Chapter 6. Weaknesses and Strengths,虚实 explains how your opportunities come from the openings in the environment caused by the relative weakness of your competitors in a given area.

First-Mover Advantage - Sun Tzu

English: Sun Tzu said: Those who arrive first at the battleground will have sufficient time to rest and prepare against the enemy. Those who arrive late at the battleground will have to rush into battle when they are already exhausted.

Modern: 孙子说：凡先占据会战地点等候敌人可安逸，后到达会战地点而仓促参战则疲惫。

Original: 孙子曰：凡先处战地而待敌者佚，后处战地而趋战者劳。

To Move the Enemy - Sun Tzu

English: Thus the person adept in warfare seeks to control and manipulate his enemy instead of being manipulated and controlled. He can cause his enemy to arrive on his own accord by luring him with benefits. He can deter his enemy from coming by creating dangers and harm.

Modern: 所以善于作战者，使敌人被自己所调动，而不被敌任所调动。能使敌人自己来，是因为利益。能使敌人不要来，是因为有害处。

Original: 故善战者，致人而不致于人。能使敌自至者，利之也；能使敌不得至者，害之也。

How to Stall the Enemy - Sun Tzu

English: Thus when the enemy is well-rested, disturb and tire him. When the enemy is well stocked with food, starve him. When he is encamped and comfortable, move him. Attack where he needs to rush to defend. Move quickly along routes where the enemy least expects.

Modern: 当敌人安逸时，使他们疲劳。当敌人饱食时，使他们饥饿。当敌人扎营安定时，使他们移动。出动于敌人必救之地，活动于敌人意想不到之地。

Original: 故敌佚而能劳之，饱能饥之，安能动之。出其所不趋，趋其所不意。

Moving, Attacking & Defending - Sun Tzu

English: An army can travel for a thousand miles without being exhausted because it moves along places where there are no enemies. To be certain to capture what you attack is to attack a place where the enemy does not defend or where his defence is weak. To be certain to hold on to what you defend is to defend a place such that the enemy does not have the courage to attack or where the defence is made invulnerable to attacks. Thus, the person who is adept at offence, attack places where the enemy does not know how to defend. The person adept at defence protects places such that the enemy has no idea how to attack. Such is the intricacy, and subtlety of expert in warfare that he appears to be invisible without trace. Such is the mystery and myth of the expert in warfare that he is not heard or detected.

Modern: 行军千里而不觉疲劳，是因为行于无敌人阻碍之地。攻打敌人而必取，是因为攻击敌人不能守的地方。防守能稳固，是因为防守让到敌人不知如何攻击。所以，善于 攻者，让敌人不知如何防守。善于守者，让敌人不知如何攻击。微妙啊微妙，微妙到无形可见；神奇啊神奇啊，神奇到无声可闻。所以这样的人可成为敌人的主宰。

Original: 行千里而不劳者，行于无人之地也。攻而必取者，攻其所不守也。守而必固者，守其所不攻也。故善攻者，敌不知其所守。善守者，敌不知其所攻。微乎微乎，至于无形，神乎神乎，至于无声，故能为敌之司命。

Attack Without Resistance, Retreat Without Being Attacked-Sun Tzu

English: He is able to advance without resistance because he accelerates along areas that are not defended by the enemy. He is able to retreat without being pursued because he withdraws at a much faster speed than the enemy.

Modern: 前进而不受到抵御，是因为攻击其防守薄弱之处；撤退而不受敌人阻止，是因为迅速撤退到远处，使敌人赶不上。

Original: 进而不可御者，冲其虚也；退而不可追者，速而不可及也。

How to Engage or Disengage the Enemy - Sun Tzu

English: Thus when I desire to go into battle, even if the enemy is behind high walls and deep moats, he will have no choice but to engage me. Because I attack where he needs to rescue or protect. When I do not desire to go into battle, even though I may be occupying any ground and not erecting any form of defence, the enemy will still be unable to start a battle with me. This is because I contradict the normal rules of engagement and prevent him from reaching his desired destination.

Modern: 所以如果我想打，敌人虽然有高垒深沟，也不得不与我战，因为我进攻敌人必定会救援的地方；如果我不想作战，即使画地界而防守，敌方也不会与我作战，因为我已把他引向别处或阻止他抵达目的地。

Original: 故我欲战，敌虽高垒深沟，不得不与我战者，攻其所必救也；我不欲战，虽画地而守之，敌不得与我战者，乖其所之也。

Concealment & it Benefits - Sun Tzu

English: Thus, if I can uncover the dispositions of the enemy while remaining concealed myself, I can keep my forces concentrated and united, and force those of the enemy to be divided and dispersed. If I can concentrate and unite my troops at one place while those of the enemy are scattered at ten different places, then I can use my entire force against one tenth of his. Thus I will be able to have numerical strength over him. If I can use a larger and stronger force to attack a smaller and inferior enemy force, those enemy will surely be defeated. The enemy does not know where I am going to attack. If the enemy does not know where I am going to attack, he will have to defend many places. The more places he need to defend, the more dispersed his force is, thus I am able to engage a small part of his troops with my full force. If he strengthens the front, the rear will be weakened. If he strengthens the rear, his front will be weakened. If he defends his left, his right will be exposed. If he defends his right, his left will be exposed. If he tries to defend everywhere, he will be vulnerable everywhere.

