第五十七章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 57

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1. 以yǐ正zhèng治zhì国guó，以yǐ奇qí用yòng兵bīng，

   Govern the state by what is upright; wage war by surprise;

2. 以yǐ无wú事shì取qǔ天tiān下xià。

   win the world by leaving it alone.

3. 吾wú何hé以yǐ知zhī其qí然rán哉zāi？以yǐ此cǐ。

   How do I know it is so? By this:

4. 天tiān下xià多duō忌jì讳huì，

   the more prohibitions in the world,

5. 而ér民mín弥mí贫pín；

   the poorer the people;

6. 民mín多duō利lì器qì，国guó家jiā滋zī昏hūn；

   the more sharp tools the people have, the more the state falls into confusion;

7. 人rén多duō伎jì巧qiǎo，

   the more skill and cunning people have,

8. 奇qí物wù滋zī起qǐ；

   the more strange things appear;

9. 法fǎ令lìng滋zī彰zhāng，盗dào贼zéi多duō有yǒu。

   the more laws and orders are displayed, the more thieves and robbers there are.

10. 故gù圣shèng人rén云yún：

    So the sage says:

11. “我wǒ无wú为wéi而ér民mín自zì化huà，

    "I do not act, and the people transform of themselves;

12. 我wǒ好hào静jìng而ér民mín自zì正zhèng，

    I love stillness, and the people become upright of themselves;

13. 我wǒ无wú事shì而ér民mín自zì富fù，

    I leave things alone, and the people grow rich of themselves;

14. 我wǒ无wú欲yù而ér民mín自zì朴pǔ。”

    I have no desires, and the people become simple of themselves."