老子《道德經》選譯

老子《道德經》選譯

校友推薦 December 17, 2022

31（通行本第81章）
信言不美，美言不信。知者不博，博者不知。善者不多，多者不善。
Truthful words are not beautiful, beautiful words are not truthful. He who knows is not learned, he who is learned does not know. He who is good does not hoard, he who hoards is not good.

聖人无積，既以爲人，己愈有；既以予人矣，己愈多。
The Sage has no surplus provisions. The more he does for others, the more he will have; the more he gives to others, the more he will have.

故天之道，利而不害；人之道，爲而弗争。
Therefore, Tao of Heaven is beneficial but not harmful, the way of Man is busy but not resistive.

30（通行本第80章）
小邦寡民，使十百人之器毋用,使民重死而遠徙。
In a small kingdom with scarce people, tools that empower them ten to a hundred times more efficient lay wasted. Let people think seriously of death and stay away from moving elsewhere.

有車舟无所乘之；有甲兵无所陳之；使民復結繩而用之。
Boats and chariots are ready but no one uses them. Armor and weapons are available but there is no occasion to show them. Let people tie knots again to record events.

甘其食，美其服，樂其俗，安其居，鄰邦相朢，鷄狗之聲相聞，民至老死不相往来。
Enjoy tasty food, wear ornate clothes, revel in their customs, dwell in comfort and safety. Border states within sight of each other, and hearing the sound of fowls and dogs, the people reach their old age and death with no comings and goings between them.

29（通行本第66章）
江海之所以能爲百谷王者，以其善下之，是以能爲百谷王。
Rivers and seas are lords of all ravines because they are willing to lie below. Therefore they are lords of all ravines.

是以聖人之欲上民也，必以其言下之；其欲先民也，必以其身後之。
So the Sage who wishes to be above people should humbly persuade them in words. One who wishes to lead people must first stay behind.

故居前而民弗害也，居上而民弗重也。天下樂推而弗厭也。
Therefore, the Sage proceeds in front and people feel unimpaired. The Sage dwells above and they feel unburdened. So the whole world is delighted and unwearied.

非以其无争與，故天下莫能與争。
Isn’t it that the Sage does not contend? So no one in the world can contend against him.

28（通行本第65章）
故曰：爲道者非以明民也，將以愚之也。民之難治也，以其智也。
As the saying goes, followers of Tao would not want to enlighten people, but to keep them simple and natural. It’s difficult to govern people because of their wisdom.

故以智治邦，邦之賊也；以不智治邦，邦之德也。
So, ruling a kingdom with wisdom makes its people becoming crafty. Ruling its people with no wisdom, it is a blessing to the kingdom.

恒知此兩者，亦稽式也；恒知稽式，此謂玄德。
Remember these two principles, also know the ancient standard. Constantly keeping in mind the ancient standard is called the Mystic Virtue.

玄德深矣，遠矣，與物反矣，乃至大顺。
When the Mystic Virtue becomes deep and far, and things will turn back, and reach the Grand Concordance.

27（通行本第64章）
其安也，易持也。其未兆也，易謀也。
It is easy to hold when it stays still. It is easy to plan before it unfolds.

其脆也，易破也。其微也，易散也。爲之於其未有也，治之於其未亂也。
It easily breaks when it is brittle. It easily scatters when it is small. Deal with it before the situation unfolds, manage it before it gets out of control.

合抱之木，生於毫末。九層之臺，作於虆土。百仞之高，始於足下。
A tree of a person's embrace grows from a sprout. A nine-storied tower starts from a clod of earth. Climbing a rock of thousand feet begins at one’s feet.

爲之者敗之，執之者失之。是以聖人无爲也，故无敗也；无執也，故无失也。
He who acts fails. He who holds loses. So, the Sage does not act neither does he fail. He does not hold neither does he lose.

