人之国而非久也，必以全争于天下，故兵不顿而利可全，此谋攻之法也。

【注：】
①：［车贲］。
②：“温”字“氵”旁换“车”旁。

The rule is, not to besiege walled cities if it can possibly be avoided.
The preparation of mantlets, movable shelters, and various implements of war, will take up three whole months;
and the piling up of mounds over against the walls will take three months more.
The general, unable to control his irritation, will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants, with the result that one-third of his men are slain, while the town still remains untaken. Such are the disastrous effects of a siege.

Therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field.

With his forces intact he will dispute the mastery of the Empire, and thus, without losing a man, his triumph will be complete. This is the method of attacking by stratagem.

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谋攻第三