道德经全文和注释 (英文版)

Dr.Wayne WANG

31. Armies
Armies are tools of violence;
They cause men to hate and fear.
The sage will not join them.
His purpose is creation;
Their purpose is destruction.

Weapons are tools of violence,
Not of the sage;
He uses them only when there is no choice,
And then calmly, and with tact,
For he finds no beauty in them.

Whoever finds beauty in weapons
Delights in the slaughter of men;
And who delights in slaughter
Cannot content himself with peace.

So slaughters must be mourned
And conquest celebrated with a funeral.

【原文】
       夫兵者，不祥之器，物或恶之，故有道者不处。
       君子居则贵左，用兵则贵右。
       兵者不祥之器，非君子之器，不得已而用之，恬淡为上。
       胜而不美，而美之者，是乐杀人。
　　    夫乐杀人者，则不可得志于天下矣。
       吉事尚左，凶事尚右；偏将军居左，上将军居右。
       言以丧礼处之。
       杀人之众，以悲哀莅之；战胜，以丧礼处之。

Dr.Wayne WANG

32. Shapes
The Way has no true shape,
And therefore none can control it.
If a ruler could control the Way
All things would follow
In harmony with his desire,
And sweet rain would fall,
Effortlessly slaking every thirst.

The Way is shaped by use,
But then the shape is lost.
Do not hold fast to shapes
But let sensation flow into the world
As a river courses down to the sea.

【原文】
       道常无名、朴，虽小，天下莫能臣。
       侯王若能守之，万物将自宾。
       天地相合以降甘露，人莫之令而自均。
       始制有名，名亦既有，夫亦将知止。
　     知止可以不殆。
       譬道之在天下，犹川谷之于江海。

Dr.Wayne WANG

33. Virtues
Who understands the world is learned;
Who understands the self is enlightened.
Who conquers the world has strength;
Who conquers the self has harmony.
Who is determined has purpose;
Who is contented has wealth.
Who defends his home may long endure;
Who surrenders his home may long survive it.

【原文】
       知人者智，自知者明。
       胜人者有力，自胜者强。
       知足者富。
       强行者有志。
       不失其所者久。
       死而不亡者寿。

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。

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

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

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

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

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

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。