民不畏死，奈何以死惧之。若使民常畏死，而为奇者，吾得执而杀之，孰敢？常有司杀者杀。夫代司杀者杀，是谓代大匠斫，希有不伤其手者矣。
When the people are not afraid of death, wherefore frighten them withdeath?
Were the people always afraid of death, and were I able to arrest andput to death those who innovate, then who would dare?
There is a regular executioner whose charge it is to kill.
To kill on behalf of the executioner is what is described as choppingwood on behalf of the master carpenter.
In chopping wood on behalf of the master carpenter, there are few whoescape hurting their own hands instead.
The people are not frightened of death. What then is the use of trying to intimidate them with the death-penalty?
And even supposing people were generally frightened of death and did not regard it as an everyday thing, which of us would dare to seize them and slay them?
There is the Lord of Slaughter always ready for this task, and to do it in his stead is like thrusting oneself into the master-carpenter's place and doing his chipping for him. Now “he who tries to do the master-carpenter's chipping for him is lucky if he does not cut his hand.”
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? 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!