1. in a little state with a small population, i would so order it, that, though there were individuals with the abilities of ten or a hundred men, there should be no employment of them; i would make the people, while looking on death as a grievous thing, yet not remove elsewhere (to avoid it).

2. though they had boats and carriages, they should have no occasion to ride in them; though they had buff coats and sharp weapons, they should have no occasion to don or use them.

3. i would make the people return to the use of knotted cords (instead of the written characters).

4. they should think their (coarse) food sweet; their (plain) clothes beautiful; their (poor) dwellings places of rest; and their common (simple) ways sources of enjoyment.

5. there should be a neighbouring state within sight, and the voices of the fowls and dogs should be heard all the way from it to us, but i would make the people to old age, even to death, not have any intercourse with it.

小国寡民。使有什佰之器而不用，使民重死而不远徙。虽有舟车，无所乘之；虽有甲兵，无所陈之。使民复结绳而用之。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。

【译文】

国家要小，人民要少。即使有各种器具，也不多用；使人民珍惜生命，不作长距离的迁移；虽有船只车辆，却没必要去乘坐；虽有兵器武备，却没必要去布阵打战。使天下回复到人民都结绳纪事的远古状态之中。让人民吃得香甜，穿得漂亮，住得安适，满意于他们的平凡生活。国与国之间相互望得见，鸡犬之声相互听得见，而人民从生到死，也互不往来。