Modern: 若知敌人兵形而我方兵形不被敌方所知，则我方兵力可集中在一处而敌方兵力被分散。我方集中在一处，敌方分散在十处，这就是说我方有十倍于兵力攻击敌人，造 成我方有优势。能以众击寡，那么正面作战的敌人就少了。我与敌方交战的地点不为人知，敌方所要防备的地方就多；敌方所要防备的地方多，则我方所攻击的地方 敌人就会少；前方设防则后方薄弱，后方设防则前方薄弱，左方设防则右方薄弱，右方设防则左方薄弱，处处设防，则处处薄弱。

Original: 故形人而我无形，则我专而敌分；我专为一，敌分为十，是以十攻其一也，则我众而敌寡；能以众击寡者，则吾之所与战者，约矣。吾所与战之地不可知；不可知， 则敌所备者多，敌所备者多，则吾之所战者，寡矣。 故备前则后寡， 备后者前寡，故备左则右寡，备右则左寡，无所不备，则无所不寡。

How Attack & Defence can Affect Strength - Sun Tzu

English: The inferiority or weakness in numbers is normally associated with the defending side.The superiority or strength in numbers is associated with the attacking side.

Original: 寡者，备人者也；众者，使人备己者也。

Modern: 劣势，是居于防守的一方；优势，是居于攻击的一方。

Knowing the BattleGround & Engagement Time - Sun Tzu

English: If you know the terrain of the battleground and the exact date of engagement of battle, your army can travel a thousand mile and still be ready for battle. If you do not know the location of the battleground and the exact date of engagement, then your left flank will not be able to rescue your right flank, and the right flank will not be able to rescue your left flank. The front will not be able to rescue the rear and the rear will not be able to rescue the front. This problem is compounded even more considering that the farthest force may be ten miles away or the nearer force only several miles apart.

Modern: 预先知道作战地点和时间，才能千里行军而又可交战。不预先知道作战地点和时间，则左翼不能救右翼，右翼不能救左翼，前方不能救后方，后方不能救前方，更何况是远在数十里，或近在数里？

Original: 故知战之地，知战之日，则可千里而会战。不知战之地，不知战之日，则左不能救右，右不能救左，前不能救后，后不能救前， 而况远者数十里，近者数里乎？

Majority Means Absolute Advantage-Sun Tzu

English: Based on my analysis and evaluation, the people of YUE may have superiority in numbers but does this mean that it has the definite advantage in winning battles? Thus I say: Victories can be created by us. Although the enemy may have a larger and stronger force, he can be prevented from engaging me. Therefore, scheme to discover the plans of the enemy so as to know their likelihood of success. Provoke him so as to know his reasons and basis for movement and actions. Know his dispositions so as to know the vulnerability of the ground he is occupying. Throw some contests against the enemy so as to know his area of his strengths and weaknesses.

Modern: 依我看，越国的兵力虽多，但对它争取胜利会有什么帮助呢？胜利可以造成的，敌人虽多，但可以使它无法与我争斗。通过策略可知敌我双方优劣，通过挑动可知敌人活动之道理，同过调查可知地形，通过较量来得知双方实力强弱。

Original: 以吾度之，越人之兵虽多，亦奚益于胜败哉？故曰：胜可为也。敌虽众，可使无斗。故策之而知得失之计，作之而知动静之理，形之而知死生之地，角之而知有余不足之处。

Flexibility in Formation - Sun Tzu

English: The ultimate skill in the deployment of troops is to ensure that it has no fixed or constant formation and disposition. Without ascertainable formations, even the most infiltrated and observant spy will not be able to probe and comprehend, and the wisest strategist will not be able to uncover your plans or plot against you. The victory gained as a result of adapting to the circumstances of the enemy will never be understood by the troops. Everyone may know the formation that I used to secure victory. However, no one will know the ways, methods and reasons behind how I went about creating that victory.

Modern: 所以部署兵队最高境界，是无任何形。无形，则深入我方的间谍刺探不到情报，敌方谋略者也想不出对策。运用多变战术引导众人取得胜利，众人也不了解如何取胜。人们知道我取得胜利的态势，可是不知我如何创造此态势。

Original: 故形兵之极，至于无形；无形，则深间不能窥，智者不能谋。因形而错胜于众，众不能知；人皆知我所以胜之形，而莫知吾所以制胜之形；

Flexible like Water - Sun Tzu

English: Therefore, the victory gained from each battle comes about because strategies and tactics are never repeated. Rather, they should vary according to the circumstances, with infinite possibilities. The principle underlying military deployment may be likened to water. It is the inherent characteristic of flowing water to flow from high places and hasten its movement low places. In the same way, the disposition and deployment of an army should be to avoid strengths and attack weaknesses. Just as water controls its flow according to the characteristics of the terrain, and army should try to create its victory according to the situations of the enemy. So, in conduct of war, there are no fixed situations and condition, just like water has no constant shape and configuration. The persons who gains victories by adapting to the changing conditions and situations of the enemy can be considered a legend in warfare. Thus there is no guaranteed victory among the five elements of nature. There is no permanency for each of the four seasons. There are days which are short and days which are long. There are changes in the shape of the moon throughout a month.

Modern: 所以作战胜利都不是重复旧方式，而是适应不同的态势而不变化无穷。兵力的部署应该像流水，水的流向从高向低，进攻敌人应该避开敌人坚实之处，而趋向薄弱之 处。流水的方向是由地势决定，军队作战也应该根据不同敌人而决定制胜策略。所以军队作战没有固定的态势，如同水也没有固定的形状。能够根据敌人的变化而取 得胜利者，可称之为“神”。所以五行相生相克，没有固定常胜，四季变化也没有固定的开始与结束，白昼有长短，月亮有圆缺。

Original: 故其战胜不复，而应形于无穷。夫兵形像水，水之形，避高而趋下；兵之形，避实而击虚。水因地而制流，兵因敌而制胜。 故兵无常势，水无常形；能因敌变化而取胜者，谓之神。故五行无常胜，四时无常位，日有长短，月有生死。

Sumber : http://www.chinese-wiki.com/Sun_Tzu_Art_of_War_Chapter_6