04道德经英译本85种-第337节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Profit and loss；
Honour and disgrace；
Will not affect you；
The world will accept you。
57
Conquer with Inaction
Do not control the people with laws；
Nor violence nor espionage；
But conquer them with inaction。
For：
The more morals and taboos there are；
The more cruelty afflicts people；
The more guns and knives there are；
The more factions divide people；
The more arts and skills there are；
The more change obsoletes people；
The more laws and taxes there are；
The more theft corrupts people。
Yet take no action； and the people nurture each other；
Make no laws； and the people deal fairly with each other；
Own no interest； and the people cooperate with each other；
Express no desire； and the people harmonize with each other。
58
No End
When government is lazy and informal
The people are kind and honest；
When government is efficient and severe
The people are discontented and deceitful。
Good fortune follows upon disaster；
Disaster lurks within good fortune；
Who can say how things will end？
Perhaps there is no end。
Honesty is ever deceived；
Kindness is ever seduced；
Men have been like this for a long time。
So the sage is firm but not cutting；
Pointed but not piercing；
Straight but not rigid；
Bright but not blinding。
59
Restraint
Manage a great nation as you would cook a delicate fish。
To govern men in accord with nature
It is best to be restrained；
Restraint makes agreement easy to attain；
And easy agreement builds harmonious relationships；
With sufficient harmony no resistance will arise；
When no resistance arises； then you possess the heart of the nation；
And when you possess the nation's heart； your influence will long endure：
Deeply rooted and firmly established。
This is the method of far sight and long life。
60
Demons
When you use the Way to conquer the world；
Your demons will lose their power to harm。
It is not that they lose their power as such；
But that they will not harm others；
Because they will not harm others；
You will not harm others：
When neither you nor your demons can do harm；
You will be at peace with them。
61
Submission
A nation is like a hierarchy； a marketplace； and a maiden。
A maiden wins her husband by submitting to his advances；
Submission is a means of union。
So when a large country submits to a small country
It will adopt the small country；
When a small country submits to a large country
It will be adopted by the large country；
The one submits and adopts；
The other submits and is adopted。
It is in the interest of a large country to unite and gain service；
And in the interest of a small country to unite and gain patronage；
If both would serve their interests；
Both must submit。
62
Sin
The Way is the fate of men；
The treasure of the saint；
And the refuge of the sinner。
Fine words are often borrowed；
And great deeds are often appropriated；
Therefore； when a man falls； do not abandon him；
And when a man gains power； do not honour him；
Only remain impartial and show him the Way。
Why should someone appreciate the Way？
The ancients said； 〃By it； those who seek may easily find；
And those who regret may easily absolve〃
So it is the most precious gift。
63
Difficulty
Practice no…action；
Attend to do…nothing；
Taste the flavorless；
Magnify the small；
Multiply the few；
Return love for hate。
Deal with the difficult while it is yet easy；
Deal with the great while it is yet small；
The difficult develops naturally from the easy；
And the great from the small；
So the sage； by dealing with the small；
Achieves the great。
Who finds it easy to promise finds it hard to be trusted；
Who takes things lightly finds things difficult；
The sage recognizes difficulty； and so has none。
64
Care at the Beginning
What lies still is easy to grasp；
What lies far off is easy to anticipate；
What is brittle is easy to shatter；
What is small is easy to disperse。
Yet a tree broader than a man can embrace is born of a tiny shoot；
A dam greater than a river can overflow starts with a clod of earth；
A journey of a thousand miles begins at the spot under one's feet。
Therefore deal with things before they happen；
Create order before there is confusion。
Care at the end
He who acts； spoils；
He who grasps； loses。
People often fail on the verge of success；
Take care at the end as at the beginning；
So that you may avoid failure。
The sage desires no…desire；
Values no…value；
Learns no…learning；
And returns to the places that people have forgotten；
He would help all people to become natural；
But then he would not be natural。
65
Subtlety
The ancients did not seek to rule people with knowledge；
But to help them become natural。
It is difficult for knowledgeable people to become natural；
So to use law to control a nation weakens the nation；
But to use nature to control a nation strengthens the nation。
Understanding these two paths is understanding subtlety；
Subtlety runs deep； ranges wide；
Resolves confusion and preserves peace。
66
Lead by Following
The river carves out the valley by flowing beneath it。
Thereby the river is the master of the valley。
In order to master people
One must speak as their servant；
In order to lead people
One must follow them。
So when the sage rises above the people；
They do not feel oppressed；
And when the sage stands before the people；
They do not feel hindered。
So the popularity of the sage does not fail；
He does not contend； and no one contends against him。
67
Unimportance
All the world says；
〃I am important；
I am separate from all the world。
I am important because I am separate；
Were I the same； I could never be important。〃
Yet here are three treasures
That I cherish and commend to you：
The first is compassion；
By which one finds courage。
The second is restraint；
By which one finds strength。
And the third is unimportance；
By which one finds influence。
Those who are fearless； but without compassion；
Powerful； but without restraint；
Or influential； yet important；
Cannot endure。
68
Compassion
Compassion is the finest weapon and best defence。
If you would establish harmony；
Compassion must surround you like a fortress。
Therefore；
A good soldier does not inspire fear；
A good fighter does not display aggression；
A good conqueror does not engage in battle；
A good leader does not exercise authority。
This is the value of unimportance；
This is how to win the cooperation of others；
This to how to build the same harmony that is in nature。
69
Ambush
There is a saying among soldiers：
It is easier to lose a yard than take an inch。
In this manner one may deploy troops without marshalling them；
Bring weapons to bear without exposing them；
Engage the foe without invading them；
And exhaust their strength without fighting them。
There is no worse disaster than misunderstanding your enemy；
To do so endangers all of my treasures；
So when two well matched forces oppose each other；
The general who maintains compassion will win。
70
Individuality
My words are easy to understand
And my actions are easy to perform
Yet no other can understand or perform them。
My words have meaning； my actions have reason；
Yet these cannot be known and I cannot be known。
We are each unique； and therefore valuable；
Though the sage wears coarse clothes； his heart is jade。
71
Limitation
Who recognizes his limitations is healthy；
Who ignores his limitations is sick。
The sage recognizes this sickness as a limitation。
And so becomes immune。
72
Revolution
When people have nothing more to lose；
Then revolution will result。
Do not take away their lands；
And do not destroy their livelihoods；
If your burden is not heavy then they will not shirk it。
The sage maintains himself but exacts no tribute；
Values himself but requires no honours；
He ignores abstraction and accepts substance。
73
Fate
Who is brave and bold will perish；
Who is brave and subtle will benefit。
The subtle profit where the bold perish
For fate does not honour daring。
And even the sage dares not tempt fate。
Fate does not attack； yet all things are conquered by it；
It does not ask； yet all things answer to it；
It does not call； yet all things meet it；
It does not plan； yet all things are determined by i
