《道德经》汉英对照-(Legge-译本)

1《道德经》汉英对照（LeggeLeggeLeggeLegge译本）老子著JamesLegge英译（注：英文翻译不能完全表达古文原意，敬请读者斟酌）一章道，可道，非恒道。名，可名，非恒名。无名，天地之始；有名，万物之母。故常无欲，以观其妙；常有欲，以观其徼。此两者同出而异名，同谓之玄。玄之又玄，众妙之门。TheTaothatcanbetroddenisnottheenduringandunchangingTao.Thenamethatcanbenamedisnottheenduringandunchangingname.(Conceivedofas)havingnoname,itistheOriginatorofheavenandearth;(conceivedofas)havinganame,itistheMotherofallthings.Alwayswithoutdesirewemustbefound,Ifitsdeepmysterywewouldsound;Butifdesirealwayswithinusbe,Itsouterfringeisallthatweshallsee.Underthesetwoaspects,itisreallythesame;butasdevelopmenttakesplace,itreceivesthedifferentnames.TogetherwecallthemtheMystery.WheretheMysteryisthedeepestisthegateofallthatissubtleandwonderful.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------二章天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已；皆知善之为善，斯不善矣。有无相生，难易相成，长短相形，高下相盈，音声相和，前后相随，恒也。是以圣人处无为之事，行不言之教，万物作而弗始，生而弗有，为而弗恃，功成而弗居。夫唯弗居，是以不去。Allintheworldknowthebeautyofthebeautiful,andindoingthis2theyhave(theideaof)whatuglinessis;theyallknowtheskilloftheskilful,andindoingthistheyhave(theideaof)whatthewantofskillis.Soitisthatexistenceandnon-existencegivebirththeoneto(theideaof)theother;thatdifficultyandeaseproducetheone(theideaof)theother;thatlengthandshortnessfashionouttheonethefigureoftheother;that(theideasof)heightandlownessarisefromthecontrastoftheonewiththeother;thatthemusicalnotesandtonesbecomeharmoniousthroughtherelationofonewithanother;andthatbeingbeforeandbehindgivetheideaofonefollowinganother.Thereforethesagemanagesaffairswithoutdoinganything,andconveyshisinstructionswithouttheuseofspeech.Allthingsspringup,andthereisnotonewhichdeclinestoshowitself;theygrow,andthereisnoclaimmadefortheirownership;theygothroughtheirprocesses,andthereisnoexpectation(ofarewardfortheresults).Theworkisaccomplished,andthereisnorestinginit(asanachievement).Theworkisdone,buthownoonecansee;'Tisthisthatmakesthepowernotceasetobe.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------三章不尚贤，使民不争；不贵难得之货，使民不为盗；不见可欲，使民心不乱。是以圣人之治，虚其心，实其腹；弱其志，强其骨。常使民无知无欲。使夫知不敢弗为而已，则无不治。Nottovalueandemploymenofsuperiorabilityisthewaytokeepthepeoplefromrivalryamongthemselves;nottoprizearticleswhicharedifficulttoprocureisthewaytokeepthemfrombecomingthieves;nottoshowthemwhatislikelytoexcitetheirdesiresisthewaytokeeptheirmindsfromdisorder.Thereforethesage,intheexerciseofhisgovernment,emptiestheir3minds,fillstheirbellies,weakenstheirwills,andstrengthenstheirbones.Heconstantly(triesto)keepthemwithoutknowledgeandwithoutdesire,andwheretherearethosewhohaveknowledge,tokeepthemfrompresumingtoact(onit).Whenthereisthisabstinencefromaction,goodorderisuniversal.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------四章道冲，而用之或不盈。渊兮，似万物之宗。挫其锐，解其纷，和其光，同其尘。湛兮，似或存。吾不知谁之子，象帝之先。TheTaois(like)theemptinessofavessel;andinouremploymentofitwemustbeonourguardagainstallfulness.Howdeepandunfathomableitis,asifitweretheHonouredAncestorofallthings!Weshouldbluntoursharppoints,andunravelthecomplicationsofthings;weshouldattemperourbrightness,andbringourselvesintoagreementwiththeobscurityofothers.HowpureandstilltheTaois,asifitwouldeversocontinue!Idonotknowwhosesonitis.ItmightappeartohavebeenbeforeGod.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------五章天地不仁，以万物为刍狗；圣人不仁，以百姓为刍狗。天地之间，其犹橐龠乎？虚而不屈，动而愈出。多闻数穷，不如守中。Heavenandearthdonotactfrom(theimpulseof)anywishtobebenevolent;theydealwithallthingsasthedogsofgrassaredealtwith.Thesagesdonotactfrom(anywishtobe)benevolent;theydealwiththepeopleasthedogsofgrassaredealtwith.4Maynotthespacebetweenheavenandearthbecomparedtoabellows?'Tisemptied,yetitlosesnotitspower;'Tismovedagain,andsendsforthairthemore.Muchspeechtoswiftexhaustionleadwesee;Yourinnerbeingguard,andkeepitfree.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------六章谷神不死，是谓玄牝。玄牝之门，是谓天地根。绵绵若存，用之不勤。Thevalleyspiritdiesnot,ayethesame;Thefemalemysterythusdowename.Itsgate,fromwhichatfirsttheyissuedforth,Iscalledtherootfromwhichgrewheavenandearth.Longandunbrokendoesitspowerremain,Usedgently,andwithoutthetouchofpain.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------七章天长地久。天地所以能长且久者，以其不自生，故能长生。是以圣人后其身而身先，外其身而身存。不以其无私邪？故能成其私。Heavenislong-enduringandearthcontinueslong.Thereasonwhyheavenandearthareabletoendureandcontinuethuslongisbecausetheydonotliveof,orfor,themselves.Thisishowtheyareabletocontinueandendure.Thereforethesageputshisownpersonlast,andyetitisfoundintheforemostplace;hetreatshispersonasifitwereforeigntohim,andyetthatpersonispreserved.Isitnotbecausehehasnopersonalandprivateends,thatthereforesuchendsarerealised?5--------------------------------------------------------------------------------八章上善若水。水善利万物而不争，居众人之所恶，故几于道。居善地，心善渊，与善仁，言善信，政善治，事善能，动善时。夫唯不争，故无尤。Thehighestexcellenceislike(thatof)water.Theexcellenceofwaterappearsinitsbenefitingallthings,andinitsoccupying,withoutstriving(tothecontrary),thelowplacewhichallmendislike.Hence(itsway)isnearto(thatof)theTao.Theexcellenceofaresidenceisin(thesuitabilityof)theplace;thatofthemindisinabysmalstill