which must be carefully noted by the general who has attained a responsible post.
See supra, [§ 13].
21. 夫地形者兵之助也料敵制勝計險阨遠近上將之道也
The natural formation of the country is the soldier’s best ally;
Chia Lin’s text has the reading 易 for 助. Ch‘ên Hao says: 天時不如地利 “The advantages of weather and season are not equal to those connected with ground.”
but a power of estimating the adversary,
The insertion of a “but” is necessary to show the connection of thought here. A general should always utilise, but never rely wholly on natural advantages of terrain.
of controlling the forces of victory,
制勝 is one of those condensed expressions which mean so much in Chinese, and so little in an English translation. What it seems to imply is complete mastery of the situation from the beginning.
and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers and distances,