第七十四章      恩威有度

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

[譯文]

壓迫到了極限人民就不畏懼死亡了，又怎能用殺人的手段來威脅他們？百姓懼怕死亡，對于那些違法亂紀的，就以律法將其捉拿而殺掉，誰還敢違法亂紀？應設專人執(zhí)行的處決罪犯的任務。代替專職人員去執(zhí)行懲處是不可取的，就如同帶代替木匠去砍木頭一樣，

非職業(yè)木匠替代木匠去伐木，很少有不自傷其手的。

TheUse of Encouragement and Punishment

When the people are no longer afraid of death，how can they be treathened with death?

Supposing the people always had the fearof death, and we could catch law breakers and kill them - whodare follow their suit?

There is always the master executioner (Nature) who kills. Toundertake executions for the master executioner is like hewing wood for themaster carpenter. Whoever undertakes hewing wood for the master carpenterrarely escapes injuring his own hands.