| | 农战: |
夫民之亲上死制也，以其旦暮从事于农。夫民之不可用也，见言谈游士事君之可以尊身也，商贾之可以富家也，技艺之足以糊口也。民见此三者之便且利也，则必避农；避农则民轻其居，轻其居则必不为上守战也。 |
| Agriculture and War: |
Indeed, the people will love their ruler and obey his commandments even to death, if they are engaged in farming, morning and evening; but they will be of no use if they see that glib-tongued, itinerant scholars succeed in being honoured in serving the prince, that merchants succeed in enriching their families, and that artisans have plenty to live upon. If the people see both the comfort and advantage of these three walks of life, then they will indubitably shun agriculture; shunning agriculture, they will care little for their homes; caring little for their homes, they will certainly not fight and defend these for the ruler's sake. |
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凡治国者，患民之散而不可搏也，是以圣人作壹，抟之也。国作壹一岁者，十岁强；作壹十岁者，百岁强；作壹百岁者，千岁强，千岁强者王。 |
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Generally speaking, in administrating a country, the trouble is when the people are scattered and when it is impossible to consolidate them. That is why a sage tries to bring about uniformity and consolidation. A state where uniformity of purpose has been established for one year, will be strong for ten years; where uniformity of purpose has been established for ten years, it will be strong for a hundred years, where uniformity of purpose has been established for a hundred years, it will be strong for a thousand years; and a state which has been strong for a thousand years will attain supremacy. |
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君修赏罚以辅壹教，是以其教有所常，而政有成也。王者得治民之至要，故不待赏赐而民亲上，不待爵禄而民从事，不待刑罚而民致死。国危主忧，说者成伍，无益于安危也。 |
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An ordinary prince cultivates the system of rewards and penalties in order to support his teaching of uniformity of purpose, and in this way his teaching has permanency and his administration is successfully established. But he who attains supremacy, succeeds in regulating those things which are most essential for the people, and therefore, even without the need of rewards and gifts, the people will love their ruler; without the need of ranks and emoluments, the people will follow their avocations; without the need of penalties, the people will do their duty to the death.When a country is in peril and the ruler in anxiety, it is of no avail to the settling of this danger for professional talkers to form battalions. |
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夫国危主忧也者，强敌大国也。人君不能服强敌，破大国也，则修守备，便地形，抟民力以待外事，然后患可以去，而王可致也。是以明君修政作壹，去无用，止畜学事淫之民，壹之农，然后国家可富，而民力可抟也。 |
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The reason why a country is in danger and its ruler in anxiety lies in some strong enemy or in another big state. Now if a prince is unable to vanquish that strong enemy or to destroy that big state, he improves his defences, makes the best use of the topographical conditions, consolidates the strength of the people and thus meets the foreign attack. After this the danger may be averted and supremacy yet attained. That is why an intelligent prince, in improving the administration, strives for uniformity, removes those who are of no use, restrains volatile scholars and those of frivolous pursuits, and makes them all uniformly into farmers. Thereafter the reigning dynasty may become rich and the people's strength may be consolidated. |
