道德经全文和注释 (英文版)

Dr.Wayne WANG

43. Overcoming
Water overcomes the stone;
Without substance it requires no opening;
This is the benefit of taking no action.

Yet benefit without action,
And experience without abstraction,
Are practiced by very few.

【原文】
       天下之至柔，驰骋天下之至坚。
　　 无有入于无间。
       吾是以知无为之有益。
       不言之教，无为之益，天下希及之。

Dr.Wayne WANG

42. Mind
The Way bears sensation,
Sensation bears memory,
Sensation and memory bear abstraction,
And abstraction bears all the world;
Each thing in the world bears feeling and doing,
And, imbued with mind, harmony with the Way.

As others have taught, so do I teach,
"Who loses harmony opposes nature";
This is the root of my teaching.

【原文】
       道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。
       万物负阴而抱阳，冲气以为和。
       人之所恶，唯孤、寡、不谷，而王公以为称。
       故物或损之而益，或益之而损。
       人之所教，我亦教之：
       强梁者不得其死，吾将以为教父。

Dr.Wayne WANG

41. Following
When the great man learns the Way, he follows it with diligence;
When the common man learns the Way, he follows it on occasion;
When the mean man learns the Way, he laughs out loud;
Those who do not laugh, do not learn at all.

Therefore it is said:
Who understands the Way seems foolish;
Who progresses on the Way seems to fail;
Who follows the Way seems to wander.

For the finest harmony appears plain;
The brightest truth appears coloured;
The richest character appears incomplete;
The bravest heart appears meek;
The simplest nature appears inconstant.

The square, perfected, has no corner;
Music, perfected, has no melody;
Love, perfected, has no climax;
Art, perfected, has no meaning.

The Way can be neither sensed nor known:
It transmits sensation and transcends knowledge.

【原文】
       上士闻道，勤而行之；
       中士闻道，若存若亡；
       下士闻道，大笑之──不笑，不足以为道。
       故建言有之：明道若昧，进道若退，夷道若颣 ，上德若谷，大白若辱，广德若不足，建德若偷，质直若渝，大方无隅，大器晚成，大音希声，大象无形──道隐无名。
       夫唯道，善贷且成。

Dr.Wayne WANG

40. Motion and Use
The motion of the Way is to return;
The use of the Way is to accept;
All things come from the Way,
And the Way comes from nothing.

【原文】
       反者道之动，弱者道之用。
       天下之物生于有，有生于无。

Dr.Wayne WANG

39. Support
In mythical times all things were whole:
All the sky was clear,
All the earth was stable,
All the mountains were firm,
All the riverbeds were full,
All of nature was fertile,
And all the rulers were supported.

But, losing clarity, the sky tore;
Losing stability, the earth split;
Losing strength, the mountains sank;
Losing water, the riverbeds cracked;
Losing fertility, nature disappeared;
And losing support, the rulers fell.

Rulers depend upon their subjects,
The noble depend upon the humble;
So rulers call themselves orphaned, hungry and alone,
To win the people's support.

【原文】
       昔之得一者：
       天得一以清；
       地得一以宁；
       谷得一以盈；
       万物得一以生；
       侯王得一以为天下正。
       其致之也。
       天无以清，将恐裂；
       地无以宁，将恐发；
       神无以灵，将恐歇；
       谷无以盈，将恐竭；
       万物无以生，将恐灭；
       侯王无以贵高，将恐蹶。
       故贵以贱为本，高以下为基。
       是以侯王自谓孤、寡、不谷。
       此非以贱为本邪？非乎？
       故致数誉，无誉。
       不欲琭琭如玉，珞珞如石。

Dr.Wayne WANG

38. Ritual
Well established hierarchies are not easily uprooted;
Closely held beliefs are not easily released;
So ritual enthralls generation after generation.

Harmony does not care for harmony, and so is naturally attained;
But ritual is intent upon harmony, and so can not attain it.

Harmony neither acts nor reasons;
Love acts, but without reason;
Justice acts to serve reason;
But ritual acts to enforce reason.

When the Way is lost, there remains harmony;
When harmony is lost, there remains love;
When love is lost, there remains justice;
But when justice is lost, there remains ritual.

Ritual is the end of compassion and honesty,
The beginning of confusion;
Belief is a colourful hope or fear,
The beginning of folly.

The sage goes by harmony, not by hope;
He dwells in the fruit, not the flower;
He accepts substance, and ignores abstraction.

【原文】
       上德不德，是以有德；下德不失德，是以无德。
       上德无为而无以为；下德为之而有以为。
       上仁为之而无以为；上义为之而有以为。
       上礼为之而莫之应，则攘臂而扔之。
　　    故失道而后德，失德而后仁，失仁而后义，失义而后礼。
　　     夫礼者，忠信之薄而乱之首也；前识者，道之华而愚之始也。
        是以大丈夫，处其厚，不处其薄；居其实，不居其华。故去彼取此。

Dr.Wayne WANG

37. Tranquillity
The Way takes no action, but leaves nothing undone.
When you accept this
The world will flourish,
In harmony with nature.

Nature does not possess desire;
Without desire, the heart becomes quiet;
In this manner the whole world is made tranquil.

【原文】
       道常无为而无不为。
       侯王若能守之，万物将自化。
       化而欲作，吾将镇之以无名之朴。
       镇之以无名之朴，夫将不欲。
       不欲以静，天下将自正。

Dr.Wayne WANG

36. Opposition
To reduce someone's influence, first expand it;
To reduce someone's force, first increase it;
To overthrow someone, first exalt them;
To take from someone, first give to them.

This is the subtlety by which the weak overcome the strong:
Fish should not leave their depths,
And swords should not leave their scabbards.

【原文】
       将欲歙之，必固张之；
       将欲弱之，必固强之；
       将欲废之，必固兴之；
       将欲取之，必固与之。
       是谓微明，柔弱胜刚强。
       鱼不可脱于渊，邦之利器不可以示人。

Dr.Wayne WANG

35. Peace
If you offer music and food
Strangers may stop with you;
But if you accord with the Way
All the people of the world will keep you
In safety, health, community, and peace.

The Way lacks art and flavour;
It can neither be seen nor heard,
But its benefit cannot be exhausted.

【原文】
       执大象，天下往。
       往而不害，安平太。
       乐与饵，过客止。
       道之出言，淡乎其无味。
       视之不足见，听之不足闻。
       用之不可既。

Dr.Wayne WANG

34. Control
The Way flows and ebbs, creating and destroying,
Implementing all the world, attending to the tiniest details,
Claiming nothing in return.

It nurtures all things,
Though it does not control them;
It has no intention,
So it seems inconsequential.

It is the substance of all things;
Though it does not control them;
It has no exception,
So it seems all-important.

The sage would not control the world;
He is in harmony with the world.

【原文】
       大道泛兮，其可左右。
       万物恃之以生而不辞，功成不名有，衣养万物而不为主，常无欲，可名于小；
       万物归焉而不知主，可名于大。
       以其终不自为大，故能成其大。