Sun Zi – The Art of War

Chinese strategy explained : know yourself and the ennemy, use deception, spies, and "win with ease". Tr. Giles (en, annotated) and Amiot (fr).

Introduction
I. Laying Plans
II. Waging War
III. Attack by Stratagem
IV. Tactical Dispositions

V. Energy
VI. Weak Points and Strong
VII. Maneuvering
VIII. Variation in Tactics
IX. The Army On The March

X. Terrain
XI. The Nine Situations
XII. The Attack By Fire
XIII. The Use of Spies

The Nine Situations

Sunzi XI. 25.

The skillful tactician may be likened to the SHUAI-JAN. Now the SHUAI-JAN is a snake that is found in the Ch`ang mountains.1 Strike at its head, and you will be attacked by its tail; strike at its tail, and you will be attacked by its head; strike at its middle, and you will be attacked by head and tail both.

1. "Shuai-jan" means "suddenly" or "rapidly," and the snake in question was doubtless so called owing to the rapidity of its movements. Through this passage, the term in the Chinese has now come to be used in the sense of "military maneuvers."

Giles XI.29.

Si vous voulez tirer un bon parti de votre armée, si vous voulez qu'elle soit invincible, faites qu'elle ressemble au Chouai Jen. Le Chouai Jen est une espèce de gros serpent qui se trouve dans la montagne de Tchang Chan. Si l'on frappe sur la tête de ce serpent, à l'instant sa queue va au secours, et se recourbe jusqu'à la tête ; qu'on le frappe sur la queue, la tête s'y trouve dans le moment pour la défendre ; qu'on le frappe sur le milieu ou sur quelque autre partie de son corps, sa tête et sa queue s'y trouvent d'abord réunies.

Amiot

Sun Zi XI. 25.