Forces' Equivalents-Six Teachings
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Forces' Equivalents (Tai Gong Six Teachings-Hound Teaching Chapter 5)
本篇论述车兵、骑兵、步兵的性能与作战能力对比，以及车骑的编制和阵法。
English
King Wu asked Tai Gong:"When chariots and infantry engage in battle, one chariot is equivalent to how many infantrymen? How many infantrymen are equivalent to one chariot? When cavalry and infantry engage in battle, one cavalryman is equivalent to how many infantrymen? How many infantrymen are equivalent to one cavalryman? When chariots and cavalry engage in battle, one chariot is equivalent to how many cavalrymen? How many cavalrymen are equivalent to one chariot?"
Tai Gong replied:"Chariots are the wings of the army, the means to penetrate solid formations, to press strong enemies and to cut off their flight. Cavalry are the army’s fleet observers, the means to pursue a defeated army, to sever supply lines and to strike roving forces.
Thus when chariots and cavalry are not engaged in battle with the enemy, one cavalryman is not able to equal one foot soldier. However, after the masses of the army have been arrayed in opposition to the enemy, when fighting on easy terrain, the rule is that one chariot is equivalent to eighty infantrymen, and eighty infantrymen equal to one chariot. One cavalryman is equivalent to eight infantrymen; eight infantrymen is equivalent to one cavalryman. One chariot is equivalent to ten cavalrymen; ten cavalrymen is equivalent to one chariot.
The rule for fighting on difficult terrain is that one chariot is equivalent to forty infantrymen, and forty infantrymen are equivalent to one chariot. One cavalryman is equivalent to four infantrymen; four infantrymen are equivalent to one cavalrymen. One chariot is equivalent six cavalrymen; six cavalrymen is equivalent to one chariot.
Now chariots and cavalry are the army’s strong weapons. Ten chariots can defeat one thousand men; one hundred chariots can defeat then thousand men. Ten cavalrymen can drive off one hundred men, and one hundred cavalrymen can drive off one thousand men. These are the approximate numbers."
King Wu asked:"What are the numbers for chariot and cavalry officers and their transformation?"
Tai Gong replied:"For the chariots - a leader for five chariots, a captain for ten, a commander for fifty and a general for one hundred.
For battle on easy terrain five chariots comprise one line. The lines are forty paces apart, the chariots from left to right should be ten paces apart, with detachments sixty paces apart. On difficult terrain the chariots must follow the roads, with ten comprising a company and twenty a regiment. Front to rear spacing should be twenty paces, left to right six paces, with detachments thirty-six paces apart. If they venture of the road more than two li in any direction, they should return to the original road.
As for the number of officers in the cavalry: a leader for five men; a captain for ten; a commander for one hundred; a general for two hundred.
The rule for fighting on easy terrain: Five cavalrymen will form one line, and front to back their lines should be separated by twenty paces, left to right four paces, with fifty paces between detachments.
On difficult terrain, the rule is front to back, ten paces; left to right, two paces; between detachments, twenty-five paces. Thirty cavalrymen comprise a company; sixty form a regiment. For ten cavalrymen, there is a captain. In action, they should not move out of the range of one hundred paces, after which they should circle back and return to their original positions."
"Excellent!" said King Wu.
Modern
武王问太公说：用车兵对敌步兵战斗，一辆战车相当于几名步兵？几名步兵相当于一辆战车？用骑兵与步兵战斗，一名骑兵相当于几名步兵？几名步兵相当于一名骑兵？用战车对骑兵战斗，一辆战车能当几名骑兵？几名骑兵相当于一辆战车？
太公说：战车是加强军队战斗力的，用以攻坚陷阵，截击强敌，切断其退路的。骑兵是军队中窥探敌人，乘敌之隙的，用以跟踪追击，断敌粮道，袭击散乱流审的敌 人的。因此车骑使用不恰当，在战斗中一名骑兵还不能抵挡一名步兵。全军布列成阵，骑步配合得当，那么在平坦地形上作战，一辆战车可以抵挡步兵八十名，步兵 八十名相当于一辆战车，一名骑兵可以抵挡步兵八名，八名步兵相当于一名骑兵，一辆战车可抵挡骑兵十名，十名骑兵相当于一辆战车。在险阻地形上作战，一辆战 车可抵挡步兵四十名，四十名步兵相当于一辆战车；一名骑兵可抵挡步兵四名，四名步兵相当于一名骑兵；一辆战车可抵挡骑兵六名，六名骑兵相当于一辆战车。战车和骑兵是军队中威烈快速的冲击力量。十辆战车可以击败敌千人，百辆战车可以击败敌万人，十名骑兵可以击退敌百人，百名骑兵可以击退敌千人，这些是大约的 数字。
武王说：战车和骑兵应配置的军官数量和作战方法怎样？
太公说：战车应配备军官的数量是，五车设一长，十车设一吏，五十车设一率，百车设一将。在平坦地形上作战的战法，五车为列，前后相距四十步，各车间隔十 步，队间距离和间隔各六十步。险阻地形上作战的战法，战车必须沿道路行进，十车为一聚，二十车一屯，车与车前后距离二十步，左右宽约六步，队间距离和间隔 各十六步，活动范围前后左右各二里，各车战斗后仍由原路返回。骑应配备军官的数量是，五骑设一长，十骑设一吏，百骑设一率，二骑设一将。在平坦地形作战的 战法，五骑为一列，前后相距二十步，左右间隔四步，队间距离和间隔各五十步。在险阻地形上作战时，后相距十步。左右间隔二步，队间距离和间隔各二十五步， 三十骑为一屯，六十骑为一辈。活动范围前后左右各百步，战斗后各返原来位置。
武王说：好啊!
Original
武王问太公曰：以车与步卒战，一车当几步卒？几步卒当一车？以骑与步卒战，一骑当几步卒？几步卒当骑？以车与骑战，一车当几骑？几骑当一车？
太公曰；车者，军之羽翼也，所以陷坚阵，要强敌，遮走北也。骑者军之伺候也所以循败军，绝粮道，击便寇也。故车骑不改战，则一骑不能当步卒一人。三军之众 月阵而相当，则易战之法，一车当步卒八十人，八十人当一东。一骑当步卒八人，八人当一骑，一车当十骑，十骑当一车。险战之法，一车当步卒四十人，四十人当 一车；一骑当步卒四人，四人当一骑；一车当六骑，六骑当一车。夫车骑者，军之武兵也，十乘败千人，百乘败万人；十骑败百人，百骑走千人，此其大数也。
武王曰：车骑之吏数与阵法奈何？
太公曰：置车之吏数，五车一长，十车一吏，五十车为一率百车一将。易战之法，五车为列，相去四十步，左十步，队间六十步。险战之法，本必循道，十车为聚， 十车为屯，前后相去二十步，左右六步，队间三十六步纵横相去二里，各返故道。置骑之吏数、五骑一长，十骑吏，百骑一率，二百骑一将。易战之法、五骑为列， 前后去二十步，左右四步，队间五十步。险战者，前后相去步，左右二步，队间二十五步。三十骑为一屯，六十骑为辈，纵横相去百步，用环各复故处。
武王曰：善哉！
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