孫子曰：用兵之法，有散地，有輕地，有爭地，有交地，有衢地，有重地，有泛地，有圍地，有死地。
Sun Tzu said: The art of war recognizes nine varieties of ground: (1) Dispersive ground; (2) facile ground; (3) contentious ground; (4) open ground; (5) ground of intersecting highways; (6) serious ground; (7) difficult ground; (8) hemmed-in ground; (9) desperate ground.
諸侯自戰(zhàn)其地者，為散地；
When a chieftain is fighting in his own territory, it is dispersive ground.
入人之地不深者，為輕地；
When he has penetrated into hostile territory, but to no great distance, it is facile ground.
我得亦利，彼得亦利者，為爭地；
Ground the possession of which imports great advantage to either side, is contentious ground.
我可以往，彼可以來者，為交地；
Ground on which each side has liberty of movement is open ground.
諸侯之地三屬，先至而得天下眾者，為衢地；
Ground which forms the key to three contiguous states, so that he who occupies it first has most of the Empire at his command, is a ground of intersecting highways.
入人之地深，背城邑多者，為重地；
When an army has penetrated into the heart of a hostile country, leaving a number of fortified cities in its rear, it is serious ground.
山林、險阻、沮澤，凡難行之道者，為泛地；
Mountain forests, rugged steeps, marshes and fens--all country that is hard to traverse: this is difficult ground.
所由入者隘，所從歸者迂，彼寡可以擊吾之眾者，為圍地；
Ground which is reached through narrow gorges, and from which we can only retire by tortuous paths, so that a small number of the enemy would suffice to crush a large body of our men: this is hemmed in ground.
疾戰(zhàn)則存，不疾戰(zhàn)則亡者，為死地。
Ground on which we can only be saved from destruction by fighting without delay, is desperate ground.
是故散地則無戰(zhàn)，輕地則無止，爭地則無攻，
On dispersive ground, therefore, fight not. On facile ground, halt not. On contentious ground, attack not.
交地則無絕，衢地則合交，
On open ground, do not try to block the enemy's way. On the ground of intersecting highways, join hands with your allies.
重地則掠，泛地則行，
On serious ground, gather in plunder. In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march.
圍地則謀，死地則戰(zhàn)。
On hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem. On desperate ground, fight.
古之善用兵者，能使敵人前后不相及，眾寡不相恃，貴賤不相救，上下不相收，
Those who were called skillful leaders of old knew how to drive a wedge between the enemy's front and rear; to prevent co-operation between his large and small divisions; to hinder the good troops from rescuing the bad, the officers from rallying their men.
卒離而不集，兵合而不齊。
When the enemy's men were united, they managed to keep them in disorder.
合于利而動，不合于利而止。
When it was to their advantage, they made a forward move; when otherwise, they stopped still.
Sun Tzu said: The art of war recognizes nine varieties of ground: (1) Dispersive ground; (2) facile ground; (3) contentious ground; (4) open ground; (5) ground of intersecting highways; (6) serious ground; (7) difficult ground; (8) hemmed-in ground; (9) desperate ground.
諸侯自戰(zhàn)其地者，為散地；
When a chieftain is fighting in his own territory, it is dispersive ground.
入人之地不深者，為輕地；
When he has penetrated into hostile territory, but to no great distance, it is facile ground.
我得亦利，彼得亦利者，為爭地；
Ground the possession of which imports great advantage to either side, is contentious ground.
我可以往，彼可以來者，為交地；
Ground on which each side has liberty of movement is open ground.
諸侯之地三屬，先至而得天下眾者，為衢地；
Ground which forms the key to three contiguous states, so that he who occupies it first has most of the Empire at his command, is a ground of intersecting highways.
入人之地深，背城邑多者，為重地；
When an army has penetrated into the heart of a hostile country, leaving a number of fortified cities in its rear, it is serious ground.
山林、險阻、沮澤，凡難行之道者，為泛地；
Mountain forests, rugged steeps, marshes and fens--all country that is hard to traverse: this is difficult ground.
所由入者隘，所從歸者迂，彼寡可以擊吾之眾者，為圍地；
Ground which is reached through narrow gorges, and from which we can only retire by tortuous paths, so that a small number of the enemy would suffice to crush a large body of our men: this is hemmed in ground.
疾戰(zhàn)則存，不疾戰(zhàn)則亡者，為死地。
Ground on which we can only be saved from destruction by fighting without delay, is desperate ground.
是故散地則無戰(zhàn)，輕地則無止，爭地則無攻，
On dispersive ground, therefore, fight not. On facile ground, halt not. On contentious ground, attack not.
交地則無絕，衢地則合交，
On open ground, do not try to block the enemy's way. On the ground of intersecting highways, join hands with your allies.
重地則掠，泛地則行，
On serious ground, gather in plunder. In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march.
圍地則謀，死地則戰(zhàn)。
On hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem. On desperate ground, fight.
古之善用兵者，能使敵人前后不相及，眾寡不相恃，貴賤不相救，上下不相收，
Those who were called skillful leaders of old knew how to drive a wedge between the enemy's front and rear; to prevent co-operation between his large and small divisions; to hinder the good troops from rescuing the bad, the officers from rallying their men.
卒離而不集，兵合而不齊。
When the enemy's men were united, they managed to keep them in disorder.
合于利而動，不合于利而止。
When it was to their advantage, they made a forward move; when otherwise, they stopped still.