69 用兵有言

老子道德經第六十九章

用兵有言
吾不敢為主　而為客
不敢進寸　而退尺
是謂行無行　攘無臂　扔無敵　執無兵
禍莫大於輕敵　輕敵幾喪吾寶
故抗兵相若　哀者勝矣

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SIXTY-NINE

There is a saying among soldiers:
I dare not make the first move but would rather play the guest;
I dare not advance an inch but would rather withdraw a foot.

This is called marching without appearing to move,
Rolling up your sleeves without showing your arm,
Capturing the enemy without attacking,
Being armed without weapons.

There is no greater catastrophe than underestimating the enemy.
By underestimating the enemy, I almost lost what I value.

Therefore when the battle is joined,
The underdog will win.

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69.

There's a saying in commanding the army:
I'd rather play defense than offence;
I'd rather retreat a lot than advance a little.
This strategy is more like fighting without appearing to fight:
no formation, no movement, no soldier, no weapon,
Nothing is more dangerous than underestimating your enemy,
Because if you do, you might lose your life.
Therefore, in a battle, don't laugh until you win.

(I'm too tired to think about an analogy for this military related chapter.)