Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no escape, and they
will prefer death to flight.
Cf. Nicias’ speech to the Athenians: Τό τε ξύμπαν γνῶτε, ὦ ἄνδρες
στρατιῶται, ἀναγκαῖόν τε ὂν ὑμῖν ἀνδράσιν ἀγαθοῖς γίγνεσθαι ὡς μὴ
ὄντος χωρίου ἐγγὺς ὅποι ἂν μαλακισθέντες σωθείητε, etc. [Thuc.
VII. 77. vii.]
If they will face death, there is nothing they may not achieve.
死 by itself constitutes the protasis, and 焉 is the interrogative
= 安. Capt. Calthrop makes the protasis end with 得: “If there be
no alternative but death.” But I do not see how this is to be got
out of the Chinese. Chang Yü gives a clear paraphrase: 士卒死戰安不得志,
and quotes his favourite Wei Liao Tzŭ (ch. 3): 一夫仗劔擊於市萬人無不避之者
臣謂非一人之獨勇萬人皆不肖也何則必死與必生固不侔也 “If one man were to run
amok with a sword in the market-place, and everybody else tried to
get out of his way, I should not allow that this man alone had
courage and that all the rest were contemptible cowards. The truth
is, that a desperado and a man who sets some value on his life do
not meet on even terms.”
Officers and men alike will put forth their uttermost strength.
士人 appears to stand for the more usual 士卒. Chang Yü says: 同在
難地安得不共竭其力 “If they are in an awkward place together, they
will surely exert their united strength to get out of it.”