道德经英文版 The Tao-te Ching Chapter 57

1. A state may be ruled by (measures of) correction; weapons of war may be used with crafty1 dexterity2; (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 multiplication3 of prohibitive enactments4 increases the poverty of the people; the more implements5 to add to their profit that the people have, the greater disorder6 is there in the state and clan7; 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 sage8 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 attain9 to the primitive10 simplicity11.'

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。

1 crafty        

adj.狡猾的，诡诈的

参考例句：

He admired the old man for his crafty plan.他敬佩老者的神机妙算。

He was an accomplished politician and a crafty autocrat.他是个有造诣的政治家，也是个狡黠的独裁者。

2 dexterity        

n.(手的)灵巧，灵活

参考例句：

You need manual dexterity to be good at video games.玩好电子游戏手要灵巧。

I'm your inferior in manual dexterity.论手巧，我不如你。

3 multiplication        

n.增加，增多，倍增；增殖，繁殖；乘法

参考例句：

Our teacher used to drum our multiplication tables into us.我们老师过去老是让我们反覆背诵乘法表。

The multiplication of numbers has made our club building too small.会员的增加使得我们的俱乐部拥挤不堪。

4 enactments        

n.演出( enactment的名词复数 )；展现；规定；通过

参考例句：

The enactments specified in Part 3 of Schedule 5 are repealed. 附表５第３部指明的成文法则现予废除。 来自互联网

On and after April 1st the new enactments shall be enforced. 从4月1日起实施新法令。 来自互联网

5 implements        

n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

Primitive man hunted wild animals with crude stone implements. 原始社会的人用粗糙的石器猎取野兽。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

They ordered quantities of farm implements. 他们订购了大量农具。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 disorder        

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。

It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

7 clan        

n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派

参考例句：

She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。

The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

8 sage        

n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的

参考例句：

I was grateful for the old man's sage advice.我很感激那位老人贤明的忠告。

The sage is the instructor of a hundred ages.这位哲人是百代之师。

9 attain        

vt.达到，获得，完成

参考例句：

I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。

His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

10 primitive        

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。

His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

11 simplicity        

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。

The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。