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Yen Yuan · 07

子zǐ贡gòng问wèn政zhèng。子zǐ曰yuē足zú食shí，足zú兵bīng，民mín信xìn之zhī矣yǐ。子zǐ贡gòng曰yuē，必bì不bù得dé已yǐ而ér去qù，于yú斯sī三sān者zhě何hé先xiān。曰yuē，去qù兵bīng。子zǐ贡gòng曰yuē，必bì不bù得dé已yǐ而ér去qù，于yú斯sī二èr者zhě何hé先xiān。曰yuē，去qù食shí，自zì古gǔ皆jiē有yǒu死sǐ，民mín无wú信xìn不bú立lì。

Modern Chinese Guide

子贡请教怎样治理政事。孔子说：使粮食充足，使军备充足，使百姓信任政府。子贡说：如果迫不得已一定要去掉一项，这三项中先去掉哪一项呢？孔子说：去掉军备。子贡说：如果迫不得已一定要再去掉一项，这两项中先去掉哪一项呢？孔子说：去掉粮食。自古以来人总免不了一死，但如果百姓对政府失去信任，国家就站不住了。

James Legge Translation

1. Tsze-kung asked about government. The Master said, "The requisites of government are that there be sufficiency of food, sufficiency of military equipment, and the confidence of the people in their ruler." 2. Tsze-kung said, "If it cannot be helped, and one of these must be dispensed with, which of the three should be foregone first?" "The military equipment," said the Master. 3. Tsze-kung again asked, "If it cannot be helped, and one of the remaining two must be dispensed with, which of them should be foregone?" The Master answered, "Part with the food. From of old, death has been the lot of all men; but if the people have no faith in their rulers, there is no standing for the state."

Source: James Legge, public domain, 1893.

Notes

  • 底本：Wikisource 整理的 James Legge《The Chinese Classics》公版中英文本（1893–1895）。
  • 简体化：原文由繁体转为简体（OpenCC），与公版英译逐句对应。
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