Response to Emperors (4)
應帝王（四）
1 Yang Ziju asked Laotse, “A man is strong and tough-minded, and what’s more he is sensible and diligent in learning Tao. Do you think that a man like this could be regarded as a good leader?”
陽子居問老子：「一個人如果身體強壯，意志堅強，明白事理而又精勤學道；這樣的一個人，我們可以說他是好的領導人嗎？」
陽子居見老聃，曰：「有人於此，嚮疾強梁，物徹疏明，學道不卷，如是者，可比明王乎？」
2 Laotse replied, “Men like this can only be regarded as a duteous civil servant or a competent technician. We can’t say that they are sage kings or good leaders.
老子回答：「這樣的人我們只能說他是一位盡職的公務員，一位有能力的技術人員，他們還算不上是明王，也算不上是好的領導人。
老聃曰：「是於聖人也，胥易技係，勞形怵心者也。
3 A saying goes like this: We prey tiger and leopard because we need their hide; we catch monkey because it is agile in performance; we breed hound because it can help us to prey fox.
有一句諺語是這樣說的：「老虎和豹子，我們是求它們的皮毛；我們捉猴子來觀賞是求其靈巧、會要猴戲； 我們養獵犬是因為它們能用來狩獵狐狸。
4 Just like tools, those competent men may be made use of. They are far from the standard of ideal leader.”
有能力的人，只是像一件工具，可以被利用而已。他們離理想領袖的標準還遠呢。」
且也虎豹之文來田，猿狙之便來藉。如是者，可比明王乎？」
5 Yangzi Ju didn’t fully understand Laotse’s saying. He frowned and said, “Please tell me how the so-called sage king governs a country?”
陽子居聽不太懂老子的話。他皺著眉說：「那麼請你告訴我，你所謂的明王，是怎麼治理國政的呢？」
陽子居蹴然曰：「敢問明王之治。」
6 Laotse said, “Sage king’s governance has overall influence on his country but the influence is unobtrusive and imperceptible. On the surface, People are independent and self-supported; people don’t live on his direct assistance and can not experience his influence clearly.
老子說：「明王治理天下，其影響力是全面性的，可是這種影響力只是一種潛移默化之功。由表面看，百姓都是獨立自主，自給自足的; 人民不是依靠他的協助生活; 他們也無法明確的體認其影響力。
7 But, his influence will change overall people’s life style.
然而，他的影響力卻會全面地改變人民的生活方式。
8 In my opinion, an ideal sage king or sage should be very profound and recessive in action, without any pressure on his people. However, this invisible influence is so far-reaching and eventually beneficial to the people everywhere.”
我理想中的明王或聖人，他應是深不可測，飄緲無蹤，不會給百姓增添絲毫的壓力；然而他的影響力卻又是如此的深遠，讓普世受益。」
老聃曰：「明王之治：功蓋天下而似不自己，化貸萬物而民弗恃。有莫舉名，使物自喜。立乎不測，而游於無有者也。」