第十九章  見素抱樸

絕圣棄智，民利百倍；絕仁棄義，民復(fù)孝慈；絕巧棄利，盜賊無有。此三者以為文不足。故令有所屬：見素抱樸，少思寡欲。 

絕學(xué)無憂。

Embracing Simplicity

Throw away the human sacred and human cleverness ,

and people will benefit a hundredfold.

Drop human morality and righteousness,

people will return to be filial and kindly.

Drop shrewdness, abandon greediness,turmoil to gain will no longer exist.

These three things are superficial and are not adequate.

Therefore, they should be subordinated To a Higher principle:

reveal simplicity; embrace the natural; control selfishness; reduce desires.

There will be no disturbance if human strategies on greediness are abandoned.

 [譯文]

擯除謀求私欲的假借圣名和智巧，民眾受益百倍。擯除謀私的假仁假義，民眾就自然恢復(fù)和諧相處狀態(tài)；擯除巧取和謀利，就可以根除人為的巧取豪奪、竊為己有的行為了。

以上三者也只是表層的，還有更為基本的準(zhǔn)則。保持純潔樸實(shí)的本性， 減少私心雜念。

拋棄人類因私心貪欲而異化的智巧，就不會有煩惱和憂慮了。