《道德經(jīng)》選譯TheTaois(like)theemptinessofavessel;andinouremploymentofitwemustbeonourguardagainstallfulness.道沖而用之或不盈，Howdeepandunfathomableitis,asifitweretheHonouredAncestorofallthings!淵兮似萬物之宗。Weshouldbluntoursharppoints,andunravelthecomplicationsofthings;挫其銳，解其紛，weshouldattemperourbrightness,andbringourselvesintoagreementwiththeobscurityofothers.和其光，同其塵。HowpureandstilltheTaois,asifitwouldeversocontinue!湛兮其若存，Idonotknowwhosesonitis.吾不知誰之子，ItmightappeartohavebeenbeforeGod.象帝之先。TheTaothatcanbetroddenisnottheenduringandunchangingTao.道可道，非常道；Thenamethatcanbenamedisnottheenduringandunchangingname.名可名，非常名。(Conceivedofas)havingnoname,itistheOriginatorofheavenandearth;無，名天地之始；(conceivedofas)havinganame,itistheMotherofallthings.有，名萬物之母。Alwayswithoutdesirewemustbefound,Ifitsdeepmysterywewouldsound;故常無，欲以觀其妙；Butifdesirealwayswithinusbe,Itsouterfringeisallthatweshallsee.常有，欲以觀其徼。Underthesetwoaspects,itisreallythesame;butasdevelopmenttakesplace,itreceivesthedifferentnames.此兩者同出而異名,Thevalleyspiritdiesnot,ayethesame;谷神不死,Thefemalemysterythusdowename.是謂玄牝，Itsgate,fromwhichatfirsttheyissuedforth,玄牝之門,Iscalledtherootfromwhichgrewheavenandearth.是謂天地根。Longandunbrokendoesitspowerremain,綿綿若存,Usedgently,andwithoutthetouchofpain.用之不勤。Allintheworldknowthebeautyofthebeautiful,andindoingthistheyhave(theideaof)whatuglinessis;天下皆知美之為美，斯惡已；theyallknowtheskilloftheskillful,andindoingthistheyhave(theideaof)whatthewantofskillis.皆知善之為善，斯不善已。Soitisthatexistenceandnon-existencegivebirththeoneto(theideaof)theother;故有無相生,thatdifficultyandeaseproducetheone(theideaof)theother;難易相成,thatlengthandshortnessfashionouttheonethefigureoftheother;長短相形，that(theideasof)heightandlownessarisefromthecontrastoftheonewiththeother;高下相傾,thatthemusicalnotesandtonesbecomeharmoniousthroughtherelationofonewithanother;音聲相和。Thehighestexcellenceislike(thatof)water.上善若水。Theexcellenceofwaterappearsinitsbenefitingallthings,andinitsoccupying,withoutstriving(tothecontrary),thelowplacewhichallmendislike.水善利萬物而不爭，處眾人所惡，Hence(itsway)isnearto(thatof)theTao.故幾于道矣。Theexcellenceofaresidenceisin(thesuitabilityof)theplace;thatofthemindisinabysmalstillness;居，善地；心，善淵；thatofassociationsisintheirbeingwiththevirtuous;thatofgovernmentisinitssecuringgoodorder;與，善仁；政，善治；thatof(theconductof)affairsisinitsability;andthatof(theinitiationof)anymovementisinitstimeliness.事，善能；動，善時(shí)。Andwhen(onewiththehighestexcellence)doesnotwrangle(abouthislowposition),noonefindsfaultwithhim.夫惟不爭，故無尤。Heavenislong-enduringandearthcontinueslong.天長地久。Thereasonwhyheavenandearthareabletoendureandcontinuethuslongisbecausetheydonotliveof,orfor,themselves.天地所以能長且久者，以其不自生,Thisishowtheyareabletocontinueandendure.故能長生。Thereforethesageputshisownpersonlast,andyetitisfoundintheforemostplace;是以圣人后其身而身先,hetreatshispersonasifitwereforeigntohim,andyetthatpersonispreserved.外其身而身存。Isitnotbecausehehasnopersonalandprivateends,thatthereforesuchendsarerealized?非以其無私耶？故能成其私。Heavenandearthdonotactfrom(theimpulseof)anywishtobebenevolent;天地不仁，theydealwithallthingsasthedogsofgrassaredealtwith.以萬物為芻狗；Thesagesdonotactfrom(anywishtobe)benevolent;圣人不仁，theydealwiththepeopleasthedogsofgrassaredealtwith.以百姓為芻狗。Maynotthespacebetweenheavenandearthbecomparedtoabellows?天地之間，其猶橐龠乎？'Tisemptied,yetitlosesnotitspower;'Tismovedagain,andsendsforthairthemore.虛而不屈，動而愈出。Muchspeechtoswiftexhaustionleadwesee;Yourinnerbeingguard,andkeepitfree.多言數(shù)窮，不如守中。Nottovalueandemploymenofsuperiorabilityisthewaytokeepthepeoplefromrivalryamongthemselves;不尚賢，使民不爭；nottoprizearticleswhicharedifficulttoprocureisthewaytokeepthemfrombecomingthieves;不貴難得之貨，使民不為盜；nottoshowthemwhatislikelytoexcitetheirdesiresisthewaytokeeptheirmindsfromdisorder.不見可欲，使民心不亂。Thereforethesage,intheexerciseofhisgovernment,emptiestheirminds,fillstheirbellies,weakenstheirwills,andstrengthenstheirbones.是以圣人之治，虛其心，實(shí)其腹；弱其志，強(qiáng)其骨。Heconstantly(triesto)keepthemwithoutknowledgeandwithoutdesire,andwheretherearethosewhohaveknowledge,tokeepthemfrompresumingtoact(onit).常使民無知無欲，使夫知者不敢為也。Whenthereisthisabstinencefromaction,goodorderisuniversal.為無為，則無不治。Whentheintelligentandanimalsoulsareheldtogetherinoneembrace,theycanbekeptfromseparating.載營魄抱一，能無離乎?Whenonegivesundividedattentiontothe(vital)breath,andbringsittotheutmostdegreeofpliancy,hecanbecomeasa(tender)babe.專氣致柔，能如嬰兒乎?Whenhehascleansedawaythemostmysterioussights(ofhisimagination),hecanbecomewithoutaflaw.滌除玄覽，能無疵乎？Inlovingthepeopleandruling