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夫一妇擅夫，衆妇皆乱，一臣专君，羣臣皆蔽，故妒妻不难破家也。乱臣不难破国也。是以明君使其臣并进辐凑，莫得专君。 |
| | If one wife monopolizes her husband, all the other wives will become disorderly; if one minister monopolizes the ruler, all the ministers will be obstructed. Therefore, a jealous wife does not find it difficult to ruin her family. A corrupt minister does not find it difficult to destroy the state. Therefore, a wise ruler ensures that his ministers advance together and converge like spokes on a wheel, so none can monopolize him.
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今人君之所以高为城郭用谨门闾之闭者，为寇戎盗贼之至也。今夫弑君而取国者，非必逾城郭之险而犯门闾之闭也。蔽君之明，塞君之听，夺之政而专其令，有其民而取其国矣。 |
| | Nowadays, the reason why rulers build high city walls and carefully close gates and alleys is to prevent bandits and thieves from arriving. Nowadays, those who assassinate their ruler and seize the state do not necessarily cross the dangers of city walls or breach the closures of gates and alleys. They obscure the ruler's wisdom, block his ears from hearing, seize power and issue decrees exclusively, control the people, and thus take over the state.
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今使乌获、彭祖负千钧之重，而怀琬琰之美，令孟贲、成荆带干将之剑衞之，行乎幽道，则盗犹偷之矣。今人君之力，非贤乎乌获、彭祖，而勇非贤乎孟贲、成荆也。其所守者非恃琬琰之美、千金之重也。而欲勿失，其可得耶。 |
| | Now, if one were to have Wuhuo and Pengzu carry a burden of a thousand jun in weight while possessing the beauty of 琬琰 (wan yan), and command Mengben and Chengjing to guard them with swords like Ganjiang, as they travel along secluded paths, thieves would still steal from them. Nowadays, a ruler's strength is not superior to that of Wuhuo and Pengzu, nor his bravery superior to that of Mengben and Chengjing. What he guards against is not merely relying on the beauty of wan yan or treasures worth a thousand gold. And yet, if one desires to avoid loss, can that truly be achieved?
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明君如身，臣如手，君若号，臣如响，君设其本，臣操其末，君治其要，臣行其详，君操其柄，臣事其常，为人臣者，操契以责其名，名者，天地之纲，圣人之符，张天地之纲，用圣人之符，则万物之情，无所逃之矣。 |
| | A wise ruler is like the body, and ministers are like the hands. When the ruler gives a command, the ministers respond as an echo. The ruler establishes the fundamentals, while the ministers handle the details; the ruler manages the essentials, while the ministers carry out specifics; the ruler holds the authority, while the ministers perform their routine duties. As subjects, they hold contracts to ensure accountability by name. Names are the framework of heaven and earth, the symbols of sage rulers. By extending the framework of heaven and earth and employing the symbols of sages, one can reveal all things' true nature without anything escaping detection.
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故善为主者倚于愚，立于不盈，设于不敢，藏于无事，窜端匿疏，示天下无为，是以近者亲之，远者怀之，示人有馀者人夺之，示人不足者人与之，刚者折，危者覆，动者摇，静者安，名自正也。事自定也。是以有道者自名而正之，随事而定之也。鼓不与于五音，而为五音主，有道者不为五官之事，而为治主，君知其道也。官人知其事也。十言十当，百为百当者，人臣之事，非君人之道也。 |
| | Therefore, a skillful ruler leans on simplicity, stands in humility, establishes authority through restraint, conceals himself in inaction, hides the beginnings and avoids exposure, showing to all under heaven that he does nothing. Thus, those nearby will be close to him, and those far away will feel affection for him. One who displays excess invites others to take from him; one who shows insufficiency receives support from others. The rigid breaks, the precarious topples, the active wavers, while the quiet remains at peace—thus, names naturally become correct. Affairs will then be naturally settled. Therefore, those with the Way establish their own names and correct them, determining matters according to circumstances. A drum does not partake in the five musical tones, yet it presides over them. One who possesses the Way does not handle the duties of the five officials, yet he is the master of governance—this is what a ruler knows about the Dao. Officials know their responsibilities. One who speaks ten times and is right ten times, acts a hundred times and succeeds a hundred times, fulfills the duties of a minister but does not embody the way of ruling people.
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昔者尧之治天下也以名，其名正则天下治，桀之治天下也亦以名，其名倚而天下乱，是以圣人贵名之正也。主处其大，臣处其细，以其名听之，以其名视之，以其名命之，镜设精，无为而美恶自备，衡设平，无为而轻重自得，凡因之道，身与公无事，无事而天下自极也。 |
| | In the past, when Yao ruled the world, he did so through names; when his names were correct, the world was well governed. When Jie ruled the world, he also relied on names; but as his names became biased, the world fell into chaos. Therefore, sages value the correctness of names. The ruler occupies the grand, while ministers handle details. By names alone does he listen, by names alone does he observe, and by names alone does he command. When a mirror is set with clarity, without action, beauty and ugliness appear on their own; when a balance is set level, without action, lightness and weight are known naturally. Generally speaking, the Way of non-action: the ruler and the public remain inactive, and through inaction, the world achieves its utmost harmony by itself.
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