The Art of War: 40 palabras para aprender antes de leerlo
Las 40 palabras que Sun Tzu repite una y otra vez en «The Art of War» y que no están entre las 4.000 más comunes del inglés. Apréndelas antes y los primeros capítulos se leerán mucho mejor. Cada una lleva su pronunciación, su traducción y una frase del libro.
spy/ˈspaɪ/espía, chivato59 veces en el libro
[Chang Yu relates the following anecdote of Kao Tsu, the first Han Emperor: “Wishing to crush the Hsiung-nu, he sent out spies to report on their condition.
retreat/ɹiˈtɹit/retirarse, replegarse35 veces en el libro
(1) By commanding the army to advance or to retreat, being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey.
commentator/ˈkɑmənˌteɪtɝ/comentarista, comentador, comentadora32 veces en el libro
[The commentators, I think, make an unnecessary mystery of two words here.
rear/ˈɹɪɹ/retaguardia, rezaga26 veces en el libro
… one to meet the enemy in front, and one to fall upon his rear; if he replies to the frontal attack …
conquer/ˈkɑŋkɝ/conquistar, debelar21 veces en el libro
The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer:—let such a one be retained in command!
chariot/ˈtʃɛɹiət/biga, carro [de guerra], cuadriga20 veces en el libro
Sun Tzŭ said: In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers,
disposition/ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən/disposición19 veces en el libro
Tu Mu says: "It is through the dispositions of an army that its condition may be discovered.
sovereign/ˈsɑvɹən/soberano17 veces en el libro
(1) Which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the Moral law?
adversary/ˈædvɝˌsɛɹi/adversario, adversaria17 veces en el libro
… quoted by Tu Yu, says that the good tactician plays with his adversary as a cat plays with a mouse, first feigning weakness and immobility …
drum/ˈdɹəm/tambor17 veces en el libro
… suddenly struck his colors, stopped the beating of the drums, and flung open the city gates …
warfare/ˈwɔɹˌfɛɹ/guerra16 veces en el libro
… "while the main laws of strategy can be stated clearly enough for the benefit of all and sundry, you must be guided by the actions of the enemy in attempting to secure a favourable position in actual warfare."
calculation/ˌkæɫkjəˈɫeɪʃən/cálculo, calculación16 veces en el libro
… commanding the cavalry, went to the Duke of Wellington in order to learn what his plans and calculations were for the morrow, because …
afterwards/ˈæftɝwɝdz/después, consecuentemente, en seguida15 veces en el libro
Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.
defence/dɪˈfɛns/defensa14 veces en el libro
[The "swift chariots" were lightly built and, according to Chang Yu, used for the attack; the "heavy chariots" were heavier, and designed for purposes of defence.
chap/ˈtʃæp/capítulo14 veces en el libro
["Chang Yu says: "the establishment of harmony and confidence between the higher and lower ranks before venturing into the field;" and he quotes a saying of Wu Tzŭ (chap.
ruler/ˈɹuɫɝ/gobernante, soberano14 veces en el libro
One might be tempted to render it by "morale," were it not considered as an attribute of the ruler in § 13.]
hostile/ˈhɑstəɫ/hostil14 veces en el libro
… and he wins no reputation for wisdom; inasmuch as the hostile state submits before there has been any bloodshed, he receives no credit for courage."]
favourablefavorable13 veces en el libro
According as circumstances are favourable, one should modify one’s plans.
amongst/əˈməŋst/entre13 veces en el libro
… or provisions are too scanty, or the defenders are variance amongst themselves."]
crush/ˈkɹəʃ/aplastar, arrasar13 veces en el libro
Feign disorder, and crush him.
supra/ˈsupɹə/arriba12 veces en el libro
See supra II.
indirect/ˌɪndɝˈɛkt/indirecto12 veces en el libro
To ensure that your whole host may withstand the brunt of the enemy’s attack and remain unshaken—this is effected by manœuvers direct and indirect.
kingdom/ˈkɪŋdəm/reino11 veces en el libro
Therefore the skilful leader subdues the enemy’s troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field.
skilfulhábil10 veces en el libro
The skilful soldier does not raise a second levy, neither are his supply-waggons loaded more than twice.
encamp/ɪnˈkæmp/acampado10 veces en el libro
if well supplied with food, he can starve him out; if quietly encamped, he can force him to move.
ambush/ˈæmˌbʊʃ/emboscada10 veces en el libro
Then, as night began to fall, he placed a strong body of archers in ambush near by, with orders to shoot directly if they saw a light.
stat/ˈstæt/estado10 veces en el libro
We must not forget that Sun Tzŭ, in speaking of hostilities, always has in mind the numerous states or principalities into which the China of his day was split up.]
marsh/ˈmɑɹʃ/ciénaga, marisma, pantano10 veces en el libro
We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country—its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps.
keen/ˈkin/ardoroso, entusiasmado, entusiasta10 veces en el libro
… they must be used as rewards, so that all your men may have a keen desire to fight, each on his own account."]
penetrate/ˈpɛnəˌtɹeɪt/penetrar10 veces en el libro
… that the Chinese have succeeded in carrying out some of their most memorable and triumphant expeditions, such as that of Pan Ch’ao who penetrated to the Caspian, and in more recent years …
banner/ˈbænɝ/bandera, estandarte, pendón10 veces en el libro
Nor can ordinary objects be seen clearly enough: hence the institution of banners and flags.
invade/ˌɪnˈveɪd/invadir10 veces en el libro
[Tu Mu says: "If the enemy is the invading party, we can cut his line of communications and occupy the roads by which he will have to return …
stratagem/ˈstɹætədʒəm/estratagema, trafique9 veces en el libro
… which implies not an attitude of defence, whereby one might be content to foil the enemy’s stratagems one after another, but an active policy of counter-attack.
plunder/ˈpɫəndɝ/saquear, pillar, despojar9 veces en el libro
In raiding and plundering be like fire,
hem/ˈhɛm/rodeado9 veces en el libro
The latter was obliged to draw off his troops, only to find himself hemmed in between two enemies, who were guarding each outlet of a narrow pass in which he had engaged himself.
dynasty/ˈdaɪnəsti/dinastía9 veces en el libro
The classical instance is Wu Wang, who after having put an end to the Yin dynasty was acclaimed "Father and mother of the people."]
envoy/ˈɑnvɔɪ/enviado9 veces en el libro
This done, envoys were dispatched to the enemy’s camp to arrange terms of surrender, whereupon the Yen army began shouting for joy.
clever/ˈkɫɛvɝ/listo, hábil, avispado9 veces en el libro
Ho Shih says: "Haste may be stupid, but at any rate it saves expenditure of energy and treasure; protracted operations may be very clever, but they bring calamity in their train."
exhaust/ɪɡˈzɔst/agotar, extenuar, cansar9 veces en el libro
If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.
rapidity/ɹəˈpɪdəti/celeridad, rapidez8 veces en el libro
Ts’ao Kung, Li Ch’uan, Meng Shih, Tu Yu, Tu Mu and Mei Yao-ch’en have notes to the effect that a general, though naturally stupid, may nevertheless conquer through sheer force of rapidity.
Traducciones: WikDict, English to Spanish (Wiktionary, CC-BY-SA) Pronunciación: ipa-dict (MIT), a partir de Wiktionary.
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