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as the 〃original edition （or text）〃 a rather misleading name；
for it cannot by any means claim to set before us the text of Sun
Tzu in its pristine purity。 Chi T‘ien…pao was a careless
compiler； and appears to have been content to reproduce the
somewhat debased version current in his day； without troubling to
collate it with the earliest editions then available。
Fortunately； two versions of Sun Tzu； even older than the newly
discovered work； were still extant； one buried in the T‘UNG TIEN；
Tu Yu's great treatise on the Constitution； the other similarly
enshrined in the T‘AI P‘ING YU LAN encyclopedia。 In both the
complete text is to be found； though split up into fragments；
intermixed with other matter； and scattered piecemeal over a
number of different sections。 Considering that the YU LAN takes
us back to the year 983； and the T‘UNG TIEN about 200 years
further still； to the middle of the T‘ang dynasty； the value of
these early transcripts of Sun Tzu can hardly be overestimated。
Yet the idea of utilizing them does not seem to have occurred to
anyone until Sun Hsing…yen； acting under Government instructions；
undertook a thorough recension of the text。 This is his own
account：
Because of the numerous mistakes in the text of Sun Tzu
which his editors had handed down； the Government ordered
that the ancient edition ＇of Chi T‘ien…pao＇ should be used；
and that the text should be revised and corrected throughout。
It happened that Wu Nien…hu； the Governor Pi Kua； and Hsi； a
graduate of the second degree； had all devoted themselves to
this study； probably surpassing me therein。 Accordingly； I
have had the whole work cut on blocks as a textbook for
military men。
The three individuals here referred to had evidently been
occupied on the text of Sun Tzu prior to Sun Hsing…yen's
commission； but we are left in doubt as to the work they really
accomplished。 At any rate； the new edition； when ultimately
produced； appeared in the names of Sun Hsing…yen and only one co…
editor Wu Jen…shi。 They took the 〃original edition〃 as their
basis； and by careful comparison with older versions； as well as
the extant commentaries and other sources of information such as
the I SHUO； succeeded in restoring a very large number of
doubtful passages； and turned out； on the whole； what must be
accepted as the closes approximation we are ever likely to get to
Sun Tzu's original work。 This is what will hereafter be
denominated the 〃standard text。〃
The copy which I have used belongs to a reissue dated 1877。
it is in 6 PEN； forming part of a well…printed set of 23 early
philosophical works in 83 PEN。 ＇38＇ It opens with a preface by
Sun Hsing…yen （largely quoted in this introduction）； vindicating
the traditional view of Sun Tzu's life and performances； and
summing up in remarkably concise fashion the evidence in its
favor。 This is followed by Ts‘ao Kung's preface to his edition；
and the biography of Sun Tzu from the SHIH CHI； both translated
above。 Then come； firstly； Cheng Yu…hsien's I SHUO； ＇39＇ with
author's preface； and next； a short miscellany of historical and
bibliographical information entitled SUN TZU HSU LU； compiled by
Pi I…hsun。 As regards the body of the work； each separate
sentence is followed by a note on the text； if required； and then
by the various commentaries appertaining to it； arranged in
chronological order。 These we shall now proceed to discuss
briefly； one by one。
The Commentators
Sun Tzu can boast an exceptionally long distinguished roll
of commentators； which would do honor to any classic。 Ou…yang
Hsiu remarks on this fact； though he wrote before the tale was
complete； and rather ingeniously explains it by saying that the
artifices of war； being inexhaustible； must therefore be
susceptible of treatment in a great variety of ways。
1。 TS‘AO TS‘AO or Ts‘ao Kung； afterwards known as Wei Wu Ti
＇A。D。 155…220＇。 There is hardly any room for doubt that the
earliest commentary on Sun Tzu actually came from the pen of this
extraordinary man； whose biography in the SAN KUO CHIH reads like
a romance。 One of the greatest military geniuses that the world
has seen； and Napoleonic in the scale of his operations； he was
especially famed for the marvelous rapidity of his marches； which
has found expression in the line 〃Talk of Ts‘ao Ts‘ao； and Ts‘ao
Ts‘ao will appear。〃 Ou…yang Hsiu says of him that he was a great
captain who 〃measured his strength against Tung Cho； Lu Pu and
the two Yuan； father and son； and vanquished them all； whereupon
he divided the Empire of Han with Wu and Shu； and made himself
king。 It is recorded that whenever a council of war was held by
Wei on the eve of a far…reaching campaign； he had all his
calculations ready； those generals who made use of them did not
lose one battle in ten； those who ran counter to them in any
particular saw their armies incontinently beaten and put to
flight。〃 Ts‘ao Kung's notes on Sun Tzu； models of austere
brevity； are so thoroughly characteristic of the stern commander
known to history； that it is hard indeed to conceive of them as
the work of a mere LITTERATEUR。 Sometimes； indeed； owing to
extreme compression； they are scarcely intelligible and stand no
less in need of a commentary than the text itself。 ＇40＇
2。 MENG SHIH。 The commentary which has come down to us
under this name is comparatively meager； and nothing about the
author is known。 Even his personal name has not been recorded。
Chi T‘ien…pao's edition places him after Chia Lin；and Ch‘ao Kung…
wu also assigns him to the T‘ang dynasty； ＇41＇ but this is a
mistake。 In Sun Hsing…yen's preface； he appears as Meng Shih of
the Liang dynasty ＇502…557＇。 Others would identify him with Meng
K‘ang of the 3rd century。 He is named in one work as the last of
the 〃Five Commentators；〃 the others being Wei Wu Ti； Tu Mu； Ch‘en
Hao and Chia Lin。
3。 LI CH‘UAN of the 8th century was a well…known writer on
military tactics。 One of his works has been in constant use down
to the present day。 The T‘UNG CHIH mentions 〃Lives of famous
generals from the Chou to the T‘ang dynasty〃 as written by him。
＇42＇ According to Ch‘ao Kung…wu and the T‘IEN…I…KO catalogue； he
followed a variant of the text of Sun Tzu which differs
considerably from those now extant。 His notes are mostly short
and to the point； and he frequently illustrates his remarks by
anecdotes from Chinese history。
4。 TU YU （died 812） did not publish a separate commentary
on Sun Tzu； his notes being taken from the T‘UNG TIEN； the
encyclopedic treatise on the Constitution which was his life…
work。 They are largely repetitions of Ts‘ao Kung and Meng Shih；
besides which it is believed that he drew on the ancient
comme