道德经 第五十七章

孙祎卓

1. A state may be ruled by (measures of) correction; weapons of war may be used with crafty dexterity; (but) the kingdom is made one's own (only) by freedom from action and purpose.

2. How do I know that it is so? By these facts:--In the kingdom the multiplication of prohibitive enactments increases the poverty of the people; the more implements to add to their profit that the people have, the greater disorder is there in the state and clan; the more acts of crafty dexterity that men possess, the more do strange contrivances appear; the more display there is of legislation, the more thieves and robbers there are.

3. Therefore a sage has said, 'I will do nothing (of purpose), and the people will be transformed of themselves; I will be fond of keeping still, and the people will of themselves become correct. I will take no trouble about it, and the people will of themselves become rich; I will manifest no ambition, and the people will of themselves attain to the primitive simplicity.'

       以正治国，以奇用兵，以无事取天下。
       吾何以知其然哉？以此：
       天下多忌讳，而民弥贫；
       民多利器，国家滋昏；
       人多伎巧，奇物滋起；
       法令滋彰，盗贼多有。
       故圣人云：
       我无为而民自化，我好静而民自正；
       我无事而民自富，我无欲而民自朴。

【译文】
       以清静无为之常道治国，只针对出格的反常事态动用兵力，通常则以  无所事事而执掌天下。我怎么知道应该这样呢？根据在于：
天下越是多忌讳，人民就越是贫穷；民间的武器越多，国家就越是陷于昏乱；人们的技能越巧，反常之事物就日益纷繁；法令越森严，盗贼反倒更多。所以，圣人说：我无为，人民就自然顺化；我好静，人民就自然端正；我无事，人民就自然富足；我无欲，人民就自然淳朴。