Those words that Sun Tzu never said: Laying Plans

Those words that Sun Tzu never said are commonly found in various versions of Sun Tzu's art of war, and most of the translations do not even have half accuracy.

But these are not what Sun Tzu said are often eulogized as if Sun Tzu said.

This is really shocking! So the following will use Lionel Giles version to make a statistic, if you are interested in Sun Tzu's art of war, you can consider reading it.

Below I divide the translation status into five categories:

Correct translation

Approximate translation: Not completely accurate.

Wrong translation

No translation: The translator did not translate because he did not understand or neglect.

Redundant errors: Words that do not exist in the original text or earlier version.

Section I: Laying Plans

計篇

Translation	Condition	original text	Correct translation
1. Sun Tzŭ said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State.	Correct	孫子曰：兵者，國之大事也；
2. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.	Approximate	死生之地，存亡之道，不可不察也。
3. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.	Wrong	故經之以五，校之以計，以索其情。	Therefore, five things are used as the general administrative program, and the state of these five things is used as the direction of comparison between the enemy and us to explore the true situation of each other's strength.
4. These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline.	Wrong	一曰道，二曰天，三曰地，四曰將，五曰法。	One is called the Tao, the second is called the Meteorology, the third is called the Terrain, the fourth is called the General, and the fifth is called the Law.
5, 6. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.	Approximate	道者：令民與上同意者也；故可與之死，可與之生，民弗詭也。	" Tao " means: people and the superior have the same will, so that the superior can go through fire and water with the people, and the people will not betray him!
7. Heaven signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons.	Wrong	天者：陰陽、寒暑，時制也。	"Meteorology" refers to the cloudy(yin) and sunny(yang) of the weather, and the cold and heat of the climate, and their changes are controlled by time.
8. Earth comprises distances, great and small; danger and security; open ground and narrow passes; the chances of life and death.	Wrong	地者：高下、廣狹、遠近、險易、死生也。	"Terrain" refers to the five relative properties of "high and low, wide and narrow, far and near, steep and flat, dangerous and safe."
9. The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage and strictness.	Approximate	將者：智、信、仁、勇、嚴也。	"General" means: a general needs to possess five virtues: " wisdom, credit, benevolence, courage, and strictness."
10. By Method and discipline are to be understood the marshalling of the army in its proper subdivisions, the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the control of military expenditure.	Wrong	法者：曲制、官道、主用也。	"Law" refers to three methods: the establishment system of the army (organization), the command mode of the officials (management), and the use of the monarch (decision making).
11. These five heads should be familiar to every general: he who knows them will be victorious; he who knows them not will fail.	Correct	凡此五者，將莫不聞；知之者勝，不知者不勝。
12. Therefore, in your deliberations, when seeking to determine the military conditions, let them be made the basis of a comparison, in this wise:—	Approximate	故校之以計，以索其情。
13. Which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the Moral law? Which of the two generals has most ability? With whom lie the advantages derived from Heaven and Earth? On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced? Which army is stronger? On which side are officers and men more highly trained? In which army is there the greater constancy both in reward and punishment?	Wrong	曰：主孰賢？將孰能？天地孰得？法令孰行？兵眾孰強？士卒孰練？賞罰孰明？	These things are: whose monarch is more wise? Whose general is more capable? Who gets the right time and benefits of terrain? Whose statute has been followed? Whose army is stronger? Whose soldiers are better trained? Whose rewards and punishments are fair?
14. By means of these seven considerations I can forecast victory or defeat.	Correct	吾以此知勝敗矣。
15. The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer: — let such a one be retained in command! The general that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it, will suffer defeat: — let such a one be dismissed!	Approximate	將聽吾計，用之必勝，留之；將不聽吾計，用之必敗，去之。
16. While heeding the profit of my counsel, avail yourself also of any helpful circumstances over and beyond the ordinary rules.	Wrong	計利以聽，乃為之勢，以佐其外；	The result of the calculation is favorable and obeyed by the general, so the monarch could build up general's reputation and establish general's majesty, so that general can get help when fighting with troops.
17. According as circumstances are favorable, one should modify one’s plans.	Wrong	勢者，因利而制權也。	How much authority should be established for the general, this is determined by how much benefit this war will bring!
18. All warfare is based on deception.	Wrong	兵者，詭道也。	Military action is a violation of the norm!
19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.	Approximate	故能而示之不能，用而示之不用；近而示之遠，遠而示之近。
20. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.	Wrong	故利而誘之，亂而取之，	Our army deliberately abandoned some benefits to seduce the enemy. Our army deliberately disrupted its formation to seduce the enemy to attack.
21. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him.	Wrong	實而備之，強而避之，	Our army was strong but deliberately prepared for the enemy. Our army was powerful but deliberately avoided the enemy.
22. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.	Wrong、Redundant errors	怒而橈之；	Our army was angered but deliberately adopt a strategy of watching the enemy;
23. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them.	Redundant errors
24. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.	Wrong	攻其無備，出其不意。	(after the enemy is taken lightly) and attack the enemy when he is unprepared, and take actions beyond his expectations.
25. These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand.	Correct	此兵家之勝，不可先傳也。
26. Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple where the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.	Wrong	夫未戰而廟算勝者，得算多也；未戰而廟算不勝者，得算少也。多算勝，少算敗，況無算乎！吾以此觀之，勝敗見矣。	Before the battle, we compared the strength of the enemy and ours in the temple. The calculation result is better than the enemy, we get more chips; the calculation result is not better than the enemy, we get less chips. More chips have a higher chance of winning, and less chips have a higher chance of failure, not to mention that there are no chips! I use this method to observe the war, then the victory and defeat have already appeared!

The following statistics are based on the number of Chinese words.

The total number of words in this article:324

Condition	Number of Related words	Proportion
Approximate	97	29.93827
Correct	44	13.58025
Wrong	183	56.48148
Redundant errors	12

Approximate+ Correct= 43.51852%。

Correct translation reference:
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