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道德經
Tao Te Ching
三章
chapter 3
不尙賢
Don't honor the worthy

Don't honor the worthy, so the people don't contend and quarrel. Don't value hard-to-get treasure, so the people don't become thieves. Don't show off what people really desire, so their hearts don't become unsettled. So, the sage's rule empties their hearts and fills their bellies; weakens their ambition and strengthens their bones. So, the people lose their cleverness and lose their desires, so that the cleverest do not dare to act. Indeed, action without acting means everything is in order.

Notes

Translation Table
Index Chinese Pinyin Literal Idiomatic
1 不 bu don't Don't
2 尙 shang honor honor
3 賢 xian worthy the worthy,
4 使 shi so so
5 民 min the people the people
6 不 bu don't don't
7 爭 zheng contend, quarrel contend and quarrel.
8 不 bu don't Don't
9 貴 gui value value
10 難 nan hard hard-
11 得 de obtain to-get
12 之 zhi 's
13 貨 huo treasure treasure,
14 使 shi so so
15 民 min the people the people
16 不 bu don't don't
17 為 wei become become
18 盜 dao thieves thieves.
19 不 bu don't Don't
20 見 jian show show off
21 可 ke can
22 欲 yu deep-seated desires what people really desire,
23 使 shi so so
24 民 min the people their
25 心 xin heart hearts
26 不 bu don't don't
27 亂 luan trouble become unsettled.
28 是 shi this
29 以 yi for So,
30 聖 sheng holy
31 人 ren person the sage
32 之 zhi 's 's
33 治 zhi rule rule
34 虛 xu empty empties
35 其 qi they their
36 心 xin hearts hearts
37 實 shi fill and fills
38 其 qi they their
39 腹 fu belly bellies;
40 弱 ruo weak weakens
41 其 qi they their
42 志 zhi ambition ambition
43 強 qiang strong and strengthens
44 其 qi they their
45 骨 gu bones bones.
46 常 chang always
47 使 shi causes So,
48 民 min the people the people
49 無 wu without lose their
50 智 zhi cunning cleverness
51 無 wu without and lose their
52 欲 yu desires desires,
53 使 shi so so that
54 夫 fu master, scholar -est
55 智 zhi cunning the cleverest
56 者 zhe >a final particle that makes a noun of the preceding character or clause; it is often left untranslated
57 不 bu does not do not
58 敢 gan dare dare
59 為 wei act to act.
60 也 ye indeed Indeed,
61 為 wei act action
62 無 wu without without
63 為 wei act acting
64 則 ze then means
65 無 wu without
66 不 bu not everything
67 治 zhi order is in order.