文质彬彬·每日好词语 | 利用厚生

　　利用厚生

　　充分发挥物力的效用，使民众生活富裕。古人认为，良好的政治在于“养民”，让民众生活富足。“利用”指统治者应当节俭而不奢靡浪费，使物尽其用；“厚生”指减轻徭役赋税，使民众生活安宁、富裕、幸福。它是中国近代民生主义、社会主义的思想渊源之一。

　　Make Full Use of Resources to Enrich the People

　　The ancient Chinese believed that good governance allowed people to lead a life of plenty. The ruler should be frugal, not extravagant or wasteful. He should make good use of the country's material resources, reduce the corvee and tax burdens on the people so that they could live peaceful, prosperous and happy lives. This belief was one of the sources of advocation for the people's livelihood and socialist thinking in modern China.

　　引例 

　　德惟善政，政在养民……正德、利用、厚生，惟和。（《尚书·大禹谟》）（帝王的德行要体现为良好的施政，施政要以养育民众为目的……端正德行、物尽其用、使民众富裕，这3个方面要兼顾协调，才能相得益彰。）

　　A ruler should manifest his virtue in good governance, and the goal of governance is to bring a good life to the people…The ruler should act in an upright and virtuous manner, and ensure that the country's resources are put to good use and that the people live a prosperous life. These three goals complement one another. (The Book of History)