道德经英文版 The Tao-te Ching Chapter 74

1. The people do not fear death; to what purpose is it to (try to) frighten them with death? If the people were always in awe 1 of death, and I could always seize those who do wrong, and put them to death, who would dare to do wrong?

2. There is always One who presides over the infliction 3 death. He who would inflict 2 death in the room of him who so presides over it may be described as hewing 4 wood instead of a great carpenter. Seldom is it that he who undertakes the hewing, instead of the great carpenter, does not cut his own hands!

民不畏死，奈何以死惧之?

若使民常畏死，而为奇者，我得执而杀之……孰敢?

常有司杀者杀。

夫代司杀者杀，是代大匠斫。

夫代大匠斫者，鲜有不伤其手者矣。

【译文】

人民都已经不怕死了，为什么还要拿死来恐吓他们呢?像那些想要让人民恒常怕死，稍有出格者就随意抓来杀掉的政策，哪个能无所顾忌地强硬坚持呢?要知道，自然会有一种汰劣机制来司杀，俎代这汰劣机制而妄动杀戒，那就像俎代高明的木匠砍木头。俎代高明的木匠砍木头，是很少不砍伤自己的手的。

1 awe        

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。

The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

2 inflict        

vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担

参考例句：

Don't inflict your ideas on me.不要把你的想法强加于我。

Don't inflict damage on any person.不要伤害任何人。

3 infliction        

n.（强加于人身的）痛苦，刑罚

参考例句：

Don't immerse yourself in the infliction too long.不要长时间沉浸在痛苦经历中。

Instead of rivets there came an invasion,an infliction,and a visitation.但是铆钉并没有运来，来的却是骚扰、混乱和视察。

4 hewing        

v.（用斧、刀等）砍、劈( hew的现在分词 )；砍成；劈出；开辟

参考例句：

The farmer spent a day in the woods hewing timber. 这个农夫花了一天时间在森林里砍木材。 来自辞典例句

He was hewing away at the trunk of the tree. 他不停地照着树干砍去。 来自辞典例句