子贡问政。子曰足食，足兵，民信之矣。子贡曰，必不得已而去，于斯三者何先。曰，去兵。子贡曰，必不得已而去，于斯二者何先。曰，去食，自古皆有死，民无信不立。
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。
- 白话参考底本：《白话论语读本》，张兆瑢、沈元起编译，上海广益书局1948 年新三版。