什么茶不苦又清香:讀孫子兵法學英文/千方百計

来源:百度文库 编辑:偶看新闻 时间:2024/03/29 21:10:59

1792年,英使馬戛爾尼以慶祝乾隆帝八秩大壽為藉口來華,為了三跪九叩朝貢儀禮,雙方不合產生爭執,成為鴉片戰爭遠因,種下中國百年恥辱。
1975年泰國總理庫立訪問北京,毛澤東接見時透露雙腿無力,庫立聞訊,立即屈膝彎腰,為毛按摩,不久,中共就發動「懲越戰爭」,免除泰國被北越併吞。
英國人海外擴張,無所不用其極(for love or money),英使來華拓展貿易,試圖找到共創厚利(sweetheart deal)的途徑;但在平等地位問題上態度強硬,乾隆大表不滿(read someone the riot act),任務失敗,英人鎩羽而歸。
越共併吞南越,雄心勃勃(come on strong)企圖染指東南亞,泰國岌岌可危;中共不能接受越共野心,早想興師問罪(have a bone to pick with somebody)。泰國卑微作態,中共對越就出手重懲(heads will roll),間接維護了泰國利益。
孫子說:「故合之以文,齊之以武,是謂必取。」意即文化必須契合,紀律要極講究,才能上下步調齊一,對外保持常勝。
泰國能體會人心幽微(we are all human.),在環境不樂觀的情況下,主動遷就環境,進而改造環境(If the mountain will not come to Mahomet(Mohammed), Mahomet must go to the mountain.),這種千方百計(by hook or by crook)求生存的本領十分要得,難怪是東南亞唯一未曾淪為殖民地的國家。
例:"George Macartney came to China to exploit the market for love or money."「馬戛爾尼來華目的,以任何代價都要打開中國市場。」
"He wanted to make a sweetheart deal with the Chinese and helped the British products greatly promoted."「他想大力促銷英國商品,和中國互蒙厚利。」
"The emperor read him the riot act for not his unacceptable impolite behavior."「他的行為乖張,皇帝嚴厲斥責。」
"The Vietnamese had come on strong with their strategies for establishing hegemony in the Southeast Asia."「越南人野心勃勃,想在東南亞建立霸權。」
"The Chairman is still not satisfied and has a bone to pick with the Vietnamese."「主席極度不滿,準備對越南人興師問罪。」
"Heads will roll when the chairman learns about the hegemony that they have been trying to build."「他們想要建立霸權的企圖,如果傳到主席耳裡,必然有人會人頭落地。」
"We live in an angry world, because we're all human."「大家容易動火,因為人總有脾氣。」
"As the saying has it: 'If the mountain will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet must go to the mountain!' If Kukrit Pramoj could not get help from China his country would be in danger."「事不將就人,人就得將就事。庫立如果不能從中國得到奧援,泰國必將危殆。」
"Kukrit resolved to survive the crisis triggered by the Vietnamese, by hook or by crook."「危機當頭,庫立想方設法,就是希望安然度過難關。」
(作者任教陸軍官校,本專欄每周五刊登)