《道德经》第八十章
小国寡民。使有什伯之器而不用﹔使民重死而不远徙。
虽有舟舆，无所乘之，虽有甲兵，无所陈之。
使民复结绳而用之。甘其食，美其服，安其居，乐其俗。
邻国相望，鸡犬之声相闻，民至老死，不相往来。
《Tao-Te Ching》Chapter 80
In a little state with a small population，I would so order it，that，though there were individuals with the abilities of ten or a hundred men，there should be no employment of them；I would make the people，while looking on death as a grievous thing，yet not remove elsewhere（to avoid it）。
Though they had boats and carriages，they should have no occasion to ride in them；though they had buff coats and sharp weapons，they should have no occasion to don or use them.
I would make the people return to the use of knotted cords（instead of the written characters）。
They should think their（coarse）food sweet；their（plain）clothes beautiful；their（poor）dwellings places of rest；and their common（simple）ways sources of enjoyment.
There should be a neighbouring state within sight，and the voices of the fowls and dogs should be heard all the way from it to us，but I would make the people to old age，even to death，not have any intercourse with it.
【易解】
国家要小，人民要少。即使有各种器具，也不多用；使人民珍惜生命，不作长距离的迁移；虽有船只车辆，却没必要去乘坐；虽有兵器武备，却没必要去布阵打战。使天下回复到人民都结绳纪事的远古状态之中。让人民吃得香甜，穿得漂亮，住得安适，满意于他们的平凡生活。国与国之间相互望得见，鸡犬之声相互听得见，而人民从生到死，也互不往来。
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