Art of War 2.3
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Waging War 作戰篇
久暴師則國用不足
Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
久暴師 means literally, “If there is long exposure of the army.” Of 暴 in this sense K‘ang Hsi cites an instance from the biography of 竇融 Tou Jung in the Hou Han Shu, where the commentary defines it by 露. Cf. also the following from the 戰國策: 將軍久暴露於外 “General, you have long been exposed to all weathers.”
Character glossary
- 久jiǔlong ago; a long time
- 暴bàoviolent, brutal, tyrannical
- 師shīteacher, professional, master
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 足zúfoot; to attain, to satisfy; enough
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.