The 36 Stratagems
The Thirty-six Stratagems is a sixth-century essay that describes a series of maneuvers used in politics and war, with an emphasis on the use of cunning and deception. It can be found in the Book of Qi's seventh biographical volume, Biography of Wáng Jìngzé. The essay is divided into six chapters, each containing six stratagems; the first three chapters describe tactics to be used in advantageous situations, and the last three contain stratagems to be used in disadvantageous situations.
Part 1: When in a Superior Position
1
First Stratagem
瞒天过海
(mán tiān guò hǎi)
Deceive the Heavens to Cross the Ocean
Disguise one's true intentions from those in authority who might lack vision.
This is the first of the thirty-six stratagems. The phrase refers to 643 A.D. when Tang Emperor Li Shimin (李世民, 598-649 A.D.), who feared seasickness, was invited to a cave by his own general, Xue Rengui (薛仁贵, 614-683 A.D.), where they were to meet a wise man. In the cave they feasted for several days until the emperor heard the sound of waves and realized he had been lured onto a ship. The general drew aside a curtain revealing the ocean, and confessed they had already crossed the sea, after which the emperor carried on, successfully completing the campaign [19], [24].
Deceive the Heavens to Cross the Ocean is associated with the 59th hexagram, Wind over Water. The persistent and penetrating force of Wind overcomes the obstacle presented by Water [1], [28].
VOCAB LIST 1:
sky/heaven: 天: tiān
Tang (e.g. Tang Dynasty): 唐: táng
never/always: 从不/总是: cóng bù/zǒng shì
to pass/to cross: 过: guò
for this/to this end: 为此: wèi cǐ
but: 但是: dànshì
for somebody: 对...来说: duì...lái shuō
difficult/easy: 困难/容易: kùnnán/róngyì
(not) important: (不)重要 : (bù) zhòngyào
ocean/sea: 海: hǎi
to prepare: 准备: zhǔnbèi
ready: 准备好了: zhǔnbèi hǎole
(fire) hot/(ice) cold: 烫/冰: tàng/bīng
tree: 树: shù
almost: 几乎/快: jīhū/kuài
same/different: 相同/不同: xiāngtóng/bùtóng
very: 很: hěn
enough/not enough: 足够/不够: zúgòu/bùgòu
same/different: 一样/不一样: yīyàng/bù yīyàng
frequent: 经常: jīngcháng
infrequent: 不经常: bù jīngcháng
yes: 是/是的: shì/shì de
no: 不/不是: bù/bùshì
right (correct)/wrong: 对/不对: duì/bùduì
<past tense operator>: 了: le
New Characters:
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Sample Sentences 1:
Trans.: I never run on Monday, but I always run on Wednesday.
2) 我总是在星期六去小店买东西。
Trans.: I always go to the store to buy things on Saturday.
3) 我喜欢蓝天。
4) 他去过学校门口。
5) 你快准备好上学了吗？
6) 这本书不容易看。
7) 她喝的水不够。
8) 他吃了太多的饭。
9) 那棵树很高。
10) 那只狗对他们很重要。
11) Q: 你在准备做菜吗？
A: 是的。但是饭太烫了。
12) 她要去看海。
A: 不是。我们昨天看到的树和这棵树不一样。
14) Q: 这些东西是相同的，对不对？
A: 不对。这些东西是不同的。
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