《孙子兵法》是中国古代一部著名兵法，相传为先秦时的大军事家孙武所著。这部兵法，已被世界各国公认为是最富哲理性和产生着深远影响的兵法。它所蕴含的深邃而奥秘的思辨内容，博士而精深的军事学说内涵，清新而鲜明的实践风格，以及辞如珠玉的文学性语言。它所包容的一些哲学思维，以及在这些哲学文化意识指导下所阐述的战争规律和原则，至今仍然闪烁着熠熠光辉。

　　Defend yourself when you cannot defeat the enemy, and attack the enemy when you can. One defends when his strength is inadequate; he attacks when it is abundant. Those who are skilled in defence hide themselves as under the ninefold earth; [in ancient China, the number nine was used to signify the highest number.] Those in attack flash forth as from above the ninefold heavens. Thus, they are capable both of protecting themselves and of gaining a complete victory.
　　孙子曰：凡用兵之法，全国为上，破国次之；全军为上，破军次之；全旅为上，破旅次之；全卒为上，破卒次之；全伍为上，破伍次之。是故百战百胜，非善之善者也；不战而屈人之兵，善之善者也。
　　故上兵伐谋，其次伐交，其次伐兵，其下攻城。攻城之法为不得已。修橹轒辒，具器械，三月而后成，距闉，又三月而后已。将不胜其忿，而蚁附之，杀士三分之一，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。
　　故用兵之法，十则围之，五则攻之，倍则分之，敌则能战之，少则能逃之，不若则能避之。故小敌之坚，大敌之擒也。
　　Generally, in war the best policy is to take a state intact; to ruin it is inferior to this. To capture the enemys entire army is better than to destroy it; to take intact a regiment, a company, or a squad is better than to destroy them. [Regiment, company, and squad are lu, zu, and wu in Chinese. In ancient China, five hundred soldiers made up a lu, one hundred a zu, and five a wu.] For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence.
　　Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemys strategy. Next best is to disrupt his alliances by diplomacy. The next best is to attack his army. And the worst policy is to attack cities.
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