道 德 經 Dao De Jing – De la Voie et de la Vertu

民不畏死，
奈何以死懼之。
若使民常畏死，
而為奇者，
吾得執而殺之，
孰敢。
常有司殺者殺。
夫代司殺者殺，
是謂代大匠斲。
夫代大匠斲者，
希有不傷其手矣。

原文 74

Lorsque le peuple ne craint pas la mort, comment l'effrayer par la menace de la mort ?
Si le peuple craint constamment la mort, et que quelqu'un fasse le mal, je puis le saisir et le tuer, et alors qui osera (l'imiter) ?
Il y a constamment un magistrat suprême qui inflige la mort.
Si l'on veut remplacer ce magistrat suprême, et infliger soi-même la mort, on ressemble à un homme (inhabile) qui voudrait tailler le bois à la place d'un charpentier.
Lorsqu'on veut tailler le bois à la place d'un charpentier, il est rare qu'on ne se blesse pas les mains.

Julien 74

The people are not frightened of death. What then is the use of trying to intimidate them with the death-penalty?

And even supposing people were generally frightened of death and did not regard it as an everyday thing, which of us would dare to seize them and slay them?

There is the Lord of Slaughter always ready for this task, and to do it in his stead is like thrusting oneself into the master-carpenter's place and doing his chipping for him. Now “he who tries to do the master-carpenter's chipping for him is lucky if he does not cut his hand.”

Waley 74

如果人民饱受苛刑暴政的逼迫, 到了连死都不怕而起来反抗的时候, 统治者又怎能用死来威胁他们呢? 如果人民畏惧死, 一有作坏事的人就把他抓起来杀掉, 谁还敢胡作非为呢?
天地间, 冥冥中有专司杀伐的力量, 无须人代劳。如果人代替天实施杀伐, 就好象一个不会工艺的人代替木匠做工一样, 很少有不伤到自己的。

白话翻译

Wenn die Leute den Tod nicht scheuen,
wie will ich sie dann mit dem Tode einschüchtern?
Wenn ich aber die Leute
beständig in Furcht vor dem Tode halte,
und wenn einer Wunderliches treibt,
soll ich ihn ergreifen und töten?
Wer traut sich das?
Es gibt immer eine Todesmacht, die tötet.
Anstelle dieser Todesmacht zu töten, das ist,
wie wenn man anstelle eines Zimmermanns
die Axt führen wollte.
Wer statt des Zimmermanns
die Axt führen wollte,
kommt selten davon,
ohne das er sich die Hand verletzt.

Wilhelm 74

When the people are not afraid of death, wherefore frighten them withdeath?
Were the people always afraid of death, and were I able to arrest andput to death those who innovate, then who would dare?
There is a regular executioner whose charge it is to kill.
To kill on behalf of the executioner is what is described as choppingwood on behalf of the master carpenter.
In chopping wood on behalf of the master carpenter, there are few whoescape hurting their own hands instead.

Lau 74