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Daoism -> Zhuangzi -> Outer Chapters -> Horses's Hoofs -> 1

馬，蹄可以踐霜雪，Horses can with their hoofs tread on the hoarfrost and snow,
毛可以禦風寒， and with their hair withstand the wind and cold;
齕草飲水， they feed on the grass and drink water;
翹足而陸。 they prance with their legs and leap:
此馬之真性也。 this is the true nature of horses.
雖有義臺、路寢， Though there were made for them grand towers and large dormitories,
無所用之。 they would prefer not to use them.
及至伯樂，曰： But when Bo-le (arose and) said,
「我善治馬。」 'I know well how to manage horses,'
燒之剔之， (men proceeded) to singe and mark them,
刻之雒之，to clip their hair, to pare their hoofs,
連之以羈馽，to halter their heads, to bridle them and hobble them,
編之以皁棧， and to confine them in stables and corrals.
馬之死者十二三矣；(When subjected to this treatment), two or three in every ten of them died.
飢之渴之， (Men proceeded further) to subject them to hunger and thirst,
馳之驟之， to gallop them and race them,
整之齊之， and to make them go together in regular order.
前有橛飾之患， In front were the evils of the bit and ornamented breastbands,
而後有鞭筴之威， and behind were the terrors of the whip and switch.
而馬之死者已過半矣。(When so treated), more than half of them died.
陶者曰： The (first) potter said,
「我善治埴， 'I know well how to deal with clay;'
圓者中規， and (men proceeded) to mould it into circles as exact as if made by the compass,
方者中矩。」 and into squares as exact as if formed by the measuring square.
匠人曰： The (first) carpenter said,
「我善治木， 'I know well how to deal with wood;'
曲者中鉤， and (men proceeded) to make it bent as if by the application of the hook,
直者應繩。」 and straight as if by the application of the plumb-line.
夫埴、木之性，But is it the nature of clay and wood
豈欲中規矩鉤繩哉？to require the application of the compass and square, of the hook and line?
然且世世稱之曰：And yet age after age men have praised Bo-le, saying,
「伯樂善治馬， 'He knew well how to manage horses,'
而陶、匠善治埴木。」and also the (first) potter and carpenter, saying, 'They knew well how to deal with clay and wood.'
此亦治天下者之過也。This is just the error committed by the governors of the world.

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