Wait at Ease for the Exhausted Enemy

Zhànguó mònián, Qínguó yào mièdiào nánfāng de dà guó Chǔguó, lǎojiàng Wáng Jiǎn zhǔdòng qǐngyīng.

In the late Warring States period, Qin wanted to destroy the great southern state of Chu; the veteran general Wang Jian volunteered.

Qín wáng bǎ quánguó liùshí wàn dàjūn dōu jiāogěi le tā, Wáng Jiǎn biàn dàizhe dàjūn hàohàodàngdàng láidào Chǔguó biānjìng.

The King of Qin placed the whole army of six hundred thousand men in his hands, and Wang Jian led them in grand array to the border of Chu.

Chǔguó yě pàichū zhòngbīng yìngzhàn, qìshì-xiōngxiōng, xiǎng gēn Qínjūn pīn ge nǐ sǐ wǒ huó.

Chu also sent a large army to meet them, fierce and eager, wanting to fight Qin to the death.

Kěshì Wáng Jiǎn què xiàlìng: gāo zhù yínglěi, bùxǔ chūzhàn, quánjūn zhǐ xǔ xiūxi.

But Wang Jian gave the order: build high ramparts, no fighting; the whole army was only to rest.

Tā ràng shìbīng men měi tiān chī bǎo shuì zú, hái tóushí, tiàoyuǎn, zuò yóuxì, bǎ shēntǐ yǎng de zhuàngzhuàng de.

He let the soldiers eat their fill and sleep enough every day; they also threw stones, did long jumps, and played games, growing strong and fit.

Chǔjūn tiān tiān lái tiǎozhàn, Qínjūn jiùshì bù chūlái, Chǔjūn jiàngshì mànman xièdài xiàlái.

The Chu army came to provoke them day after day, but the Qin army never came out, and the Chu troops slowly grew slack.

Rìzi yì cháng, Chǔjūn liángcǎo kuài yòng wán le, shìbīng yòu lèi yòu mèn, zhǐhǎo dǎsuàn xiàng dōng chètuì.

As days dragged on, Chu's food ran low, the soldiers were tired and bored, and they decided to retreat east.

Jiù zài Chǔjūn duìwu sōngsǎn, zhuǎnshēn chèbīng de nà yí kè, Wáng Jiǎn tūrán xiàlìng quánjūn chūjī.

At the very moment the Chu ranks loosened and turned to retreat, Wang Jian suddenly ordered the whole army to attack.

Yǎngjīng-xùruì de Qínjūn xiàng měnghǔ-xiàshān, yì jǔ jīkuì le Chǔjūn, lián Chǔ jiàng Xiàng Yán yě bèi shā.

The well-rested Qin army, like tigers charging down a mountain, crushed the Chu army at one stroke; even the Chu general Xiang Yan was killed.

Zhè jiùshì “yǐ yì dài láo” —— zìjǐ yǎngzú jīngshén, děng dírén píbèi-bùkān shí zài chūshǒu.

This is “wait at ease for the exhausted enemy”: keep your own strength full, and only strike when the enemy is worn out.

Bǐrú chángpǎo bǐsài, yǒu jīngyàn de xuǎnshǒu qiánbànchéng huì gēnzhe biérén, jiéshěng lìqi, zuìhòu yì qiān mǐ cái fālì.

For example, in a long race, an experienced runner stays with the pack in the first half to save energy, then pushes hard in the final thousand meters.

Tā de zhìhuì zàiyú: bù jízhe zhēng yìshí zhī qì, dǒngde “xiē yi xiē, zài chūshǒu” de rén, wǎngwǎng xiào dào zuìhòu.

Its wisdom: don't rush to win a moment's pride. Those who know to “rest a bit, then strike” often laugh last.