三十六計(Thirty-Six Stratagems)

 

1.瞞天過海crossing the sea under camouflage

2.圍魏救趙relieving the state of Zhao by besieging the state of Wei

3.借刀殺人killing someone with a borrowed knife

 4.以逸待勞waiting at one’s ease for the exhausted enemy

 5.趁火打劫plundering a burning house

6.聲東擊西making a feint to the east and attacking in the west

7.無中生有creating something out of nothing

8.暗渡陳倉advancing secretly by an unknown path

9.隔岸觀火watching a fire from the other side of the river

 10.笑里藏刀covering the dagger with a smile

11.李代桃僵palming off substitute for the real thing

12.順手牽羊picking up something in passing

13.打草驚蛇beating the grass to frighten the snake

14.借尸還魂resurrecting a dead soul by borrowing a corpse

15.調虎離山luring the tiger out of his den

16.欲擒故縱letting the enemy off in order to catch him

17.拋磚引玉giving the enemy something to induce him to lose more valuable things

18.擒賊擒王capturing the ringleader first in order to capture all the followers

19.釜底抽薪extracting the firewood from under the cauldron

20.混水摸魚muddling the water to catch the fish; fishing in troubled waters

21.金蟬脫殼slipping away by casting off a cloak; getting away like the cicada sloughing its skin

22.關門捉賊catching the thief by closing / blocking his escape route

23.遠交近攻befriending the distant enemy while attacking a nearby enemy

24.假途伐虢attacking the enemy by passing through a common neighbor

25.偷梁換柱stealing the beams and pillars and replacing them with rotten timbers

26.指桑罵槐reviling/ abusing the locust tree while pointing to the mulberry

27.假癡不癲feigning madness without becoming insane

28.上屋抽梯removing the ladder after the enemy has climbed up the roof

29.樹上開花putting artificial flowers on trees

30.反客為主turning from the guest into the host

31.美人計using seductive women to corrupt the enemy

32.空城計presenting a bold front to conceal unpreparedness

33.反間計sowing discord among the enemy

34.苦肉計deceiving the enemy by torturing one’s own man

35.連環計coordinating one stratagem with another

36.走為上decamping being the best; running away as the best choice