民之從事也，恒於幾成事而敗之，故慎終若始，則无敗事矣。
People always fail on the verge of success when doing things. So be as cautious to the end as at the beginning, then there will be no failure.

是以聖人欲不欲，而不貴難得之貨；學不學，而復衆人之所過；能辅萬物之自然，而弗敢爲。
Thus the Sage harbors no desires, nor does he value rare goods. He learns what others neglect, and restores what others have missed. He helps all things back to their natural course, all without much ado.

26（通行本第63章）
爲无爲，事无事，味无味。大小,多少，報怨以德。
Work without doing, manage without interfering, eat without enjoying. Respect the small as great. Regard the few as many. Reciprocate insult with generosity.

圖難乎其易也，爲大乎其细也。
Handle the difficult while it is still easy. Handle the big while it is still small.

天下之難作於易，天下之大作於细。是以聖人終不爲大，故能成其大。
Difficult tasks begin with what is easy. Great accomplishments begin with what is small. Therefore, the Sage never strives for the great and thus achieves greatness.

夫輕諾者必寡信。多易必多難，是以聖人猶難之，故終於无難。
Rash promises gain little trust. Taking things too lightly results in much difficulty. Thus the Sage always confront difficulties and therefore have no difficulty.

25（通行本第62章）
道者萬物之主也，善人之葆也，不善人之所保也。
Tao is the source of the universe. It is good people’s treasure and bad people’s refuge.

美言可以市，尊行可以加人。人之不善也，何棄之有。
故立天子，置三卿，雖有拱之璧以先驷馬，不若坐而進此。
古之所以貴此者何也？不謂求以得，有罪以免與！故爲天下貴。
Lovely words help close a transaction, and honorable deeds win you respect. Why reject people even when they are not good.
Thus, when a king is crowned and three ministers appointed, rather than send tributes of large jade filling both hands and be preceded with chariots of four horses, it’s better to sit down and send in tribute of the Tao.
Why did the ancients so esteem the Tao? Did they not say: “Seek and you shall receive; Sin and you shall be forgiven”? Thus, it is prized in the world. （与圣经同！！）

24（通行本第61章）
大邦者，下流也，天下之牝。天下之郊（交）也，牝恒以靓（静）勝牡。爲其靓（静）[也，故]宜爲下。
A great nation is like a downstream, it is the female of the universe. It is the converging ground of the universe, it is always through tranquility that the female subdues the male. By her tranquility, she is delightful to be underneath.

大邦[以]下小[邦]，則取小邦；小邦以下大邦，則取於大邦。故或下以取，或下而取。
So by getting beneath a small state, a great state can win over a small one. And by getting below a great state, the small state can be gained by a great one. One wins by willingly taking the lower position. Therefore, some stoop to win, and others stoop and gain.

[故]大邦者，不過欲兼畜人；小邦者，不過欲入事人。夫皆得其欲，[大者宜]爲下。
So a great state wants no more than to nourish its people, a small state wants no more than to admit and serve its benefactor. So both get satisfied, the great is willing to be underneath.

23（通行本第60章）
治大國若烹小鮮。以道莅天下，其鬼不神。
Ruling a big kingdom is like steaming a small fish. Leading the world with Tao, evils are deprived of their magic power.

非其鬼不神也，其神不傷人也。非其神不傷人也，聖人亦弗傷也。夫兩不相傷，故德交歸焉。
It is not that evils lose their magic powers, but that their powers no longer harm people. Not only does the spirit not harm people, but the Sage also does not harm people. When neither harm each other, their good influences converge in the Virtue.

22（通行本第59章）
治人事天莫若啬，夫唯啬，是以早服，早服是謂重積德。
In governing people and worshiping Heaven, nothing exceeds moderation. So, moderation means easy submission; easy submission means doubling his garnered Virtue.

