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| | 正論五卷: |
見信之臣，括囊守祿；疎遠之臣，言以賤廢。是以王綱縱弛于上，智士伊鬱于下。 |
| | Loyal ministers who see the truth remain silent and preserve their official rank; Distant and neglected ministers, their words are considered worthless and disregarded. Therefore, the royal administration becomes lax from above, while wise men remain frustrated and dejected below.
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夫君政陵遲，如乘弊車。若能求巧工使葺理之，折則接之，緩則揳之，可復新矣。 |
| | When a ruler's governance declines, it is like riding in a broken cart. If one can seek skilled craftsmen to repair and manage it, mending what is broken and reinforcing what is loose, the cart may be restored to new condition.
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世主莫不願得尼軻以輔佐。及得之，未必珍也。必待題其面曰：「魯仲尼，鄒孟軻，不可得也。」 |
| | No ruler of the world does not wish to obtain a Nie Ke to assist and advise them. But when they acquire such a person, they may not necessarily value him highly. lineno It is only after labeling his face and saying: "Confucius of Lu, Meng Ke of Zou, are unattainable,"
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夫貞一之士，不曲道以媚時，不詭行以邀名。恥鄉原之譽，絕比周之黨。命世之士，常抑於當時，無不見思於後日。以往揆來，亦何容易？ |
| | A man of integrity and constancy does not twist his principles to flatter the times, nor does he act deceptively to seek fame. He is ashamed of praise from unprincipled townsfolk and cuts off ties with factions of flattery and collusion. A man of extraordinary talent in his generation is often suppressed in his own time, yet he is always remembered and missed by later generations. To judge the future based on the past—how easy can that be?
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圖王不成，弊猶足霸；圖霸不成，弊將如何？ |
| | If one fails to achieve kingship, the benefits are still sufficient for hegemony; If one fails to attain hegemony, what will become of those losses?
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農桑勤而利薄，工商逸而利厚。故農夫輟耒而彫鏤，女工投杼而刺繡。 |
| | Agriculture and sericulture are laborious yet yield meager profits, while commerce and industry are less arduous but bring substantial gains. Therefore, farmers abandon their hoes to carve and engrave, while female workers discard their looms to embroider.
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上行下效，期謂之教。陳兵策于安平之世，譬令未病者服藥。 |
| | When the superiors act, the inferiors follow; this is what is called instruction. To present military strategies in times of peace and stability is like ordering those who are not yet ill to take medicine.
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昔人有慕讓財之名，推田業與弟。俄而貧乏，反以威力就弟强貸。此不當也。 |
| | In the past, there was a person who admired the reputation of yielding wealth, and he gave his farmland and property to his younger brother. Soon after, when he became poor and destitute, he returned and used force or pressure to demand a loan from his younger brother. This is inappropriate.
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舉彌天之網，以羅海內之士。同類翕集而蛾附，計士嚬踧而脅從。黨成于下，君孤于上。 |
| | To cast a vast net across the sky, to capture all scholars within the realm. Those of similar kind gather closely like moths drawn to light, while prudent men frown and hesitate but are forced to comply under pressure. Factions form below, leaving the ruler isolated above.
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馬不素養，難以追遠；士不素簡，難以趨急。 |
| | A horse not trained from an early age is difficult to ride great distances; A scholar not carefully selected beforehand will be hard-pressed in times of urgency.
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葉公之好攘羊，雖可發姦，君子不貴也。 |
| | Ye Gong's pretended fondness for dragons, although it may expose the deceitful, is not valued by a gentleman.
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國不信道，工不信度，亡可待也。 |
| | If a state does not believe in the Way, and craftsmen do not trust measurements, its downfall can be expected.
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無賞罰之君而欲世治，猶不著梳櫛而求髪治，不可得也。 |
| | A ruler without rewards and punishments who desires good governance is like someone not using a comb or brush yet expecting their hair to be well-kept—it cannot be achieved.
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術家曰：「冬榮者，春必殺。」里語曰：「州郡記，如霹靂；得詔書，但掛壁。」 |
| | The scholars of technique say: "Those that flourish in winter will surely wither in spring." A local saying goes: "The records of the prefecture and commandery come like thunder; Receiving an imperial edict, one merely hangs it on the wall."
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洗濯民心，湔浣浮俗。 |
| | Wash away the people's hearts and cleanse them of superficial customs.
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