《04道德经英译本85种》

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04道德经英译本85种- 第272部分


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  56

  Whoever knows does not speak; whoever speaks does not know。 So; stop the senses。 Close their doors。 Ignore their riddles。 Subdue their light。 Be one with humble dust。 This is the mystic unity。

  It is beyond love and hate; beyond profit and loss; beyond honor and dishonor。 Thus; it is the most valuable treasure in all the world。

  57

  Be Lawful; Not Full of Laws

  Rule by what is right。 Wage war by clever strategy。 Win the world by being passive。 How do I know? By this: more restritions mean weaker people; more weapons mean a troubled state; more cunning means many surprises; more laws mean violators。 Therefore be passive and the people will be peaceful; be serene and the people will be pricipled; be reserved and the people will be wealthy; be selfless and the people will be simple and serene。

  58

  To Govern Be Gentle

  Govern passively; the people are happy。 Govern precisely; the people are restless。 Happiness arises from unhappiness; unhappiness lies beneath happiness。 Who knows what is best? When the state is self?righteous; self?righteousness becomes strategy and good becomes evil。 Man has long been misguided。 The truly wise are: square (sharp…cornered) but nut cutting; angled (wedge…like) but not interfering; straight (pointed) but not domineering; bright (enlightened) but not binding。

  59

  With Tao You Are Supreme

  In ruling men be reserved。 To be reserved is to conform to Tao; to conform to Tao is to achieve Teh; with Teh anything is possible; because anything is possible; no one knows your supremacy; because no one knows your supremacy; a nation can be ruled well; because this is a Mother Principle it long endures; therefore you are as deeply rooted and as immortal as it is。

  60

  Do But Never Overdo

  Rule a great state as you cook a small fish: do not overdo it!

  Rule with Tao and evil departs。 Evil will still have power; but it will not harm the people。 Then not only does evil cease to do harm; the ruler also ceases to do harm; and therefore both possess Teh。

  61

  The Tao of Statecraft

  A great nation is one to which the streams descend。 It is the meeting place; the female of the world。 Quiet; passive; overcoming the male ba humble submission。

  A great nation lowers itself to the smaller and thus wins the smaller nation; a smaller nation lowers itself beneath the greater and thus wins the greater nation。 So; some lower themselves to win others; some are already low; and therefore win others。

  A great nation wants more people; a small nation wants more room。 When both are dedicated to these ends; the greater nation should humbly yield。

  62

  Tao is at the source of everything: treasure for the good; refuge for the bad。 Fine words can be sold; fine deeds can be but a show。 Why; then; refuge the bad?

  Therefore; at the crowning of the emperor or at the appointment of the three ministers; rather than present gifts of jade and hourses; present the gift of Tao。

  Why did the ancients value Tao so? Did they not say the seeker shall find it; the sinner shall find it and be forgiven? So is it the treasure of the world。

  63

  Achieve serenity。 Work passively。 Taste the flavorless。 Large or small; many or few; exchange love for hatred。

  Undertake the difficult while it is still simple; undertake the great while it is still minor。 The problems in the world must be solved while they are easy; the great while they are minor。 The truly wise find greatness by undertaking nothing great。

  A promise lightly made is often difficult to keep。 Whoever makes light of things encounters many problems。 The truly wise know that things are difficult and therefore meet with no difficulties。

  64

  What is not moving is easily held。 What has not happened is easily planned。 What is brittle is easily broken。 What is tiny is easily dispersed。 Deal with a problem before it arises; exercise control before confusion exists。

  A tree with an arm…girth of trunk grows from a tiny spout; a nine…stoied terrace arises from a heap of dirt; a thousand…mile journey begins with the first step。

  Action spoils; reaching loses。 The truly wise are not active。 Thus they do not spoil things。 Do not reach so do not lose。 Things are often spoiled very close to completion。
  Be as careful at completion as you were at the beginning。

  Thus the truly wise want the unwanted and do not prize what is rare。 Study what is unstudied and preserve what is lost。 Assist in the course of nature but never interfere in it。

  65

  Simplicity an Ancient Standard

  The ancient followers of Tao did not use it to increase knowledge; but rather to preserve simplicity。 People are difficult to govern when there is too much knowledge。 Whoever rules a country by furthering knowledge is that nation抯 curse。 Whoever rules a country by furthering simplicity is that nation抯 blessing。 To know these two principles is to know the ancient standard。 To know the ancient standard is to possess Teh of a certainty。 Teh is deep and vast as infinity。 It returns us to primal peace。

