Chapter Three Of The Tao Te Ching

The Original Text of the Tao Te Ching Chinese

不尚贤，使民不争；不贵难得之货，使民不为盗；不见可欲，使民心不乱。是以圣人之治，虚其心，实其腹，弱其志，强其骨。常使民无知无欲。使夫①智者不敢为也。为无为，则无不治。

Not to value and employ men of superior ability is theway to keep the people from rivalry among themselves;notto prize articles which are difficult to procure is the way tokeep them from becoming thieves;not to show them whatis likely to excite their desires is the way to keep their minds from disorder.Therefore the sage,in the exercise of hisgovernment,empties their minds,flls their belies,weakenstheir wills,and strengthens their bones.He constantly(triesto)keep them without knowledge and without desire,andwhere there are those who have knowledge,to keep themfrom presuming to act(on it).When there is this abstinencefrom action,good order is universal.

【译文】不推崇多才多能，使人民专务己能而不去争夺；不抬高珍贵稀有货物的价格，使人民安于己货而不去做盗贼；不使能引起人民贪欲的事物出现，使人民坚守本心而不惑乱。因此，圣人治理天下，会纯洁他们的心智，填饱他们的肚腹，干扰他们杂乱的意愿，增强他们的筋骨。经常使人民没有机巧诡辩的言辞、没有违背自然的贪欲，让那些机巧诡辩之徒不敢按照自己的胡言乱语去做。不去做打破无绪而平衡的自然状态的事，那么天下就没有什么不能治理得了。

【Translation】Do not advocate for versatility, so that the people focus on their own abilities without contention; do not inflate the value of rare treasures, so that the people are content with their possessions and do not steal; do not display objects that incite desire, so that the people remain true to their nature without confusion. Thus, the sage governs by purifying the mind, filling the belly, weakening desires, and strengthening the body. Ensure the people are free from cunning words and unnatural greed, so that cunning speakers dare not act on falsehoods. By not disrupting the natural balance, there is nothing that cannot be governed.

【注释】①夫：原文为“天”.据河上公本、《马王堆老子乙》改。

【Note】① Fu: The original text is "Heaven". According to the He Shanggong version and Laozi乙 from the Mawangdui texts, it has been changed to "Fu".