《走为上策》出处、故事、英文翻译、注释

28.走为上策

zǒu wéi shàng cè

【出处】《三十六计》第三十六计：全师避敌，左次^[1]无咎^[2]，未失常也。《南齐书·王敬则传》：“檀公三十六策，走为上计。”明代施耐庵《水浒传》第一百四回：“李助道：‘事已如此，三十六策，走为上策！’”

【成语故事】春秋初期，楚国一天天强大起来，有一天，楚国终于决定派将领子玉率领军队去攻打晋国。同时，楚国还胁迫陈、蔡、郑、许这四个小国一起出兵，配合楚军攻打晋国。子玉率领军队浩浩荡荡地向晋国进发了。当时，晋国的军事力量比较薄弱，晋文公对这次战争很没有把握，于是他决定暂时后退，并对外故意说：“当年我被迫逃亡时，楚国以前的国王对我非常客气。现在，子玉攻打我晋国，我应该遵守我的诺言，退后九十里，以报答当年楚国对我的帮助。”晋文公撤退了九十里，相当于已经到了晋国的边界城濮了，这里地势险要，足以对抗来犯之敌。另外，晋文公已经事先派人到秦国和齐国求助。子玉率领军队追到了城濮，晋文公早已做好了迎战准备，并探知在楚国军队的左、中、右三军中，右军的实力最为薄弱，且右军的先头部队是被胁迫过来的陈国和蔡国士兵，根本没什么斗志。楚国将领子玉命令左右军先行攻打，中军后面跟上。战争开始了。楚国的右军直接扑向晋军，可是晋军忽然撤退了，陈、蔡军以为晋军害怕想要逃跑，于是紧追不舍。就在追击之时，晋军中忽然杀出了一支军队，那些驾车的马都蒙着老虎皮。陈、蔡军的战马以为是真老虎，吓得乱蹦乱跳，转头就跑，楚右军大败。随后，晋文公又派自己军队的士兵假扮陈、蔡军，向子玉报告胜利的消息：“右军已经取得胜利，元帅赶快继续进兵吧。”子玉登上车看了看晋军的后方，只见空中飘满了烟尘，他大笑道：“晋军真是不中用。”其实，这是晋军引诱敌人的计谋，他们在马后绑上树枝，来往奔跑，故意弄得烟尘漫天飞，制造惨败的假象。这时，子玉急忙命令左军前去追击晋军。而此时的晋军故意打着帅旗，往后撤退。不久，左军又陷入了晋国的伏击圈，遭到惨败。等楚将子玉率领的中军赶到时，晋军早已把楚军团团围住。子玉这才发现，右军、左军都已经被消灭，自己也陷入重围，于是，他急忙下令突出重围。虽然他在手下士兵的护卫下，保住性命逃跑了，但是楚国军队伤亡惨重，他也只能垂头丧气地回国了。

【寓意】该成语原意是指在遭遇到强敌之时，主动撤离以回避敌人或者对手的锋芒，没有过错，也是最好的策略。现喻指人们根据形势做出判断，在对己不利且没有成功的希望之时，选择逃避的态度是最佳的策略选择。

走为上策
To Withdraw Actively as the Best Choice

28.To Withdraw Actively as the Best Choice

【Idiomatic Story】 In the early times of the Spring and Autumn period，the Chu State was increasingly growing into a big power.One day，the King of the Chu State decided to send General CHENG Zi-yu commanding troops to launch an attack onto the Jin State，and he also forced the other four States to join hands with the Chu State，including the Chen State，the Cai State，the Zheng State and the Xu State.

CHENG Zi-yu led his troops marched on for the Jin State.Upon hearing the news of the approaching of the invading troops，the Monarch Wen-gong of the Jin State decided to retreat actively because he had no confidence of winning the war for the weakness of the Jin State.

The Monarch Wen-gong intentionally released the news，“When the troops of the Chu State commanded by General CHENG Zi-yu came to aggress us，I will withdraw 90 miles backwards for keeping my promise of gratitude to the friendly treatment of the former Monarch of the Chu State.”

The Monarch Wen-gong led his army and people withdrew 90 miles backwards and reached the border city Cheng-pu.It was astrategically important place for the resisting war.And the Monarch Wen-gong had sent diplomatic envoys to the Qin State and the Qi State for help.And the invading troops of the Chu State had followed to Cheng-pu.

The Monarch Wen-gong had made good preparation to meet the invading troops.He detected the Chu troops had been divided into three groups.Among them，the group on the right-hand was the weakest one with the soldiers from the Chen State and the Cai State as the advanced troops，they lacked combativity because they were forced to join the war.

General CHENG Zi-yu ordered the group on the right and left to launch attack first，and the main force followed.At the beginning of the war，the right and left group launched attack at the same time onto the Jin troops.But they found the Jin troops retreating suddenly and they thought it must be the Jin troops were scared to escape，so they closely followed up.

Suddenly，an army charged out from the troops of the Jin State by horse-driving fighting vehicles with the tiger skins covered onto the horses.The soldiers of the Chen State and the Cai State were so frightened by mistaking those tiger-skin disguised horses as the real tigers that they scattered in disorder.And then，the Monarch Wen-gong instructed his soldiers to disguise as the soldiers of the Chen State and the Cai State to report the false news of triumph.

General CHENG Zi-yu saw the heavy smoke and dusts in the troops of the Jin State，he laughed the collapse at the first blow of the Jin troops.He did not know it was the trap made by the soldiers of the Jin State caused by the running horses with branches of trees fasten to the horse tails.

Based on the judgment，General CHENG Zi-yu ordered the left group to launch attack onto the Jin troops.The Jin troops intentionally retreated with upholding the flag of the commander in chief.And the left group of the Chu troops fell into the trap again and they were completely defeated at last.When General CHENG Zi-yu commanded the main force to follow the attack，he found the right group and the left group had been wiped out by the Jin troops，and his main force had been heavily circled by the Jin troops.Under the guard of his men，General CHENG Zi-yu fortunately got out of the circle.He had to retreat to his own State because his troops had suffered a heavy loss.

【Implied Meaning】It originally means to withdraw actively to avoid the predatory state of the enemy or opponent，it is the best choice for the current situation of being marked by the enemy's strength.Now it is often used to refer to the best way for taking an evasive attitude towards the unfavorable situations.

【注释】

[1]次：处于劣势状态。

[2]咎：过失、过错。