《孝经》英译（五刑章）

子曰：“五刑之属三千，而罪莫大于不孝。要君者无上，非圣人者无法，非孝者无亲。此大乱之道也。” <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Chapter 11

The Five Punishments

The Master said, “The crimes that are addressed by the Five Punishments number some three thousand, (1) and none of them is graver than to be wanting in family reverence. To coerce one’s lord is tantamount to repudiating the institution of rulership; to denounce the sage is tantamount to repudiating law (fa) itself; to denounce family reverence is tantamount to repudiating parenthood altogether. Such offences pave the way (dao) to mayhem and anarchy.”

(1) The five punishments current at the beginning of the Han dynasty were branding, amputation of the nose, amputation of the leg, castration for men and sterilization for women, and decapitation.