Sunzi: Translation and Annotation

Name: Sunzi: Translation and Annotation
ISBN: 9787532582259

郭化若Shanghai Classics Publishing House · ChinaFeb 2022

4.6

Word count: 109K words
Chapters: 17
ISBN: 9787532582259

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Summary

The Art of War is a famous ancient Chinese treatise on military science. This book gives equal weight to translation and annotation, and studies Sunzi from a military strategist's perspective, offering many original insights.

Editor's review

General Guo Huaruo's Sunzi: Translation and Annotation is a landmark in the study of The Art of War. As a senior general of the People's Liberation Army who fought in countless battles and a military theorist, Guo Huaruo's unique identity lifts his translation and annotation beyond mere textual exegesis into a work grounded in deep military practice. Using the authoritative Eleven Commentators' Edition of Sunzi as the base text, the translation strives for fidelity, expressiveness, and elegance, conveying the original meaning accurately while maintaining the fluency of modern Chinese. The annotations are especially outstanding: they not only distill the essence of important commentaries from past dynasties but also illuminate the text through numerous classic battles from Chinese and foreign history, bringing those concise military principles vividly to life. For example, when interpreting 'Warfare is the way of deception,' Guo Huaruo draws on his own combat experience to analyze the concrete applications of strategies such as 'When capable, feign incapacity.' This first-hand perspective from a battlefield commander is something ordinary scholars can hardly match. The book's value extends far beyond military science: its insights into competitive strategy, risk management, and systems thinking offer profound lessons for business decisions, organizational management, and personal conduct. The Shanghai Classics Publishing House edition is impeccably edited and clearly typeset, inviting repeated study. This is a classic annotated edition that stands the test of time, offering rich nourishment to both newcomers and advanced students of the text.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Enthusiasts of Chinese classics and history who want to study the original text of The Art of War and traditional commentaries
Professionals in strategic management, business competition, or public policy research who wish to draw on Eastern wisdom
Military history buffs, especially those interested in how senior PLA generals interpret this military classic
Readers seeking self-cultivation and practical wisdom who enjoy drawing inspiration from classics

Not a good fit for

Readers who only want story-driven, novelistic retellings of military strategy and lack patience for rigorous annotation and classical Chinese
Readers seeking short, quick, fragmented 'Art of War Chicken Soup'

Reading tips

Begin by reading General Guo Huaruo's long preface to understand his research approach, core views, and annotation format, and to grasp the book's overall tone.
Adopt a synchronized reading method—original text, translation, and annotation together—reading sentence by sentence and reflecting on the battle examples in the notes; do not rush.
Keep a notebook while reading to record principles or judgments that strike you, and try to connect and extend them to concrete situations in modern life.

About the publisher

Shanghai Classics Publishing House China · Founded in 1956

Shanghai Classics Publishing House is a professional publisher centered on the collation of ancient texts and academic research works. Its publishing areas cover historical readings, classical poetry, folk literature, literary appreciation, canonical works, and Eastern philosophy. Its books include Chen Yinke's A Brief Discussion of the Origins of the Sui and Tang Institutions, Xin Qiji's Chronological Annotated Edition of Jiaxuan's Ci (Simplified Edition), Tang Xianzu's The Peony Pavilion, Liu Xie's The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons, as well as New Annotations to Three Hundred Tang Poems (Collector's Edition), Annotated Edition of Han Changli's Collected Works (Simplified Edition, 3 volumes), and Youyang Zazu. Its authors include Chen Yinke, Xin Qiji, Tang Xianzu, Liu Xie, Deng Guangming, Hengtang Tuishi, Han Yu, and Ma Qichang. In terms of publishing characteristics, the house emphasizes collation, annotation, and compilation of ancient texts alongside academic research works, and continues to issue simplified and collector's editions that balance scholarship and accessibility. Public information about the publisher's fuller publishing profile is limited.

版权信息
出版说明
作者简介
计篇第一
作战篇第二
谋攻篇第三
形篇第四
势篇第五
虚实篇第六
军争篇第七
九变篇第八
行军篇第九
地形篇第十
九地篇第十一
火攻篇第十二
用间篇第十三
附录

FAQ

What are the main differences between Guo Huaruo's annotated edition and other popular translations (such as the Zhonghua Book Company or Yuelu Press editions)?

The core distinguishing feature of Guo's edition is the annotator's identity as a military strategist. His annotations are closely integrated with combat experience and analysis of military history, giving them greater military professionalism and a more macro and practical perspective. Other scholarly translations may focus more on textual criticism, philosophical thought, or historical background.

Is this book suitable for readers with no foundation in classical Chinese?

The book provides an accurate and fluent modern Chinese translation to help readers grasp the general meaning. However, to fully appreciate the many classical quotations and military terminology cited in the annotations, some foundation in classical Chinese or patience in learning will be helpful. It can be used as a parallel text for studying both classical Chinese and military strategy.

Besides military matters, what other insights can this book offer?

The Art of War is essentially a philosophy of competition, risk, and management. This edition's interpretation can inspire readers to build systematic thinking frameworks in business strategy (such as market positioning and competitive strategy), project management (such as resource allocation and contingency planning), interpersonal maneuvering, and even personal goal planning (through ideas like 'know the enemy and know yourself' and 'win first, then seek battle').

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About the author

郭化若 Author

Public information about Guo Huaruo's life is limited, and his writings are the main basis for understanding his scholarly profile. Three of his works are included here, all centered on The Art of War: the illustrated collector's edition, another edition of the same classic, and a translated and annotated version. This shows that his main effort went into collating, annotating, and interpreting this classic of pre-Qin military thought. Judging from the form of the works, he attends both to presenting the text and to clarifying its meaning, offering a illustrated edition for general readers as well as a translation with annotations that emphasizes exegesis. His writing stays close to the original, is clearly organized, and aims to make ancient military thought accessible to modern readers. In library classifications these works are often placed under military studies and Eastern philosophy, indicating that their content has both a military and an intellectual-historical dimension. Although his personal record is difficult to verify, through these editions Guo Huaruo has left a recognizable mark on the popularization and study of The Art of War, and the works are suitable for readers interested in ancient military thought and classical texts.