重積德則无不克，无不克則莫知其極。莫知其極，可以有國。有國之母，可以長久。
When doubling his garnered Virtue, he becomes invincible. When he is invincible, he knows no limits. When he knows no limits, he is capable of ruling a kingdom. Ruling a kingdom with maternal principle shall long endure.

是謂深根固柢，長生久視之道也。
This is called deeply rooted in a firm foundation, the way of long life and eternal vision.

21（通行本第58章）
其政悶悶，其民惇惇。其政察察，其民㹟㹟。
When a régime is unobtrusive, its people are simple. When a régime is prying, its people become crafty.

祸，福之所倚；福，祸之所伏，孰知其極？
Good fortune has its roots in misfortune, and misfortune lurks beneath good fortune. Who knows the limits of this?

其无正也，正復爲奇，善復爲妖，人之迷也，其日固久矣。
Is there a norm of what's right? What's normal becomes abnormal. What's good becomes evil. People have been perplexed by it for a long time.

是以方而不割，廉而不刺，直而不肆，光而不燿。
Therefore, it is square yet not cut, it is pointed but would not pierce, it is straightforward but restrained, it is shining but not dazzling.

20（通行本第57章）
以正治邦，以奇用兵，以无事取天下。
Rule a nation by the norms, command an army by surprise tactics, conquer the world by no action.

吾何[以知其然]也哉？
How would I know this?

夫天下多忌諱，而民彌貧。
The more prohibitions for people under Heaven, the poorer they become;

民多利器，而邦家滋昏。
The more sharp weapons people have, the more chaotic the kingdom and family are.

人多知智，而奇物滋起。法物滋章，而盗賊多有。
The smarter people become, the more weird things would be stirred up. The more intrusive the law and order are, the more thieves and villains multiply.

是以聖人之言曰：我无爲也而民自化，我好静而民自正，我无事民自富，我欲不欲而民自樸。
For these reasons the Sage said, when I take no action, people grow to natural inclination; when I prefer tranquility, people become upright by their own accord; when I have no concerns, people grow wealthy on their own; when I harbor no desires, people sustain on simplicity.

19（通行本第56章）
知者弗言，言者弗知。
Those who know don’t talk, those who talk don’t know.

塞其悶，閉其門，和其光，同其塵，挫其銳，解其紛，是謂玄同。
Block the passages, close the doors, soften the light, be one with the dust, blunt the sharp edges and resolve the conflicts. This is the mystic conformity.

故不可得而親，亦不可得而疏；
So, it is endeared when it is out of reach, and it is detached when it is out of reach;

不可得而利，亦不可得而害；
it is beneficial when it is out of reach, it is impaired when it is out of reach;

不可得而貴，亦不可得而賎；故爲天下貴。
it is honored when it is out of reach, it is despised when it is out of reach. So, it is honored under Heaven.

18（通行本第55章）
含德之厚者，比於赤子。逢蝲蝟地弗螫，攫鳥猛獸弗搏。
He who is filled up with Virtues is like a newborn baby, wasps, scorpions, lizards and snakes will not bite it. Vultures and beasts will not attack.

骨弱筋柔而握固。未知牝牡之会而朘怒，精之至也。
Its bones are soft and muscles flexible, but its grasps are firm. Not knowing union of male and female, yet its penis is aroused. Vitality effectuates it.

終日號而不，和之至也。
It cries all day without becoming hoarse. Union effectuates it.

和曰常，知常曰明，益生曰祥，心使氣曰强。
Knowing union means eternity. Knowing eternity means enlightenment. Improving the growth of life is ill-fated. Submitting to one’s emotion is ill-destined.

物狀旣老，謂之不道，不道早已。
Things in their prime turn to decline, this is against Tao. All against Tao ends early.

17（通行本第54章）
善建者不拔，善抱者不脱，子孫以祭祀不絶。
What is well established cannot be uprooted. What is firmly embraced will not slip away. The descendants will consecutively continue their ancestral sacrifices.

