道德经全文和注释 (英文版)

Dr.Wayne WANG

3. Without Action
Not praising the worthy prevents contention,
Not esteeming the valuable prevents theft,
Not displaying the beautiful prevents desire.

In this manner the sage governs people:
Emptying their minds,
Filling their bellies,
Weakening their ambitions,
And strengthening their bones.

If people lack knowledge and desire
Then they can not act;
If no action is taken
Harmony remains.
【原文】
       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，使夫智者不敢为也。
       为无为，则无不治。

Dr.Wayne WANG

2. Abstraction
When beauty is abstracted
Then ugliness has been implied;
When good is abstracted
Then evil has been implied.

So alive and dead are abstracted from nature,
Difficult and easy abstracted from progress,
Long and short abstracted from contrast,
High and low abstracted from depth,
Song and speech abstracted from melody,
After and before abstracted from sequence.

The sage experiences without abstraction,
And accomplishes without action;
He accepts the ebb and flow of things,
Nurtures them, but does not own them,
And lives, but does not dwell.

【原文】
　　 天下皆知美之为美，斯恶矣；皆知善之为善，斯不善矣。
　　 故有无相生，难易相成，长短相形，高下相倾，音声相和，前后相随……
　　 是以圣人处无为之事，行不言之教，万物作焉而不辞，生而不有，为而不恃，功成而不居。
　　夫唯不居，是以不去。