04道德经英译本85种-第307节
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Are not as gifts the equal
Of siting still and offering Tao。
Why did the ancients prize Tao？
Because if it is sought； it is found；
Because the guilty are forgiven。
That is why it is beneath…heaven's treasure。
63
Do nothing…doing；
Manage nothing…managing；
Taste nothing…tasting。
Exalt the low；
Multiply the few；
Requite hatred with virtue。
Tackle the difficult when it is easy。
Handle the big when it is small。
Difficult things beneath heaven
Are made up of easy things。
Big things beneath heaven
Are made up of small things。
Thus the sage
Never deals with the great；
But accomplishes greatness。
Light promises indeed lack trust；
Much easiness leads to much difficulty。
Thus the sage
Holds everything difficult；
But meets no difficulty in the end。
64
What is at rest is easy to hold。
What hasn't happened is easy to forestall。
What is brittle is easy to break。
What is minute is easy to scatter。
Deal with a thing before it exists；
Handle disorder before it occurs。
A tree of a full span's girth
Springs from a tiny sprout
A nine…storey tower
Rises from a clod of earth。
A journey of a thousand miles
Starts from where your feet are。
Whoever acts spoils；
Whoever grasps loses。
The sage does nothing；
Therefore he spoils nothing。
He grasps nothing；
Therefore he loses nothing。
People often spoil things at the point of success：
Take it easy at the finish as well as the start；
Then nothing will be spoiled
Therefore the sage
Desires to be desireless；
Does not prize rare goods；
Learns to unlearn his learning；
Returns the people to what they have lost；
Helps all things find their nature；
But dares not do。
65
The ancients well versed in Tao
Did not enlighten the people
But kept them simple minded。
Why are the people hard to govern？
Because they are too clever。
Clever government is a curse；
Non…clever government a blessing。
To know these two things
Is to follow the ancient pattern；
And to know the ancient pattern
Is original virtue。
Original virtue is far…reaching and deep。
It leads all things to return
Back to the original harmony。
66
Rivers and seas become the kings of the valleys
Because they lie lower：
That is why they become kings。
Hence the sage；
Wishing to be higher than the people；
Keeps his speech lower；
Wishing to lead the people；
Puts himself behind them。
For the sage
Stays above the people；
But they don't feel weight；
Stays in front；
But they don't feel hurt。
Thus； beneath…heaven
Gladly upholds him
And does not weary of him。
Because he does not compete；
Nobody beneath heaven can compete with him。
67
All beneath heaven say
My Tao seems like folly。
But it is great
Because it seems like folly。
Were it not like folly；
Long indeed would it have been petty。
I have three treasures；
Held close and guarded。
The first is love。
The second is simplicity。
The third is not…daring to be first beneath heaven。
Whoever is loving can be brave；
Whoever is simple can be generous；
Whoever is not…daring to be first beneath heaven
Can be a vessel of excellence。
But to be brave without being loving；
Generous without being simple；
Foremost without being hindmost；
That is to perish！
For love cannot fight without winning。
Cannot defend without strengthening。
When heaven helps；
It protects by loving。
68
A good soldier is not violent；
A good fighter has no wrath。
The best way to win over an enemy
Is not to contend with him。
The best way to use a man
Is to work under him。
Call this not…competing in virtue。
Call this using human strengths。
Call this mating with heaven as of old。
69
The strategists have a saying：
I dare not be a host；
But rather a guest；
Dare not advance an inch；
But rather retreat a foot。
This is called
Marching by not…marching；
Capturing by not…baring arms；
Charging by not attacking；
Seizing by not…bearing arms。
There is no evil heavier
Than to make light of an enemy。
To make light of an enemy
Is to lose what we value。
Thus when armies clash
The one that grieves wins。
70
My words are very easy to know；
Very easy to follow。
But beneath…heaven can't know them。
My words have an ancestor；
My deeds have a lord。
People don't know hum；
So they don't know me。
The fewer who know me；
The more honored I am。
The sage wears coarse clothing；
Inside himself hides jade。
71
To know and to be unknowing is best；
Not to know and to be knowing is sickness。
Only by being sick of our sickness
Are we not sick。
The sage is not sick。
He is sick of sickness
And therefore not sick。
72
When people don't fear force；
Greater force is on the way。
Don't meddle with their homes
Or weary them at their work。
Only when they are not wearied
Will they not weary you。
Therefore；
The sage knows himself；
But makes no show of himself。
Loves himself；
But does not exalt himself。
He rejects the outward；
Accepts the inward。
73
The brave in daring dies；
The brave in not…daring lives。
Of these two；
One helps； the other hurts。
Heaven may hate；
But who knows why？
This question stumps the sage。
It is the Tao of heaven
To conquer without competing；
To answer without speaking；
To attract without summoning；
To get results without hastening。
Vast is heaven's net and wide…meshed；
Yet nothing slips through。
74
When people don't mind death；
Why threaten them with death？
If； afraid of death； they were still unruly；
Who would dare seize and kill them？
The great executioner kills those who kill。
To take his place is like
Handling the hatchet for a master carpenter。
Whoever handles the hatchet for a master carpenter
Usually gets his hands cut。
75
When people are starving；
Their rulers are taxing them heavily。
That is why they are starving。
When people are hard to govern；
Their rulers are something…doing。
That is why they are hard to govern。
When people make light of death；
Their rulers make much of life。
That is why they make light of death。
Not interfering with life
Is better than glamorizing life。
76
A man lives soft and weak；
Dies hard and stiff。
The grass； the trees； the then thousand things
Live soft and supple；
Die brittle and dry。
Hence
The hard and stiff
Are followers of death；
The soft and weak
Are followers of life。
For
When armies are stiff； they will lose；
When trees are stiff； they will fall。
The stiff and mighty will be cast down；
The soft and weak will be lifted up。
77
Heaven's Tao is like a stretched bow：
The top goes down and the bottom goes up。 What has much is shortened；
What has little is increased。
Heaven's Tao takes from those with much
And gives to those with little。
Man's way is not so：
It takes from those with little
And gives to those with much。
Who uses muchness
To serve beneath heaven？
Only he who has Tao！
Therefore the sage
Does but does not claim；
Completes his work but takes no credit。
He does not want his merit seen。
78
Nothing beneath heaven
Is softer and weaker than water。
Nothing is better
To attack the hard and strong；
And nothing can take its place。
The weak overcome the strong；
The soft overcome the hard。
There is no one beneath heaven who doesn't know this；
And no one who practices it。
Therefore the sage says：
To bear the dirt of the country
Is to be master of the grain…shrines。
To bear the sins of the country
Is to be the lord of beneath…heaven。
Indeed； straight words seem crooked！
79
When great ill…will is reconciled；
There remains ill…will。
How shall it be made good？
By the sage holding the left…hand tally
And laying no guilt on others。
If you have virtue； you do what you should。
If you have no virtue； you levy claims。
The Tao of heaven plays no favorites；
But it always succors the good。
80
Oh for a small country with few people！
There may be contrivances
In ten…fold or hundred…fold abundance；
But the people don't use them。
Let the people mind death
And not move away。
Tough there are boats and carriages；
There is no occasion to ride them。
Though there are weapons and arms；
There is no occasion to show them。
Let the people again knot cords。
