第 7 节
作者:溜溜      更新:2021-02-19 00:32      字数:9322
  The best safeguard against failure in any attempt to enforce pursuit or
  conduct a retreat lies in a thorough knowledge of your horse's powers。'2'
  But how is this experience to be got? Simply by paying attention to their
  behaviour in the peaceable manouvres of the sham fight; when there is no
  real   enemy   to   intervenehow   the   animals   come   off;   in   fact;   and   what
  stamina they show in the various charges and retreats。
  '2' {empeiria}; 〃empirical knowledge。〃
  Or suppose the problem is to make your cavalry appear numerous。 In
  the first place; let it be a fundamental rule; if possible; not to attempt to
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  delude     the   enemy     at  close   quarters;   distance;    as  it  aids  illusion;   will
  promote security。 The next point is to bear in mind that a mob of horses
  clustered     together    (owing     perhaps    to   the  creatures'    size)   will  give   a
  suggestion of number; whereas scattered they may easily be counted。
  Another means by which you may give your troop an appearance of
  numerical strength beyond reality consists in posting; in and out between
  the    troopers;   so   many    lines   of  grooms'3'     who    should    carry   lances    if
  possible; or staves at any rate to look like lancesa plan which will serve
  alike   whether   you   mean   to   display   your   cavalry   force   at   the   halt   or   are
  deploying to increase front; in either case; obviously the bulk and volume
  of the force; whatever your formation; will appear increased。 Conversely;
  if   the   problem   be   to   make   large   numbers   appear   small;   supposing   you
  have ground at command adapted to concealment; the thing is simple: by
  leaving   a   portion   of   your   men   exposed   and   hiding   away   a   portion   in
  obscurity;     you   may    effect   your   object。'4'    But   if  the   ground    nowhere
  admits of cover; your best course is to form your files'5' into ranks one
  behind the other; and wheel them round so as to leave intervals between
  each file; the troopers nearest the enemy in each file will keep their lances
  erect; and the rest low enough not to show above。
  '3'   Cf。   Polyaen。   II。   i。   17;   of Agesilaus   in   Macedonia;   394   B。C。   (our
  author was probably present); IV。 iv。 3; of Antipater in Thessaly;                         323
  B。C。
  '4' Lit。 〃steal your troopers。〃 See 〃Cyrop。〃 V。 iv。 48。
  '5'   Lit。   〃form   your   decads   (squads   of   ten;   cf。   our   'fours')   in   ranks
  and deploy with intervals。〃
  To come to the next topic: you may work on the enemy's fears by the
  various      devices     of   mock      ambuscades;       sham      relief   parties;    false
  information。 Conversely; his confidence will reach an overweening pitch;
  if the idea gets abroad that his opponents have troubles of their own and
  little leisure for offensive operations。
  But    over    and    beyond     all  that   can    be   written    on   the   subject
  inventiveness is   a   personal   matter;  beyond   all   formulasthe true   general
  must be able to take in; deceive; decoy; delude his adversary at every turn;
  as the particular occasion demands。 In fact; there is no instrument of war
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  more cunning than chicanery;'6' which is not surprising when one reflects
  that even little boys; when playing; 〃How many (marbles) have I got in my
  hand?〃'7' are able to take one another in successfully。 Out goes a clenched
  fist;   but   with   such   cunning   that   he   who   holds   a   few   is   thought   to   hold
  several; or he may present several and appear to be holding only a few。 Is
  it likely that a grown man; giving his whole mind to methods of chicanery;
  will   fail   of   similar   inventiveness?   Indeed;   when   one   comes   to   consider
  what is meant by advantages snatched in war; one will find; i think; that
  the greater part of them; and those the more important; must be attributed
  in some way or other to displays of craft;'8' which things being so; a man
  had better either not attempt to exercise command; or; as part and parcel of
