【原文】不明鬼神，则陋民不悟；不只山川，则威令不闻；不敬宗庙，则民乃上校；不恭祖旧，则孝悌不备；四维不张，国乃灭亡。《牧民》

 

【汉解】不尊鬼神，小民就不能感悟；不祭山川，威令就不能远播；不敬祖宗，老百姓就会犯上；不尊重宗亲故旧，孝悌就不完备。四维不发扬，国家就会灭亡。

 

【英译】If  you do not honor the spirits, Crude common folk will not believe in them. If you do not respect the gods of the mountains and rivers, Orders intended to inspire awe will go unheeded. If you do not revere your ancestral temples, The people will copy their superior‘s example. If you do not venerate your ancestors and great men of the past, Filial piety and respect for elders will suffer. If the four cardinal virtues do not prevail, The state will perish.