Listen to this articleàimín 爱民
Love the People
仁爱民众；爱护百姓。它不仅是治国者应该具有的对百姓的一种情怀，而且是治国理政必须遵循的重要原则。古人认为，治国者应该通过具体的政策、措施，使民众获利，安居乐业，免受痛苦和无端侵害。这也是治国者获得民众尊崇的前提或基础。“爱民”不仅是重要的政治理念，而且延伸到军事领域，成为兴兵作战的重要原则。依照这个原则，敌我双方的民众都应该受到爱护。它是中华“民本”“仁义”思想的展现。
This term means to love and care for the common people. This is not only a sentiment which those who govern should have for the common people, but also an important principle which must be adhered to in governance. The ancient Chinese believed that those who govern should use specific policies and measures to benefit the people and enable them to live and work peacefully, free from sufferings and unwarranted infringements. This is the precondition or basis for those who govern to win the respect of the people. “Loving the people” was not only an important political concept – it also extended to the military sphere and became an important principle when raising armies to make war. According to this principle, the people of both one’s own side and that of the enemy should receive caring love. This is a manifestation of the Chinese thinking “people first” and “benevolence and righteousness.”
引例 Citations：
◎文王问太公曰：“愿闻为国之大务，欲使主尊人安，为之奈何？”太公曰：“爱民而已。”文王曰：“爱民奈何？”太公曰：“利而勿害，成而勿败，生而勿杀，与而勿夺，乐而勿苦，喜而勿怒。”（《六韬·文韬·国务》）
（周文王问姜太公：“我想知道治理国家最重要的事情是什么，要使君主得到尊崇、民众得到安宁，应该怎么办呢？”姜太公说：“只要爱民就可以了。”周文王问：“怎样爱民呢？”姜太公说：“使民众获利而不去妨碍他们，帮助民众成事而不去毁坏他们，利于民众生存而不去伤害他们，给予民众实惠而不是从他们手中夺走，使民众快乐而不是使他们痛苦，使民众高兴而不是使他们愤怒。”）
King Wen of Zhou asked Jiang Taigong, “I would like to ask: what are the most important things in governing a country that must be done for the ruler to enjoy respect and the people to have peace?” Jiang Taigong replied, “Just love the people.” King Wen asked, “How does one love the people?” Jiang Taigong said, “Allow the people to gain profits and do not obstruct them; help the people achieve successes and do not ruin them; let the people live and do not harm them; give the people benefits and do not take them; bring the people joy and not suffering; make the people happy and not angry.” (The Six Strategies)
◎古者以仁为本、以义治之之谓正。……战道：不违时，不历民病，所以爱吾民也；不加丧，不因凶，所以爱夫其民也；冬夏不兴师，所以兼爱其民也。（《司马法·仁本》）
（古人以仁爱为根本、以治军合乎道义为正道。……战争的原则是：不在农忙时兴兵，不在民众流行疫病时兴兵，为的是爱护自己的民众；不趁敌国有国丧时发动战争，不趁敌国有灾荒时发动战争，为的是爱护敌国的民众；不在冬夏两季兴兵，为的是爱护敌我双方的民众。）
The ancient people considered benevolent love to be the foundation of society, and the use of force in ethical ways as the proper way. …The principles of warfare are to not assemble an army during the harvest season or when there is an epidemic among the people, because you love your own people; to not start a war when the enemy state is in mourning or has a natural disaster, because you love its people; to not assemble an army during the winter or summer, because you love both your people and your enemy’s people. (The General Commander’s Treatise on War)
