【原文】
击之不敢，去之不得，为之奈何？”
起对日：“此谓谷战，虽众不用。募吾材士与敌相当，轻足利兵以为前行，分车列骑隐于四旁，相去数里，无见其兵，敌必坚陈，进退不敢。于是出旌列旆，行出山外营之，敌人必惧。车骑挑之，勿令得休。此谷战之法也。”
武侯问日：“吾与敌相遇大水之泽，倾轮没辕，水薄车骑，舟楫不设，进退不得，为之奈何？”
【今译】
与敌突然遭遇，进攻不敢，撤退又不行，这该怎么办呢？”
吴起回答说：“这叫做谷战，兵力虽多也用不上。我军应挑选精锐士卒与敌对阵，以轻捷善走、使用锋利兵器的士卒为前队，把车兵骑兵分别隐蔽在四周，彼此相距数里，不能暴露自己的兵力。敌军必然固守阵势，不敢进也不敢退。我军便突然亮出排列整齐的旌旗，整队走出山外安营，敌军必然惧怕。尔后派车兵骑兵向敌挑战，不让它得到休息。这就是谷战的战法。”
魏武侯问道：“我军在大的湖沼地带与敌遭遇，车轮倾陷，车辕淹没，大水逼近车兵骑兵，没有准备船只，进退两难．这该怎么办呢？”
Wu Zi replied: "This is called fighting in valleys where numbers are of no avail. Talented men should be collected, and set against the enemy. Well-armed light troops should be deployed in front; the chariots divided; the horsemen drawn up and placed in ambush on four sides with several li in between and without showing themselves. Then the enemy will certainly make his defense firm and will not venture either to advance or retreat. Whereupon raise your standards and show the ranks of banners, march out of the mountains and pitch camps in the plain.The enemy will certainly be apprehensive. Challenge him with your chariots and horsemen and allow him no rest. Such is the method of fighting in valleys."
Marquis Wu asked: "If the enemy is suddenly encountered in a marsh where the water is out,so that the chariot wheels are sunk in, and the shafts are covered, and the chariots and horsemen overcome by the waters, and if there are no boats or oars, and it is impossible either to advance or retreat, what should be done in these circumstances？"
展开
