独立 · 小国寡民

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Classical Chinese Text

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。使人复结绳而用之。至治之极。甘美食，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。

Translation & Meaning

理想的共同体简约而宁静：邦邑小巧，民心纯静。纵使拥有百倍效率的机巧器具，也不被工具异化奴役；使百姓珍爱生命、安居故土而不必流离远迁。 虽有车船交通，也无须奔波劳顿；虽有铠甲兵器，也无处陈列征战。让人们重归结绳记事般的诚朴守信。 百姓吃得香甜知足，穿得舒适得体，住得安稳踏实，欢喜自得于淳朴的风俗。 邻邦彼此遥遥相望，鸡鸣犬吠之声清晰可闻，人们各自本自具足、无争无求，直到白首偕老也无须为利益纷争而奔竞侵扰。

Commentary

青禾散人评注：“小国寡民”并非倒退回原始贫瘠，而是精神高度丰盈后的心灵桃花源：“甘其食，美其服，安其居，乐其俗”——不羡远方虚华，活在当下的踏实与欢喜之中。

Linguistic & Character Analysis

  • 小 (xiǎo): classical character (xiǎo)
  • 国 (guó): classical character (guó)
  • 寡 (guǎ): classical character (guǎ)
  • 民 (mín): classical character (mín)
  • 使 (shǐ): cause / make / command
  • 有 (yǒu): manifest being / cosmos / to possess
  • 什 (shén): classical character (shén)
  • 伯 (bó): classical character (bó)
  • 之 (zhī): particle: of / possessive / it
  • 器 (qì): classical character (qì)
  • 而 (ér): yet / and / but
  • 不 (bù): not / un- / without
  • 用 (yòng): use / function / apply
  • 重 (zhòng): classical character (zhòng)
  • 死 (sǐ): classical character (sǐ)
  • 远 (yuǎn): classical character (yuǎn)
  • 徙 (xǐ): classical character (xǐ)
  • 虽 (suī): classical character (suī)
  • 舟 (zhōu): classical character (zhōu)
  • 舆 (yú): classical character (yú)
  • 无 (wú): formless void / non-being / without
  • 所 (suǒ): place / frontier / that which
  • 乘 (chéng): classical character (chéng)
  • 甲 (jiǎ): classical character (jiǎ)
  • 兵 (bīng): classical character (bīng)
  • 陈 (chén): classical character (chén)
  • 人 (rén): person / human
  • 复 (fù): classical character (fù)
  • 结 (jié): classical character (jié)
  • 绳 (shéng): classical character (shéng)
  • 至 (zhì): classical character (zhì)
  • 治 (zhì): govern / bring order / rule
  • 极 (jí): classical character (jí)
  • 甘 (gān): classical character (gān)
  • 美 (měi): beauty / aesthetic ideal
  • 食 (shí): classical character (shí)
  • 其 (qí): its / their / his / her
  • 服 (fú): classical character (fú)
  • 安 (ān): classical character (ān)
  • 居 (jū): reside in / carry oneself
  • 乐 (lè): classical character (lè)
  • 俗 (sú): classical character (sú)
  • 邻 (lín): classical character (lín)
  • 相 (xiāng): mutually / each other
  • 望 (wàng): classical character (wàng)
  • 鸡 (jī): classical character (jī)
  • 犬 (quǎn): classical character (quǎn)
  • 声 (shēng): sound / voice
  • 闻 (wén): classical character (wén)
  • 老 (lǎo): classical character (lǎo)
  • 往 (wǎng): classical character (wǎng)
  • 来 (lái): classical character (lái)