内篇·应帝王
Inner Chapters -How a Ruler Should Govern
啮缺问于王倪，四问而四不知。啮缺因跃而大喜，行以告蒲衣子。Nie Que asked Wang Ni four questions, and Wang Ni replied that he didn't know the answers to all four. Nie Que was so overjoyed that he jumped up and went to tell Puyi Zi about it.
蒲衣子曰：“而乃今知之乎？有虞氏不及泰氏。有虞氏其犹藏仁以要 人，亦得人矣，而未始出于非人。Puyi Zi said, "Do you understand it now? The Youyu clan is not as good as the Tai clan. The Youyu clan still harbors benevolence to win people over. They did manage to win people's support, but they never went beyond the realm of the ordinary.
泰氏其卧徐徐，其觉于于。一以己 为马，一以己为牛。其知情信，其德甚真，而未始入于非人。”The people of the Tai clan sleep slowly and wake up leisurely. They sometimes regard themselves as horses, and sometimes as cows. Their knowledge and emotions are sincere, and their virtue is very genuine, and they never entered the realm of the ordinary."
肩吾见狂接舆。狂接舆曰：“日中始何以语女？”Jian Wu went to see Kuang Jie Yu. Kuang Jie Yu asked, "What did Ri Zhong Shi tell you?"
肩吾曰：“告我 ：君人者以己出经式义度，人孰敢不听而化诸！”Jian Wu replied, "He told me: A ruler who governs according to his own set of norms, regulations, and moral principles, who would dare not to listen and be transformed by them!"
狂接舆曰：“是欺德也。其于治天下也，犹涉海凿河而使蚊负山也。Kuang Jie Yu said, "This is deceptive virtue. Using such a method to govern the world is like trying to cross the sea by digging a river or making a mosquito carry a mountain.
夫圣人之治也，治外夫？正而后行，确乎能其事者而已矣。When a sage governs, does he govern the external only? He first rectifies himself and then acts, and simply enables those who are capable of doing things to do their jobs properly.
且鸟高飞以避矰弋之害，鼷鼠深穴乎神丘之下以避熏凿之患，而曾二虫之无知？”Moreover, birds fly high to avoid the harm of arrows and nets, and shrews dig deep holes under the sacred mounds to avoid the danger of being smoked out or dug out. Are these two kinds of creatures really so ignorant?"
天根游于殷阳，至蓼水之上，适遭无名人而问焉，曰：“请问为天 下。”Tian Gen was traveling in Yin Yang and reached the bank of the Liao River. There he happened to meet an unnamed person and asked him, "May I ask about governing the world?"
无名人曰：“去！汝鄙人也，何问之不豫也！予方将与造物者为人，厌则又乘夫莽眇之鸟，以出六极之外，而游无何有之乡，以处 圹埌之野。汝又何帛以治天下感予之心为？”The unnamed person said, "Go away! You vulgar fellow, what an inappropriate question you ask! I am just about to become friends with the Creator. When I get tired of it, I will ride on the vast and mysterious bird and fly out beyond the six extremities, and roam in the land of nothingness, and stay in the vast and desolate wilderness. Why do you bother me with the matter of governing the world?"
又复问，无名人曰：“汝游心于淡，合气于漠，顺物自然而无容私焉，而天下治矣。”When Tian Gen asked again, the unnamed person said, "Let your mind roam in tranquility, blend your qi in indifference, follow the natural course of things without any personal biases, and then the world will be well-governed."
阳子居见老聃，曰：“有人于此，向疾强梁，物彻疏明，学道不倦 ，如是者，可比明王乎？”Yang Zi Ju went to see Lao Dan and said, "There is a person here who is quick in response, strong and forceful, has a clear understanding of things, and is tireless in learning the Way. Can such a person be compared to a wise king?"
老聃曰：“是於圣人也，胥易技系，劳形怵心者也。且也虎豹之文来田，猨狙之便执嫠之狗来藉。如是者，可比明王乎？”Lao Dan said, "Compared to a sage, such a person is like a petty official tied to his skills, exhausting his body and disturbing his mind. Moreover, the beautiful patterns of tigers and leopards attract hunters, and the agility of monkeys and the docility of dogs that can be caught by snares. Can such things be compared to a wise king?"
阳子居蹴然曰：“敢问明王之治。”Yang Zi Ju was startled and said, "May I dare to ask about the governance of a wise king?"
老聃曰：“明王之治：功盖天下而似不自己，化贷万物而民弗恃。有莫举名，使物自喜。立乎不测，而游于无有者也。”Lao Dan said, "The governance of a wise king: His achievements cover the whole world, but it seems that they are not his own doing. He bestows transformations on all things, but the people do not rely on him. There is no need to mention his name, and things are happy in themselves. He stands in the unfathomable and roams in the realm of nothingness."
郑有神巫曰季咸，知人之死生、存亡、祸福、寿夭，期以岁月旬日若神。There was a famous wizard named Ji Xian in the state of Zheng who could predict people's death, survival, misfortune, good fortune, longevity, and short life with amazing accuracy, specifying the exact time in years, months, days, and even hours.
郑人见之，皆弃而走。列子见之而心醉，归，以告壶子，曰：“始吾以夫子之道为至矣，则又有至焉者矣。”When the people of Zheng saw him, they all ran away. Lie Zi was fascinated when he saw him. He went back and told Hu Zi, "At first, I thought your Way was the ultimate, but now it seems there is an even more ultimate one."
