当人民不畏惧统治者的威压时，那么，可怕的祸乱就要到来了。不要逼迫人民不得安居，不要阻塞人民谋生的道路。只有不压迫人民，人民才不厌恶统治者。因此，有道的圣人不但有自知之明，而且也不自我表现；有自爱之心也不自显高贵。所以要舍弃后者（自见、自贵）而保持前者（自知、自爱）。

《道德经》（第七十二章）

民不畏威，

则大威至。

无狎其所居，

无厌其所生。

夫唯不厌，

是以不厌。

是以圣人自知不自见，

自爱不自贵。

故去彼取此。

《Tao Te Ching》Chapter 72（Victor H. Mair 译）

When the people do not fear the majestic,

Great majesty will soon visit them.

Do not limit their dwellings,

Do not suppress their livelihood.

Simply because you do not suppress them, they will not grow weary of you.

For this reason,

The sage is self-aware, but does not flaunt himself;

He is self-devoted, but does not glorify himself.

Therefore,

He rejects the one and adopts the other.

《Tao Te Ching》Chapter 72（Stephen Mitchell 译）

When they lose their sense of awe,

people turn to religion.

When they no longer trust themselves,

they begin to depend upon authority.

Therefore the Master steps back

so that people won't be confused.

He teaches without a teaching,

so that people will have nothing to learn.

《Tao Te Ching》Chapter 72（R.B. Blakney 译）

If people do not dread your majesty,

A greater dread will yet descend on them.

See then you do not cramp their dwelling place,

Or immolate their children or their stock,

Nor anger them by your own angry ways.

It is the Wise Man's way to know himself,

And never to reveal his inward thoughts;

He loves himself but so, is not set up;

He chooses this in preference to that.

更多精品翻译素材，敬请关注可可英语。