脩之身，其德乃真。脩之家，其德有餘。
Cultivate it in oneself, its Virtue is genuine. Cultivate it at home, and the Virtue is abundant.

脩之鄉，其德乃長。脩之邦，其德乃豐。
Cultivate it in the village, and the Virtue thrives there. Cultivate it in the kingdom, and the Virtue flourishes there.

脩之天下，其德乃博。
Cultivate it in the world, and the Virtue will be universal.

以身觀身，以家觀家，以鄉觀鄉，以邦觀邦，
So, judge an individual by himself. Judge a household by its family members. Judge a village by its villagers. Judge a nation by its citizens.

以天下觀天下。吾何以知天下之然哉？以此。
Judge the whole world by All its People. How would I know so is the whole world? By doing so.

16（通行本第53章）
使我挈有知，行於大道，唯迆是畏。
Were I to have knowledge, I choose to follow the Grand Tao, fearing only to be distracted from it.

大道甚夷，民甚好徑。
The Grand Tao is smooth, but people prefer sidetracks.

朝甚除，田甚芜，仓甚虚。
The courts are so corrupt, the fields so weedy, and their barns so depleted.

服文采，带利劍。厌飲食，資財有餘。
They wear ornate robes, bearing sharp swords; enjoying fine food and drink, owning more than they can relish.

是谓盗竽，非道也哉！
This is laudatory to banditry, not in line with Tao.

15（通行本第52章）
天下有始，以爲天下母。
The beginning of the universe is known as the Mother of All.

既得其母，以知其子，復守其母，没身不殆。
Having known the Mother, one may know her children, in turn obeys the Mother, his life is free from perils.

塞其㙂，閉其門，终身不勤。
Block the passages, close the doors, enjoy one’s life with no toils.

啟其悶，濟其事，终身不救。
He opens his mouth loose for his own agenda, he ends his life beyond salvation.

見小曰明，守柔曰强。
Seeing significance in small is enlightenment, yielding against pressure means strength.
用其光，復歸其明，毋遺身殃，是谓襲常。
Using the light to revert to his enlightenment is to avoid tragedies in life. This is called keeping low profile.

14（通行本第51章）
道生之而德畜之，物形之而器成之。是以萬物尊道而貴德。
Tao conceives it, but Virtue raises it. Matter shapes it, but vessel completes it. Therefore, all things respect Tao and honors Virtue.

道之尊，德之貴也，夫莫之爵而恒自然也。
Respects to Tao and Honors to Virtue are not results of any investiture but acts of natural tributes.

道生之、畜之、長之、育之、亭之、毒之，養之，覆之。
Tao conceives it, raises it, grows it, educates it, shelters it, strengthens it, feeds it and protects it.

生而弗有也，爲而弗恃也，長而弗宰也，此之谓玄德。
Giving birth but claiming no ownership; serving but taking no credit; becoming the leader but not domineering. It is thus called Mystic Virtue.

13（通行本第50章）
出生入死。生之徒十有三，死之徒十有三，
From their births to deaths, three out of ten are followers of life, and three out of ten are in pursuit of deaths.

而民生生，動皆之死地之十有三。夫何故也？以其生生也。
People excessively try to sustain their life, so three out of ten hasten their journey to the house of death. Why is it so? Because they intensify their efforts to sustain life.

蓋聞善攝生者，陵行不避兕虎，入军不被甲兵。
It is heard that he who is skillful in sustaining life will not shun rhinoceros or tigers when traveling in the hills, and shall not avoid arms and armors when going into battles.

兕无所揣其角，虎无所措其爪，兵无所容其刃，夫何故也？以其無死地焉。
A rhinoceros would find nowhere to butt its horn, a tiger would find nowhere to fix its claws, a weapon would find no room to penetrate their blade. Why is it so? Because there is no province of death for him.

12（通行本第49章）
聖人恒无心，以百姓之心爲心。
The Sage has no set will; he accommodates himself to the will of the people.

