1. In a little state with a small population, I would so order it, that, though there were individuals with the abilities of ten or a hundred men, there should be no employment of them; I would make the people, while looking on death as a grievous thing, yet not remove elsewhere (to avoid it).
2. Though they had boats and carriages, they should have no occasion to ride in them; though they had buff coats and sharp weapons, they should have no occasion to don or use them.
3. I would make the people return to the use of knotted cords (instead of the written characters).
4. They should think their (coarse) food sweet; their (plain) clothes beautiful; their (poor) dwellings1 places of rest; and their common (simple) ways sources of enjoyment2.
5. There should be a neighbouring state within sight, and the voices of the fowls3 and dogs should be heard all the way from it to us, but I would make the people to old age, even to death, not have any intercourse4 with it.
小国寡民。使有什佰之器而不用,使民重死而不远徙。虽有舟车,无所乘之;虽有甲兵,无所陈之。使民复结绳而用之。甘其食,美其服,安其居,乐其俗。邻国相望,鸡犬之声相闻,民至老死,不相往来。
【译文】
国家要小,人民要少。即使有各种器具,也不多用;使人民珍惜生命,不作长距离的迁移;虽有船只车辆,却没必要去乘坐;虽有兵器武备,却没必要去布阵打战。使天下回复到人民都结绳纪事的远古状态之中。让人民吃得香甜,穿得漂亮,住得安适,满意于他们的平凡生活。国与国之间相互望得见,鸡犬之声相互听得见,而人民从生到死,也互不往来。
1 dwellings | |
n.住处,处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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2 enjoyment | |
n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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3 fowls | |
鸟( fowl的名词复数 ); 禽肉; 既不是这; 非驴非马 | |
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4 intercourse | |
n.性交;交流,交往,交际 | |
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