王者不令人放生,而无故却不杀生,则物命可惜也;圣人不责人无过,唯多方诱之改过,庶人心可回也。
君王虽然从来不下命令让人去放生,却也不会无缘无故地滥杀无辜。这是因为天下的生灵都是值得珍爱的。
圣人不要求人没有过错,但会通过各种方式去引导他们改正过错。这是因为大部分犯错的人都愿回心转意的。
Princes would not execute living beings for no reason though they have never issued orders to release captives. This is because that all the lives of the living beings under heaven are worth cherishing.
Sages would never demand people free of errors but would rather persuade them to correct their errors if any. This is because that most of those who have made errors are willing to correct them.