壶子曰：“吾与汝既其文，未既其实。而固得道与？众雌而无雄，而又奚卵焉！而以道与世亢，必信，夫故使人得而相汝。尝试与来，以予示之。”Hu Zi said, "I have only taught you the superficial aspects, not the essence. Have you really grasped the Way? Without a male, how can the females lay eggs? You confront the world with the Way, always being so confident that people can easily observe and judge you. Try to bring him here and let me show myself to him."
明日，列子与之见壶子。出而谓列子曰：“嘻！子之先生死矣！弗活矣！不以旬数矣！吾见怪焉，见湿灰焉。”列子入，泣涕沾襟以告壶子。The next day, Lie Zi brought Ji Xian to see Hu Zi. After coming out, Ji Xian said to Lie Zi, "Haha! Your master is dead! He won't survive! He won't last even a few days! I saw something strange, like wet ashes." Lie Zi went in, weeping with tears soaking his clothes, and told Hu Zi.
壶子曰：“乡吾示之以地文，萌乎不震不正，是殆见吾杜德机也。尝又与来。”Hu Zi said, "Just now I showed him the state of still earth, which was like the germinating state without vibration or uprightness. He probably saw my dormant state of virtue. Try to bring him again."
明日，又与之见壶子。出而谓列子曰：“幸矣！子之先生遇我也，有瘳矣！全然有生矣！吾见其杜权矣！”列子入，以 告壶子。The next day, Lie Zi brought Ji Xian to see Hu Zi again. After coming out, Ji Xian said to Lie Zi, "Fortunately! Your master met me! He's getting better! He's completely alive! I saw his dormant state starting to change!" Lie Zi went in and told Hu Zi.
壶子曰：“乡吾示之以天壤，名实不入，而机发于踵。是殆见吾善者机也。尝又与来。”Hu Zi said, "Just now I showed him the state of heaven and earth, where names and realities do not enter, and the impulse starts from the heels. He probably saw my active state of virtue. Try to bring him again."
明日，又与之见壶子。出而谓列子曰： “子之先生不齐，吾无得而相焉。试齐，且复相之。”The next day, Lie Zi brought Ji Xian to see Hu Zi again. After coming out, Ji Xian said to Lie Zi, "Your master is not in a consistent state, and I can't observe and judge him. Try to make him consistent, and then I'll observe and judge him again."
列子入，以告壶子。壶子曰：“吾乡示之以以太冲莫胜，是殆见吾衡气机也。鲵桓 之审为渊，止水之审为渊，流水之审为渊。渊有九名，此处三焉。尝又与来。”Lie Zi went in and told Hu Zi. Hu Zi said, "Just now I showed him the state of supreme neutrality where no one can prevail, and he probably saw my balanced state of qi. The deep pool formed by the circling of giant salamanders is a kind of abyss, the still water is a kind of abyss, and the flowing water is a kind of abyss. There are nine names for abysses, and three of them are shown here. Try to bring him again."
明日，又与之见壶子。立未定，自失而走。壶子曰：“追 之！”列子追之不及。反，以报壶子曰：“已灭矣，已失矣，吾弗及 已。”The next day, Lie Zi brought Ji Xian to see Hu Zi again. Before he could even stand still, Ji Xian lost his composure and ran away. Hu Zi said, "Chase him!" Lie Zi chased after him but couldn't catch up. When he came back, he reported to Hu Zi, "He disappeared! He's gone! I couldn't catch up with him."
壶子曰：“乡吾示之以未始出吾宗。吾与之虚而委蛇，不知其谁何，因以为弟靡，因以为波流，故逃也。”Hu Zi said, "Just now I showed him a state that never deviated from my origin. I dealt with him in a flexible and compliant way, not knowing who he was, sometimes being like a withered grass, sometimes being like a flowing wave, so he fled."
然后列子自以为未始学而归。三年不出，为其妻爨，食豕如食人，于事无与亲。After that, Lie Zi thought that he had never really started to learn and went back. He didn't go out for three years, cooked for his wife, ate pork as if it were human food, and had no particular preference for anything.
雕琢复朴， 块然独以其形立。纷而封哉，一以是终。He polished off the artificiality and returned to simplicity, standing alone with his natural form. Amidst the chaos, he remained steadfast, and ended his life like this.
无为名尸，无为谋府，无为事任，无为知主。体尽无穷，而游无朕 。Don't be a slave to fame, don't be a storehouse of plots, don't be burdened with affairs, don't be the master of knowledge. Experience the infinite, and roam without leaving a trace.
尽其所受乎天而无见得，亦虚而已！至人之用心若镜，不将不迎， 应而不藏，故能胜物而不伤。Fulfill what you have received from heaven without showing off your gains, and just be empty! The mind of a perfected person is like a mirror, neither sending nor receiving, responding without hiding, so it can overcome things without being harmed.
南海之帝为儵北海之帝为忽，中央之帝为浑沌。儵与忽时相与遇于浑沌之地，浑沌待之甚善。The Emperor of the South Sea was Shu, the Emperor of the North Sea was Hu, and the Emperor of the Central Region was Hun Dun. Shu and Hu often met in the land of Hun Dun, and Hun Dun treated them very kindly.
儵与忽谋报浑沌之德，曰：“人皆有七窍 以视听食息此独无有，尝试凿之。”日凿一窍，七日而浑沌死。Shu and Hu planned to repay Hun Dun's kindness, saying, "Everyone has seven apertures for seeing, hearing, eating, and breathing, but this one alone doesn't have any. Let's try to bore them." They bored one aperture each day, and after seven days, Hun Dun died.
