Art of War 2.11
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Waging War 作戰篇
近於師者貴賣貴賣則百姓財竭
On the other hand, the proximity of an army causes prices to go up; and high prices cause the people’s substance to be drained away.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
近, that is, as Wang Hsi says, before the army has left its own territory. Ts‘ao Kung understands it of an army that has already crossed the frontier. Capt. Calthrop drops the 於, reading 近師者, but even so it is impossible to justify his translation “Repeated wars cause high prices.”
Character glossary
- 近jìnto approach; near, close; intimate
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 師shīteacher, professional, master
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 貴guìexpensive, costly; valuable, precious
- 賣màito sell; to betray; to show off
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 百bǎione hundred; numerous, many
- 姓xìngname, family name, surname; clan, people
- 財cáiriches, wealth, valuables
- 竭jiéto exhaust; to put forth great effort
Passages with shared wording
- Art of War 2.10
- Art of War 2.12
- Art of War 11.43
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 70
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
- Mencius 3A.3
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.