《道德经》汉英对照-(Waley-译本)

1《道德经》汉英对照（Waley译本）老子著ArthurWaley英译注：英文翻译不能完全表达古文愿意，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。TheWaythatcanbetoldofisnotanUnvaryingWay;Thenamesthatcanbenamedarenotunvaryingnames.ItwasfromtheNamelessthatHeavenandEarthsprang;Thenamedisbutthemotherthatrearsthetenthousandcreatures,eachafteritskind.Truly,“OnlyhethatridshimselfforeverofdesirecanseetheSecretEssences”;HethathasneverridhimselfofdesirecanseeonlytheOutcomes.Thesetwothingsissuedfromthesamemould,butneverthelessaredifferentinname.This“samemould”wecanbutcalltheMystery,Orratherthe“DarkerthananyMystery”,TheDoorwaywhenceissuedallSecretEssences.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------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。ItisbecauseeveryoneunderHeavenrecognizesbeautyasbeauty,Thattheideaofuglinessexists.Andequallyifeveryonerecognizedvirtueasvirtue,thiswouldmerelycreatefreshconceptionsofwickedness.Fortruly,BeingandNot-beinggrowoutofoneanother;Difficultandeasycompleteoneanother.Longandshorttestoneanother;Highandlowdetermineoneanother.Pitchandmodegiveharmonytooneanother.Frontandbackgivesequencetooneanother.ThereforetheSagereliesonactionlessactivity,Carriesonwordlessteaching,2Butthemyriadcreaturesareworkeduponbyhim;Hedoesnotdisownthem.Herearsthem,butdoesnotlayclaimtothem,Controlsthem,butdoesnotleanuponthem,Achieveshisaim,butdoesnotcallattentiontowhathedoes;AndfortheveryreasonthathedoesnotcallattentiontowhathedoesHeisnotejectedfromfruitionofwhathehasdone.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------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。Ifwestoplookingfor“personsofsuperiormorality”(hsien)toputinpower,Therewillbenomorejealousiesamongthepeople.Ifweceasetosetstorebyproductsthatarehardtoget,Therewillbenomorethieves.Ifthepeopleneverseesuchthingsasexcitedesire,Theirheartswillremainplacidandundisturbed.ThereforetheSagerulesByemptyingtheirheartsAndfillingtheirhearts?WeakeningtheirintelligenceAndtougheningtheirsinewsEverstrivingtomakethepeopleknowledgelessanddesireless.Indeedheseestoitthatiftherebeanywhohaveknowledge,Theydarenotinterfere.Yetthroughhisactionlessactivityallthingsaredulyregulated.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------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。TheWayislikeanemptyvesselThatyetmaybedrawnfromWithouteverneedingtobefilled.Itisbottomless;theveryprogenitorofallthingsintheworld.Initallsharpnessisblunted,Alltanglesuntied,3Allglaretempered,Alldustsoothed.Itislikeadeeppoolthatneverdries.Wasittoothechildofsomethingelse?Wecannottell.ButasasubstancelessimageitexistedbeforetheAncestor.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------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。HeavenandEarthareruthless;TothemtheTenThousandthingsarebutasstrawdogs.TheSagetooisruthless;Tohimthepeoplearebutasstrawdogs.YetHeavenandEarthandallthatliesbetweenIslikeabellowsInthatitisempty,butgivesasupplythatneverfails.Workit,andmorecomesout.Whereastheforceofwordsissoonspent.Farbetterisittokeepwhatisintheheart.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------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。TheValleySpiritneverdies.ItisnamedtheMysteriousFemale.AndthedoorwayoftheMysteriousFemaleIsthebasefromwhichHeavenandEarthsprang.Itistherewithinusallthewhile;Drawuponitasyouwill,itneverrunsdry.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------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。4Heaveniseternal,theEartheverlasting.Howcometheytobeso?Itisbecausetheydonotfostertheirownlives;Thatiswhytheylivesolong.ThereforetheSagePutshimselfinthebackground;butisalwaystothefore.Remainsoutside;butisalwaysthere.IsitnotjustbecausehedoesnotstriveforanypersonalendThatallhispersonalendsarefulfilled?--------------------------------------------------------------------------------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。Thehighestgoodislikethatofwater.Thegoodnessofisthatitbenefitsthetenthousandcreatures;Yetitselfdoesnotscramble,Butiscontentwiththeplacesthatallmendisdain.ItisthismakeswatersoneartotheWay.Andifmenthinkthegroundthebestplaceforbuildingahouseupon,Ifamongthoughtstheyvaluethosethatareprofound,Ifinfriendshiptheyvaluegentleness,Inwords,truth;ingovernment,goodorder;Indeeds,effectiveness;inactions,timeliness-Ineachcaseitisbecausetheypreferwhatdoesnotleadtostrife,Andthereforedoesnotgoamiss.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------九章持而盈之，不如其已。揣而锐之，不可长保。金玉满堂，莫之能守。富贵而骄，自遗其咎。功遂身退，天下之道。Stretchabowtotheveryfull,Andyouwillwishyouhadstoppedintime;Temperasword-edgetoitsverysharpest,Andyouwillfinditsoongrowsdull.Whenbronzeandjadefillyourhall.5Itcannolongerbeguarded.Wealthandplacebreedinsolence.Thatbringsruininitstrain.Whenyourworkisdone,thenwithdraw!SuchisHeaven'sWay.-