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 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 death. he who would inflict death in the room of him who so presides over it may be described as hewing 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!

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。