1. The people do not fear death; to what purpose is it to (try to) frighten them with death? If the people were always in awe 1 of death, and I could always seize those who do wrong, and put them to death, who would dare to do wrong?
2. There is always One who presides over the infliction 3 death. He who would inflict 2 death in the room of him who so presides over it may be described as hewing 4 wood instead of a great carpenter. Seldom is it that he who undertakes the hewing, instead of the great carpenter, does not cut his own hands!
解释翻译
民不畏死，奈何以死惧之?
若使民常畏死，而为奇者，我得执而杀之……孰敢?
常有司杀者杀。
夫代司杀者杀，是代大匠斫。
夫代大匠斫者，鲜有不伤其手者矣。
【译文】
人民都已经不怕死了，为什么还要拿死来恐吓他们呢?像那些想要让人民恒常怕死，稍有出格者就随意抓来杀掉的政策，哪个能无所顾忌地强硬坚持呢?要知道，自然会有一种汰劣机制来司杀，俎代这汰劣机制而妄动杀戒，那就像俎代高明的木匠砍木头。俎代高明的木匠砍木头，是很少不砍伤自己的手的。
注释出处
1awe
n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧
参考例句：
The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。
2inflict
vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担
参考例句：
Don't inflict your ideas on me.不要把你的想法强加于我。
Don't inflict damage on any person.不要伤害任何人。
3infliction
n.（强加于人身的）痛苦，刑罚
参考例句：
Don't immerse yourself in the infliction too long.不要长时间沉浸在痛苦经历中。
Instead of rivets there came an invasion,an infliction,and a visitation.但是铆钉并没有运来，来的却是骚扰、混乱和视察。
4hewing
v.（用斧、刀等）砍、劈( hew的现在分词 )；砍成；劈出；开辟
参考例句：
The farmer spent a day in the woods hewing timber. 这个农夫花了一天时间在森林里砍木材。 来自辞典例句
He was hewing away at the trunk of the tree. 他不停地照着树干砍去。 来自辞典例句
道德经英文版