The Military Is Strong Because It Enjoys Popular Support
军队强大的根源在于民众。中华先哲早有兵民一体、军政一体的大军事观，而不以单纯、片面的军事观点衡量军队的战斗力。这是符合实际的，因为民众是军队的兵源，也是战争所需人力、物力、财力等各种资源的来源；民力与军力、民心与军心、民气与士气等是相通的，前者是后者的基础。这是民本思想的具体体现。毛泽东在《论持久战》中说“战争的伟力之最深厚的根源，存在于民众之中”，就源于这一思想。
The strength of an army derives from popular support. Ancient Chinese philosophers did not measure the combat effectiveness of the armed forces purely from the perspective of the military, but stressed the integration of the military and people, as well as the integration of the military and government. This is in line with reality, because the people are the source of the military, and also provide other resources needed for war, such as manpower and material and financial support; there is an interrelation between the people's strength and military strength, between popular sentiment and military mood, and between popular support and military morale, with the former being the basis of the latter. This is the concrete embodiment of people-oriented thinking. In On Protracted War, Mao Zedong drew upon this concept when he wrote, "The richest source of power for waging war lies in the people."
引例 Citations：
◎民勇者，战胜；民不勇者，战败。（《商君书·画策》）
民众英勇，就能战胜；民众怯懦，就会战败。
A country with brave people will win the war whereas a country with cowardly people will lose the war. (The Book of Lord Shang)
◎兵之所以强者，民也；民之所以必死者，义也。（《淮南子·兵略训》）
军队之所以强大，在于得到民众；民众之所以不怕牺牲，在于拥护道义。
The military is strong because it enjoys popular support; people are not afraid to make the ultimate sacrifice because they uphold morality. (Huainanzi)
推荐：教育部 国家语委
供稿：北京外国语大学 外语教学与研究出版社
责任编辑：钱耐安
