Do something unaimed, but spectacular ("hitting the grass") to provoke a response of the enemy ("startle the snake"), thereby giving away his plans or position, or just taunt him.
Do something unusual, strange, and unexpected as this will arouse the enemy's suspicion and disrupt his thinking.
More widely used as "[Do not] startle the snake by hitting the grass". An imprudent act will give your position or intentions away to the enemy.
第十四計 借尸還魂
resurrecting a dead soul by borrowing a corpse
▌原文
有用者,不可借;不能用者,求借。借不能用者而用之。匪我求童蒙,童蒙求我。
▌英文注釋
Take an institution, a technology, a method, or even an ideology that has been forgotten or discarded and appropriate it for your own purpose.
Revive something from the past by giving it a new purpose or bring to life old ideas, customs, or traditions and reinterpret them to fit your purposes.
第十五計 調虎離山
luring the tiger out of his den
▌原文
待天以困之,用人以誘之,往蹇來返。
▌英文注釋
Never directly attack an opponent whose advantage is derived from its position. Instead lure him away from his position thus separating him from his source of strength.
第十六計 欲擒故縱
letting the enemy off in order to catch him
▌原文
逼則反兵,走則減勢。緊隨勿迫,累其氣力,消其斗志,散而后擒,兵不血刃。需,有孚,光。
▌英文注釋
Cornered prey will often mount a final desperate attack. To prevent this you let the enemy believe he still has a chance for freedom.
His will to fight is thus dampened by his desire to escape. When in the end the freedom is proven a falsehood the enemy's morale will be defeated and he will surrender without a fight.
第十七計 拋磚引玉
giving the enemy something to induce him to lose more valuable things
▌原文
類以誘之,擊蒙也。
▌英文注釋
Bait someone by making him believe he gains something or just make him react to it ("toss out a brick") and obtain something valuable from him in return ("get a jade gem").
第十八計 擒賊擒王
capturing the ringleader first in order to capture all the followers
▌原文
摧其堅,奪其魁,以解其體。龍戰于野,其道窮也。
▌英文注釋
If the enemy's army is strong but is allied to the commander only by money, superstition or threats, then take aim at the leader.
If the commander falls the rest of the army will disperse or come over to your side.
If, however, they are allied to the leader through loyalty then beware, the army can continue to fight on after his death out of vengeance.