Moderation in Spending, Part One節用上
聖人爲政一國，一國可倍也；大之爲政天下，天下可倍也。其倍之，非外取地也，因其國家，去其無用，足以倍之。聖王爲政，其發令興事、使民用財也。無不加用而爲者，是故用財不費，民德不勞，其興利多矣。
When a sage governs one state, that one state can be doubled, and when he governs the world at large, the world can be doubled. This doubling is not a taking of land from outside. It works through the state itself, and when what is of no use is done away with, that is enough to double it.
When the sage kings governed, in issuing commands and raising undertakings and setting the people to work and spending goods, there was nothing they did that did not add to their use. So goods were spent without waste, the people were not worn out, and the benefits they raised were many.
其爲衣裘何以爲？冬以圉寒，夏以圉暑。凡爲衣裳之道，冬加溫、夏加凊者，𦬒䱉；不加者，去之。其爲宮室何以爲？冬以圉風寒，夏以圉暑雨。凡爲宮室，加固者，𦬒䱉；不加者，去之。其爲甲盾五兵何以爲？以圉寇亂盜賊，若有寇亂盜賊，有甲盾五兵者勝，無者不勝，是故聖人作爲甲盾五兵。凡爲甲盾五兵，加輕以利堅而難折者，𦬒䱉；不加者，去之。其爲舟車何以爲？車以行陵陸，舟以行川谷，以通四方之利。凡爲舟車之道，加輕以利者，𦬒䱉；不加者，去之。凡其爲此物也，無不加用而爲者，是故用財不費，民德不勞，其興利多矣。有去大人之好聚珠玉鳥獸犬馬，以益衣裳宮室甲盾五兵舟車之數，於數倍乎？若則不難倍。故孰爲難倍？唯人爲難倍。
Why are clothes and fur garments made? To hold off the cold in winter and to hold off the heat in summer. In the way of making clothes, what adds warmth in winter and adds coolness in summer is 〔𦬒䱉 — two characters whose meaning has not been made out〕, and what does not add is done away with.
Why are houses made? To hold off wind and cold in winter and to hold off heat and rain in summer. In making houses, what adds firmness is 〔𦬒䱉 — two characters whose meaning has not been made out〕, and what does not add is done away with.
Why are armor and shields and the five weapons made? To hold off robbers and disorder and thieves. When there are robbers and disorder and thieves, those who have armor and shields and the five weapons win and those who have none do not win, and so the sage made armor and shields and the five weapons. In making armor and shields and the five weapons, what adds lightness and adds sharpness and a firmness hard to break is 〔𦬒䱉 — two characters whose meaning has not been made out〕, and what does not add is done away with.
Why are boats and chariots made? Chariots go over hills and dry land and boats go over rivers and valleys, so that the benefits of the four quarters may pass through. In the way of making boats and chariots, what adds lightness and ease is 〔𦬒䱉 — two characters whose meaning has not been made out〕, and what does not add is done away with.
In making all these things there was nothing done that did not add to their use. So goods were spent without waste, the people were not worn out, and the benefits raised were many.
If the love the great men have for gathering pearls and jade and birds and beasts and dogs and horses were done away with, and the number of clothes and houses and armor and shields and the five weapons and boats and chariots were added to, what would be hard about coming to double? Then doubling is not hard.
So what is hard to double? Only people are hard to double.
然人有可倍也。昔者聖王爲法曰：「丈夫年二十，毋敢不處家。女子年十五，毋敢不事人。」此聖王之法也。聖王既沒，於民次也。其欲蚤處家者，有所二十年處家；其欲晚處家者，有所四十年處家。以其蚤與其晚相踐，後聖王之法十年，若純三年而字，子生可以二三年矣。此不惟使民蚤處家而可以倍與？且不然已。
Yet people can be doubled too. In ancient times the sage kings made a law, saying, "A man of twenty years does not dare to fail to set up a household, and a woman of fifteen years does not dare to fail to serve a husband." This is the law of the sage kings.
When the sage kings had died, the people came to do as they pleased. One who wishes to set up a household early sets it up at twenty years, and one who wishes to set it up late sets it up at forty years. Tread the early and the late against each other, and it falls ten years behind the law of the sage kings. If a child is borne every three years, then two or three children can be born. Is this not a doubling to be had by making the people set up their households early? And is it not so?
今天下爲政者，其所以寡人之道多。其使民勞，其籍斂厚，民財不足，凍餓死者不可勝數也。且大人惟毋興師以攻伐鄰國，久者終年，速者數月，男女久不相見，此所以寡人之道也。與居處不安、飲食不時、作疾病死者，有與侵就𠋠橐、攻城野戰死者，不可勝數。此不今爲政者所以寡人之道數術而起與？聖人爲政特無此，此不聖人爲政其所以衆人之道亦數術而起與？故子墨子曰：去無用之務，行聖王之道，天下之大利也。
Those who govern the world now have many ways of making people few. Their setting the people to work wears them out and their taking in of taxes is heavy, the goods of the people are not enough, and those who freeze and starve and die are beyond all counting.
And the great men raise armies to strike and attack neighboring states, and the long campaigns run out the year and the quick ones take several months, so that men and women long do not see one another, and this is a way of making people few. And those who fall sick and die because their dwelling is not at ease and their eating and drinking are out of season, and those who die in raiding and advancing and attacking walls and fighting in the open, are beyond all counting.
Is this not the ways of making people few rising up in many kinds under those who govern now? When a sage governs he simply has none of this. Is this not the ways of making people many rising up in many kinds as well when a sage governs?
So Mozi said, "To do away with the work that is of no use and to walk the way of the sage kings is the great benefit of the world."