i cannot understand this sentence

01:23 Jul 27, 2006
English to Chinese translations [PRO]
Military / Defense
English term or phrase: i cannot understand this sentence
the most far-reaching act of judgment that the
statesman and commander have to make is to establish by that test the kind of war on which they are embarking.
ace210


Summary of answers provided
5 +1这位政治家和军事指挥官必须作出的最意义深远的判断是:根据这次试验(演习)看出他们正在准备进行一场什么样的战争.
albertdeng
4 +1establish (determine, discover, etc.)
Roddy Stegemann
4这位政治家司令官需要作出举足轻重的决断,通过测试确定他们将着手进行的是那一种战争。
Ray Luo
4政治家及統帥要決定所發動的是一場怎樣的戰爭,而這個判斷是會產生深遠的影響的
pkchan


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
建立
establish (determine, discover, etc.)


Explanation:
The word establish in this context means the same as determine or discover through careful thought and deliberation of the available facts, historical antecedents, plausible intentions of the enemy, etc.

Before one can reach a proper decision about whether to engage in war one must first determine the nature of the war. Apparently Clausewitz is of the mind that war is a natural phenomena that one can actively embrace according to the available alternatives (strategic decision making).

Roddy Stegemann
United States
Local time: 09:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: 谢谢,可以怎么译成中文合适呀? 我这样译对否? 政治家和指挥官需要做出的首要的、最高的、最长远的判断是要明确其目的(建立其战略企图),并以此来确定战争的方式,既不要错误地使用它,也不要背离其本质目的。这是首要的战略问题,必须理解。


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ben Shang
4 days
  -> 謝謝!
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
这位政治家司令官需要作出举足轻重的决断,通过测试确定他们将着手进行的是那一种战争。


Explanation:
这位政治家司令官需要作出举足轻重的决断,通过测试确定他们将着手进行的是那一种战争。

that test 需要通过上下文明确是哪一种测试,可能不是指军事演习。


Ray Luo
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:38
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 1
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
这位政治家和军事指挥官必须作出的最意义深远的判断是:根据这次试验(演习)看出他们正在准备进行一场什么样的战争.


Explanation:
..

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2006-07-27 10:39:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

establish在这里的意思不是说要“建立”什么,而是要判断出,确定出什么

albertdeng
New Zealand
Local time: 05:38
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
Notes to answerer
Asker: 谢谢 - 但我感觉意思还不是很贴切。这段话的意思肯定是要表示军事要服从政治,可我不知道这个句子该怎么翻译。要建立(establish) 什么呀?


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  xianghai
1 hr
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
政治家及統帥要決定所發動的是一場怎樣的戰爭,而這個判斷是會產生深遠的影響的


Explanation:
是這樣去理解,意譯便可。

pkchan
United States
Local time: 12:38
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 8
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