八十

小國寡民。
使有什伯之器而不用﹔使民重死而不遠徙。
雖有舟輿,
無所乘 之,
雖有甲兵,
無所陳之。
使民復結繩而用之。
甘其食,
美其服,
安其居 ,
樂其俗。
鄰國相望,
雞犬之聲相聞,
民至老死,
不相往來。

bā shí

xiăo guó guă mín
shĭ yŏu shén bó zhī qì ér bù yòng ; shĭ mín zhòng sĭ ér bù yuăn xĭ
suī yŏu zhōu yú
wú suŏ chéng zhī
suī yŏu jiă bīng
wú suŏ chén zhī
shĭ mín fù jié shéng ér yòng zhī
gān qí shí
mĕi qí fú
ān qí jū
lè qí sú
lín guó xiāng wàng
jī quăn zhī shēng xiāng wén
mín zhì lăo sĭ
bù xiāng wăng lái

80

If a country is governed wisely,
its inhabitants will be content.
They enjoy the labor of their hands
and don't waste time inventing
labor-saving machines.
Since they dearly love their homes,
they aren't interested in travel.
There may be a few wagons and boats,
but these don't go anywhere.
There may be an arsenal of weapons,
but nobody ever uses them.
People enjoy their food,
take pleasure in being with their families,
spend weekends working in their gardens,
delight in the doings of the neighborhood.
And even though the next country is so close
that people can hear its roosters crowing and its dogs barking,
they are content to die of old age
without ever having gone to see it.
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