论语古文今英译

足食足兵民信之

（颜渊篇12.07）

    子贡问政。子曰：“足食，足兵，民信之矣。”子贡曰：“必不得已而去，于斯三者何先？”曰：“去兵。”子贡曰：“必不得已而去，于期二者何先？”曰：“去食。自古皆有死，民无信不立。”

【今译】

    子贡问怎样治理国家。孔子说，“粮食充足，军备充足，老百姓信任统治者。”子贡说：“如果不得不去掉一项，那么在三项中先去掉哪一项呢？”孔子说：“去掉军备。”子贡说：“如果不得不再去掉一项，那么这两项中去掉哪一项呢？”孔子说：“去掉粮食。自古以来人总是要死的，如果老百姓对统治者不信任，那么国家就不能存在了。”

【英译】

    Tsze-kung asked about government. The Master said, "The requisites of government are that there be sufficiency of food, sufficiency of military equipment, and the confidence of the people in their ruler."Tsze-kung said, "If it cannot be helped, and one of these must be dispensed with, which of the three should be foregone first?" "The military equipment," said the Master.
    Tsze-kung again asked, "If it cannot be helped, and one of the remaining two must be dispensed with, which of them should be foregone?" The Master answered, "Part with the food. From of old, death has been the lot of an men; but if the people have no faith in their rulers, there is no standing for the state."

（江湖侠客吴仲湛 编辑）