  his general equipment; let him pray to Heaven to enable him to exercise
  this faculty and be at pains himself to cultivate his own inventiveness。
  '6' Cf。 〃Cyrop。〃 IV。 ii。 26; VII。 i。 18。
  '7'   {posinda};   lit。   〃How   many?〃   (i。e。   dice;   nuts;   marbles;   etc。);   cf。
  the   old   game;   〃Buck!   buck!   how   many   horns   do   I   hold   up?〃   Schneid。
  cf。 Aristot。 〃Rhet。〃iii。 5。 4。
  '8' 〃Have been won in connection with craft。〃 See 〃Cyrop。〃 I。 vi。 32;
  〃Mem。〃 III。 i。 6; IV。 ii。 15。
  A   general;   who   has   access   to   the   sea;   may   exercise   the   faculty   as
  follows: he may either; whilst apparently engaged in fitting out his vessels;
  strike   a   blow    on   land;'9'   or   with   a   make…believe      of   some    aggressive
  design by land; hazard an adventure by sea。'10'
  '9' A ruse adopted by Jason; 371 B。C。 Cf。 〃Hell。〃 VI。 iv。 21。
  '10'   Cf。   the   tactics   of   the   Athenians   at   Catana;   415   B。C。   Thuc。   vi。
  64。
  I   consider   it   to   be   the   duty   of   the   cavalry   commander   to   point   out
  clearly to the state authority the essential weakness of a force of cavalry
  unaided      by   light   infantry;    as  opposed      to  cavalry     with   foot…    soldiers
  attached。'11' It is duty also; having got his footmen; to turn the force to
  good account。 It is possible to conceal them effectively; not only between
  the   lines;   but   in   rear   also   of   the   troopersthe   mounted   soldier   towering
  high above his follower on foot。
  '11'    Or;   〃divorced      from    infantry。〃    In  reference     to  {amippoi};       cf。
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  Thuc。 v。 57; 〃Hell。〃 VII。 v。 23。
  With regard to these devices and   to any others which invention   may
  suggest     towards     capturing    the   foeman     by   force   or  fraud;   I  have   one
  common word of advice to add; which is; to act with God; and then while
  Heaven propitious smiles; fortune will scarcely dare to frown。'12'
  '12' Or; 〃and then by the grace of Heaven you may win the smiles of
  fortune;〃 reading with Courier; etc。; {ina kai e tukhe sunepaine}。                        Cf。
  〃Cyrop。〃 III。 iii。 20。
  At times there is no more effective fraud than a make…believe'13' of
  over…caution alien to the spirit of adventure。 This itself will put the enemy
  off his guard and ten to one will lure him into some egregious blunder; or
  conversely;  once   get   a   reputation   for   foolhardiness   established;   and   then
  with   folded   hands   sit   feigning   future   action;   and   see   what   a   world   of
  trouble you will thereby cause your adversary。
  '13' S。 15 should perhaps stand before S。 13。
  VI
  But;   after   all;   no   man;   however   great   his   plastic   skill;   can   hope   to
  mould and shape a work of art to suit his fancy; unless the stuff on which
  he works be first prepared and   made ready to obey the craftsman's   will。
  Nor certainly where the raw  material consists of men; will you succeed;
  unless;   under   God's   blessing;   these   same   men   have   been   prepared   and
  made ready to meet their officer in a friendly spirit。 They  must come to
  look upon him as of greater sagacity than themselves in all that concerns
  encounter   with   the   enemy。   This   friendly   disposition   on   the   part   of   his
  subordinates; one must suppose; will best be fostered by a corresponding
  sympathy   on   the   part   of   their   commander   towards   the   men   themselves;
  and that not by simple kindness but by the obvious pains he takes on their
  behalf;   at   one   time   to   provide   them   with   food;   and   at   another   to   secure
  safety   of   retreat;   or   again   by   help   of   outposts   and   the   like;   to   ensure
  protection during rest and sleep。
  When      on    active   service'1'     the   commander        must    prove    himself
  conspicuously        careful   in  the   matter    of  forage;   quarters;    water…supply;
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  outposts;'2'   and   all   other   requisites;   forecasting   the   future   and   keeping
  ever a wakeful eye in the interest of those under him; and in case of any
  advantage   wo