尚书 The Book of History -- 《吕刑-- Marquis of Lu on Punishments》(James Legge 英译)（3）
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吕刑: 王曰：“呜呼！敬之哉！官伯族姓，朕言多惧。朕敬于刑，有德惟刑。今天相民，作配在下。明清于单辞，民之乱，罔不中听狱之两辞，无或私家于狱之两辞！狱货非宝，惟府辜功，报以庶尤。永畏惟罚，非天不中，惟人在命。天罚不极，庶民罔有令政在于天下。”
Marquis of Lu on Punishments: The king said, 'Oh! let there be a feeling of reverence. Ye judges and princes, of the same surname with me, and of other surnames, (know all) that I speak in much fear. I think with reverence of the subject of punishment, for the end of it is to promote virtue. Now Heaven, wishing to help the people, has made us its representatives here below. Be intelligent and pure in hearing (each) side of a case. The right ordering of the people depends on the impartial hearing of the pleas on both sides - do not seek for private advantage to yourselves by means of those pleas. Gain (so) got by the decision of cases is no precious acquisition; it is an accumulation of guilt, and will be recompensed with many judgments: you should ever stand in awe of the punishment of Heaven. It is not Heaven that does not deal impartially with men, but men ruin themselves. If the punishment of Heaven were not so extreme, nowhere under the sky would the people have good government.'
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吕刑: 王曰：“呜呼！嗣孙，今往何监，非德？于民之中，尚明听之哉！哲人惟刑，无疆之辞，属于五极，咸中有庆。受王嘉师，监于兹祥刑。”
Marquis of Lu on Punishments: The king said, 'Oh! ye who shall hereafter inherit (the dignities and offices of) the present time, to whom are ye to look for your models? Must it not be to those who promoted the virtue belonging to the unbiassed nature of the people? I pray you give attention to my words. The wise men (of antiquity) by their use of punishments obtained boundless fame. Everything relating to the five punishments exactly hit with them the due mean, and hence came their excellence. Receiving from your sovereigns the good multitudes, behold in the case of those men punishments made felicitous!'
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