金曜日の読書「五輪書」は「風の巻」の1回目です。風の巻では他流の批判をしながら自分の二天一流のエッセンスを述べています。
大きな刀や小さな刀にこだわる流派、表と奥の区別をする流派などを批判しています。原文と英語を並べてみてみましょう。
他の流々、芸にわたって、身すぎのためにして、色を飾り花を咲かせ、売りものにこしらへたるによって、実（まこと）の道に有らざる事か。
In the other schools, techniques are displayed like merchandise adorned with colors and flowers, so they can be turned into a way of making a living, which is not the true way.
adorn 装飾する ア「ド」ーン level 6
※ 教える職業としては耳が痛いです。
いずれも慥（たしか）なる道にあらず。他流の不足なる所、一々此書に書き顕すなり。よくよく吟味して、二刀一流の利をわきまゆべきものなり。
Neither of these two ways are sure one. I explain here what is lacking in the other schools. it is necessary to thoroughly examine all of this together as a whole in order to understand the advantage of my school of Two Swords.
いかさまにも人に勝つと云理をば知らずして、太刀の長きを徳として、敵相遠きところより勝ちたきと思ふによって長き太刀このむ心あるべし。
Instead of relying on the principle of strategy, they try to win by means of length and situating themselves far away from their opponent.
もし敵近く組あふほどの時は、太刀長き程打つこともきかず、太刀のもとをりすくなく、太刀を荷にして小脇差、手振のひとに劣るもの也。
…the longer your sward is, the less well you are able to strike, the less well you are able to swing it around – and a long sword becomes a weight on you. Someone who has a small sword, or even someone who has nothing in his hands, can have the advantage in this sort of situation.
むかしより「大は小をかなへる」といへば、むさと長きを嫌うにはあらず。長きとかたよる心をきらふ儀也。我が一流におゐて、さやうにかたづき、せばき心きらふ事也。
As a proverb has it – “something large can replace something small” – so I do not unconditionally reject length, but, rather, it is the prejudice in favor of length that I repudiate.
repudiate （条約の批准などを）拒絶する、縁を切る
短き太刀をもって、人の振る太刀のすきまを切らん、飛びいらん、つかまんなどと思ふ心、片付きて悪し。またすきまをねらふところ、万事後手に見え、…
… if you continually accustom yourself in the course of your apprenticeship to certain techniques of parrying, dodging, disengaging, and warding off an attack, you r mind will be steered by these ways of doing things, and you will run the risk of letting yourself be controlled by others. 後手 ＝ be controlled by others、覚えておくといいかもしれません。
兵法の道、直にただしき所なれば、正理を以て、人をおいまはし、人をしたがゆる心、肝要也。
Since the way of strategy is straight and true, it is important to dominate your adversary by harrying him with the true principle. You should examine this well. したがゆる＝ dominate your adversary
※簡潔でリズムのある名文だと思います。