Cary Chan

第八十章小国寡民，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，甘其食，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。Chapter 80If a country is governed wisely,its inhabitants will be content.They enjoy the labor of their handsand don't waste time inventinglabor-saving machines.Since they dearly love their homes,they aren't interested in travel.There may be a few wagons and boats, but these don't go anywhere.There may be an arsenal of weapons, but nobody ever uses them.People enjoy their food,take pleasure in being with their families,spend weekends working in their gardens,delight in the doings of the neighborhood.And even though the next country is so close that people can hear its roosters crowing and its dogs barking,they are content to die of old agewithout ever having gone to see it.