善者善之，不善者亦善之，德善也。
He is good to the kind and even to the unkind, this is the supreme Goodness.

信者信之，不信者亦信之，德信也。
He trusts the trustworthy and even the untrustworthy, this is the supreme Trust.

聖人之在天下，焉，爲天下渾心。
The Sage is so apathetic to this world that sinks him into confusion of mind regarding this world.

百姓皆屬耳目焉，聖人皆孩之。
All people fix their eyes and ears to him, and the Sage treats all like children.

11（通行本第48章）
爲學者日益，聞道者日損。
People in pursuit of learning multiply by day, people following Tao diminish by day.

損之又損，以至於无爲，无爲而无不爲。
Diminishing and diminishing till it ends up in no action, when nothing is done, nothing is left undone.

取天下也，恒无事，及其有事也，又不足以取天下矣。
Taking over the world, there is no need to do anything. If there is work needs to be done, he is not capable of taking over this world.

10（通行本第47章）
不出於户，以知天下。不窺於牖，以知天道。
Without venturing outdoors, he knows the world; without looking through the , he knows Tao of Heaven.

其出也彌遠，其知彌少。
The farther one travels, the less he knows.

是以聖人不行而知，不見而名，弗爲而成。
So the Sage knows without venturing out, he is enlightened without seeing, he accomplishes without action.

9（通行本第46章）
天下有道，卻走馬以糞。
When Tao reigns under Heaven, horses work to haul the manure,

天下无道，戎馬生於郊。
When Tao perishes under Heaven, war horses are bred on the outskirts.

罪莫大於可欲，禍莫大於不知足，咎莫憯於欲得。
Nothing is more sinful than succumbing to greed, nothing is more misfortunate than being discontent, nothing is more painful than one’s desire for possession.

故知足之足，恆足矣。
Therefore, whoever is contented with contentment shall always be content.

8（通行本第45章）
大成若缺，其用不敝。大盈若盅，其用不窮。
The great accomplishment seems imperfect, yet its use is never impaired; the maximum fullness seems empty, yet its use is inexhaustible.

大直如詘，大巧如拙，大赢如肭。
The ultimate frankness seems devious, the ultimate smartness seems clumsy, and the convincing eloquence seems stuttering.

躁勝寒，静勝炅。清静可以爲天下正。
Movement overcomes the cold, and tranquility overcomes heat. Tranquility and Peace set the world in order.

7（通行本第44章）
名與身孰親？身與貨孰多？得與亡孰病？
Your fame or your life, which is more endearing? Your life or possessions, which is more precious? Your gain or loss, which is more ill-predestined?

甚愛必大費，多藏必厚亡。
He who loves materials things wastes much. The more he hoards, the more he loses.

故知足不辱，知止不殆，可以長久。
So be content, you shall not be insulted; and knowing your limit, you shall be free from perils. This is everlasting.

6（通行本第43章）
天下之至柔，馳騁於天下之至堅。
The softest in the world overwhelms the hardest as a rider controls a galloping horse.

无有入於无間。
The without permeates within even with no crevice.

吾是以知无爲之有益也。
By these I know the benefit of non-action.

不言之教，无爲之益，天下希能及之矣。
Teaching without words, benefiting without actions—what else in the world can match this?

5（通行本第42章）
道生一，一生二，二生三，三生萬物。萬物負陰而抱陽，沖氣以爲和。
Tao begets one, and one begets two, and two begets three, and after three come all things. All things succumb to Yin and embrace Yang. Full vitality is achieved through Harmony.

天下之所惡，唯孤寡不榖，而王公以自名也。
People under Heaven hate to be orphaned, widowed and worthless, yet Kings and Dukes use such as their titles.

物或損之而益，益之而損。
Gain may seem like a loss, and loss like a gain.

古人之所教，亦我而教人。
What ancient scholars teach is also what I teach.

