Xunzi's Translation of Jundao

For the country, please? Yue: I have never heard of self-cultivation, but I have never heard of being a country. Monarch, Yi Ye (1); People, shadows are also 2; The instrument is correct and the scene is correct (3). Monarch, board also; People, water is also 4; The food is round and the water is round. The monarch, the jar is also ⑤; The bowl is square and the water is square. If you shoot, I'll decide (6). Chu Zhuangwang has a thin waist (7), so there are hungry people (8). Therefore, I have never heard of being a country.

[Notes]

(1) Instrument: sundial (Gu! Track), an instrument that uses the shadow of the sun to determine the time. Generally, a vertical datum (needle, also called a watch) is set in the center of a disk (brick surface) engraved with a timeline, and the time is determined according to the direction and length of the shadow cast by this datum. This instrument refers to this benchmark. (2) The word "no citizen shadow" in Xieji is supplemented by the quotation in Guang Yun. (3) Jing (y! Ng shadow): the ancient word of shadow. (4) The word "water for the people" in Xieji is supplemented by the quotation in the note of Guang Yun. (5) Spoon: A vessel for holding liquid means water to people. (6) Decision: In ancient archery, the string was hooked on the thumb of the right hand, commonly known as finger pulling. Used here as a verb. (7) Chu Zhuangwang: See 1 1.4 Note (8). According to the Warring States policy, Chu Ce Yi, Mozi Quan Qing, Han Feizi's second in command, etc. King Zhuang is regarded as the ghost king. King Chu Ling: Wei Ming reigned from 540 BC to 529 BC. According to Mozi's Love for All, King Chu Ling likes people with thin waists, and his servants only eat one meal. A year later, the ministers of the DPRK were all sallow and emaciated. (8) In ancient times, widespread hunger was called hunger. Hunger means extreme hunger, which means you are so hungry that you are threatened with death.

[translation]

How to govern the country? Answer: I only heard that you mainly cultivate your self-cultivation, but I didn't know how to govern the country. The monarch is like a benchmark to measure time; People like the shadow of this benchmark; The post is upright, so is the shadow. A monarch is like a plate; Man is like water in a dish; The plate is round, so the water in the plate is round. A monarch is like a jar; Man is like water in a jar; Meng is square, so is the water in the bowl. When the monarch shoots an arrow, the courtiers put on their fingers. King Chu Ling likes people with thin waists, so there are courtiers in the court who are sallow and emaciated with hunger. Therefore, I only heard that you mainly cultivate your self-cultivation, but I didn't know how to govern the country.