  66

  To Lead Appear to Follow

  Why do rivers and seas have dominion over lowlands? Because the one lowers itself to the other。 To be elevated by the people; speak like their inferior。 To lead the people; walk behind them。 Thus the truly wise are above; but people do not feel their weight。 They walk in front; but people do not feel blocked。 The whole world respects and never grows tired of such leadership。 Because the truly wise are not aggressive; no one is aggressive toward them。

  67

  The world says: 擳ao is great but seems so foolish!?It seems foolish because it is great。 If it did not seem so foolish it would have long since lost its value。

  I have three treasures。 Guard them and keep them safe! The first is love without which nothing is possible。 The second is moderation which is to know the Mystic Balance。 The third is humility; to know that you have come from nothing and that you return to nothing。 Without these there is no hope。

  Love conquers all。 There is no defense against it。 Tao arms with love those it would protect。

  68

  Victory in Tao

  The most skilled soldier is not aggressive; the most proficient fighter never loses control; the most victorious commander does not bicker; the most efficient leader is humble before all。 This is the virtue of serenity。 This is the mastery of life。 This is matching Teh to Tao。

  69

  Tao Strategy

  Ancient military strategists said: 擨 would rather be invaded than be the invader; I would rather retreat one foot than advance one inch。?br》 
  This means not marching in formation; not appering prepared; with sleeves up; not charging in frontal assault; not arming with elaborate weapons。

  There is no more fateful catastrophe than to understimate the enemy。 To underestimate the enemy is to run the risk of losing treasures。 Thus; when evenly matched armies battle; the passive; recessive one is the victor。

  70

  My teachings are easily understood and are readily put into practice yet everyone does not understand them; everyone does not practice them。

  Words have specific meanings; actions have specific causes。 Not being specific; people do not understand me。 Being misunderstood; I understand。 Understanding; true knowledge is mine。 In this way; the truly wise wear common clothes and carry their jewels in their hearts。

  71

  On Intelligence

  To know what you do not know is best。 He who thinks he knows what he does not know is sick in mind。

  One who sees this for what it is is not sick in mind。

  The followers of Tao are not sick in mind because they know this。

  72

  Lead Humbly But Surely

  When the people do not fear absolute rule; greater fear will yet descend on them。

  Do not give them cramped quarters; do not make sacrifice of their children。 If you do not dislike them you will not be disliked yourself。 The truly wise know themselves but do not flaunt themselves。 The truly wise love themselves but do not take pride in themselves。 Therefore; they reject the one and accept the other。

  73

  One of courage; with audacity; will kill。 One of courage; but gentle; spares life。 From these two kinds of courage arise harm and benefit。 Even if Tao dislikes certain people; who can say why? The truly wise regard this as a most difficult question。 Tao does not content but it surely wins。 It does not speak but it surely responds。 It does not command but things come of themselves。 It is empty yet contains the Master Plan。 The net of Tao is all…encompassing; its meshes are wide; yet nothing is lost。

  74

  Capital Punishment

  If the people do not fear death; why threaten them with it? If the people do fear death; and if the unlawful be killed; who would dare to execute them? Only the Supreme Executioner kills。 To take his place is to set an unskilled man to wield the hatchet of a master carpenter: he rarely escapes chopping off his own hand!

  75

  Rule Without Interfering

  The people starve when rulers impose heavy taxes。 That is why people starve。

  The people are rebellious when rulers meddle in their affairs。 That is why people are rebellious。

  The people do not fear death when they fight for a better life。 That is why they do not fear death。

  Those who do not interfere with life receive genuine value from it。

  76

  When living; man is supple and yielding; when dead; man is hard and stiff。 When living; all animals and plants are soft and pliant; when dead; they are withered and brittle。 Thus being inflexible and unyielding is part of dying; being flexible and yielding is part of living。

  Thus; a headstrong legion will lose in war just as an unyielding tree will snap under the axe。 The place of the strong is below; the place of the gentle is above。

  77

  Is not Tao like a drawn bow? The highest part is lowered; the lowest part is raised; overall length is shortened; overall depth is lengthened。

  So Tao lowers the highest and raises the lowest。 But the Tao of man increases t
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