故强梁者不得死，我將以爲學父。
So the violent and strong die a premature death. I will make this the of my teaching.

4（通行本第40章）
反也者，道之動也。弱也者，道之用也。天下之物生於有，有生於無。
Reversion is put into action by Tao. Gentleness is put into use by Tao. All things of this world come from Being. Being comes from non-being.

3（通行本第41章）
上士聞道，勤能行之。中士聞道，若存若亡。下士聞道，大笑之。弗笑，不足以爲道。
When a man of superior capacity hears of Tao, he diligently puts it into practice. When an average man hears of Tao, he seems to get it and then forget it. When a man below average capacity hears of Tao, he laughs out loud. Without him laughing, it would not be Tao.

是以建言有之曰：明道如昧，進道如退，夷道如類。
So a well-known proverb says: “who understands Tao seems oblivious; who advances in Tao seems fall behind; who moves smoothly to Tao seems on a bumpy journey.”

上德如浴（谷），大白如辱。
The supreme Virtue looks like empty, the sheer white appears stained,

廣德如不足。建德如偷。質真如渝。
A wealth of Virtue seems deficient. The strength of Virtue seems deceptive. Real Virtue seems unreal.

大方无隅，大器免成，大音希聲，大象无形，道襃无名。
A broad square looks devoid of corners, the great talent succeeds with ease, the thunderous voice sounds like a whisper, the brightest image appears formless, Tao is great but nameless.

夫唯道，善始且善成。
Only Tao will see it through from its beginning to completion.

2 （通行本第39章）
昔之得一者，天得一以清，地得一以寜，
Of those who attained one in ancient times: through One, Heaven became clarified. Through One, Earth became stabilized.

神得一以靈，谷得一以盈，侯王得一而以爲天下正。
Through One, God was empowered with holiness. Through One, valley was filled up. Through One, Dukes and Kings ruled their kingdom upright.

其誡之也，谓天毋已清將恐裂，
That was how each became so. Without clarity, Heaven would tumble.

谓地毋已寜將恐發,
Without tranquility, Earth would crumble.

谓神毋已靈將恐歇，
Without empowerment, the God’s holiness would vanish.

谓谷毋已盈將恐竭，
Without fullness, valley would dry up.

谓侯王毋已貴以高將恐蹶。
Without honor or respect, Dukes and Kings would be deposed.

故必貴而以賎爲本，必高矣而以下爲基。
So nobility is surely rooted in humility, honor is surely based on humbleness.

夫是以侯王自谓曰孤寡不榖。
Therefore, Dukes and Kings would address themselves as “the orphaned”, “the widowed” and “the worthless”.

此其賎之本舆？非也？
It is based on modesty as source, isn’t it?

故致數譽无譽。
Therefore, there is no gain to amass too much honor.

是故不欲禄禄若玉，硌硌若石。
So do not tinkle like a jade nor rattle like a rock.

上篇：《德经》The Book of Virtue
（通行本38-81）
1 （通行本第38章）
上德不德，是以有德；
A man of supreme Virtue relies not on Virtue, he thus has Virtue;
下德不失德，是以无]德。
A man of fake Virtue depends on Virtue, therefore he is of no Virtue.
上德无爲而无以爲也。
The supreme Virtue relies not on action but gets nothing done;
上仁爲之而无以爲也。
The supreme compassion relies on action but gets nothing done;
上義爲之而有以爲也。
The supreme justice relies on action but leaves much to be done.
上禮爲之而莫之應也，则攘臂而扔之。
The supreme ritual relies on action, when no one responds he lashes out his elbows to impose it on others.
故失道而后德，失德而后仁，
Therefore, Virtue fills in when Tao perishes; compassion fills in when Virtue perishes;
失仁而后義，失義而后禮。
Justice fills in when compassion perishes; ritual fills in when justice perishes.
夫禮者，忠信之薄也，而亂之首也。