If you are situated at a great distance from the enemy, and the strength of the two armies is equal,
The T‘ung Tien reads 夫通形均勢.
it is not easy to provoke a battle,
Ts‘ao Kung says that 挑戰 means 延敵 “challenging the enemy.” But the enemy being far away, that plainly involves, as Tu Yu says, 迎敵 “going to meet him.” The point of course is, that we must not think of undertaking a long and wearisome march, at the end of which 是我困敵銳 “we should, be exhausted and our adversary fresh and keen.”
and fighting will be to your disadvantage.
13. 凡此六者地之道也將之至任不可不察也
These six are the principles connected with Earth.
Or perhaps, “the principles relating to ground.” See, however, [I. § 8].
The general who has attained a responsible post must be careful to study them.
Capt. Calthrop omits 至任. Out of the foregoing six 地形, it will be noticed that nos. 3 and 6 have really no reference to the configuration of the country, and that only 4 and 5 can be said to convey any definite geographical idea.