道德经林语堂.docx

道德经林语堂.docx

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道德经林语堂

【佛慧双语弘道馆】——《道德经》汉英对照（林语堂译本）

道德经

老子著

林语堂英译

一章

道，可道，非恒道。

名，可名，非恒名。

无名，天地之始；有名，万物之母。

故常无欲，以观其妙；常有欲，以观其徼。

此两者同出而异名，

同谓之玄。

玄之又玄，众妙之门。

TheTaothatcanbetoldof

IsnottheAbsoluteTao;

TheNamesthatcanbegiven

ArenotAbsoluteNames.

TheNamelessistheoriginofHeavenandEarth;

TheNamedistheMotherofAllThings.

Therefore:

Oftentimes,onestripsoneselfofpassion

InordertoseetheSecretofLife;

Oftentimes,oneregardslifewithpassion,

Inordertoseeitsmanifestforms.

Thesetwo（theSecretanditsmanifestations）

Are（intheirnature）thesame;

Theyaregivendifferentnames

Whentheybecomemanifest.

TheymaybothbecalledtheCosmicMystery:

ReachingfromtheMysteryintotheDeeperMystery

IstheGatetotheSecretofAllLife.

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二章

天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已；皆知善之为善，斯不善矣。

有无相生，难易相成，长短相形，高下相盈，音声相和，前后相随，恒也。

是以圣人

处无为之事，行不言之教，万物作而弗始，生而弗有，为而弗恃，功成而弗居。

夫唯弗居，是以不去。

WhenthepeopleoftheEarthallknowbeautyasbeauty,

Therearises（therecognitionof）ugliness.

WhenthepeopleoftheEarthallknowthegoodasgood,

Therearises（therecognitionof）evil.

Therefore:

Beingandnon-beinginterdependingrowth;

Difficultandeasyinterdependincompletion;

Longandshortinterdependincontrast;

Highandlowinterdependinposition;

Tonesandvoiceinterdependinharmony;

Frontandbehindinterdependincompany.

ThereforetheSage:

Managesaffairswithoutaction;

Preachesthedoctrinewithoutwords;

Allthingstaketheirrise,buthedoesnotturnawayfromthem;

Hegivesthemlife,butdoesnottakepossessionofthem;

Heacts,butdoesnotappropriate;

Accomplishes,butclaimsnocredit.

Itisbecausehelaysclaimtonocredit

Thatthecreditcannotbetakenawayfromhim.

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三章

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。

使夫知不敢弗为而已，则无不治。

Exaltnotthewise,

Sothatthepeopleshallnotschemeandcontend;

Prizenotrareobjects,

Sothatthepeopleshallnotsteal;

Shutoutfromsitethethingsofdesire,

Sothatthepeople'sheartsshallnotbedisturbed.

ThereforeinthegovernmentoftheSage:

Hekeepsemptytheirhearts

Makesfulltheirbellies,

Discouragestheirambitions,

Strengthenstheirframes;

Sothatthepeoplemaybeinnocentofknowledgeanddesires.

Andthecunningonesshallnotpresumetointerfere.

Byactionwithoutdeeds

Mayallliveinpeace.

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四章

道冲，而用之或不盈。

渊兮，似万物之宗。

挫其锐，解其纷，和其光，同其尘。

湛兮，似或存。

吾不知谁之子，象帝之先。

Taoisahollowvessel,

Anditsuseisinexhaustible!

Fathomless!

Likethefountainheadofallthings,

Itssharpedgesroundedoff,

Itstanglesuntied,

Itslighttempered,

Itsturmoilsubmerged,

Yetdarklikedeepwateritseemstoremain.

IdonotknowwhoseSonitit,

AnimageofwhatexistedbeforeGod.

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五章

天地不仁，以万物为刍狗；圣人不仁，以百姓为刍狗。

天地之间，其犹橐龠乎？

虚而不屈，动而愈出。

多闻数穷，不如守中。

Natureisunkind:

Ittreatsthecreationlikesacrificialstraw-dogs.

TheSageisunkind:

Hetreatsthepeoplelikesacrificialstraw-dogs.

Howtheuniverseislikeabellows!

Empty,yetitgivesasupplythatneverfails;

Themoreitisworked,themoreitbringsforth.

Bymanywordsiswitexhausted.

Rather,therefore,holdtothecore.

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六章

谷神不死，是谓玄牝。

玄牝之门，是谓天地根。

绵绵若存，用之不勤。

TheSpiritoftheValleyneverdies.

ItiscalledtheMysticFemale.

TheDooroftheMysticFemale

IstherootofHeavenandEarth.

Continuously,continuously,

Itseemstoremain.

Drawuponit

Anditservesyouwithease.

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七章

天长地久。

天地所以能长且久者，以其不自生，故能长生。

是以圣人后其身而身先，外其身而身存。

不以其无私邪？

故能成其私。

Theuniverseiseverlasting.

Thereasontheuniverseiseverlasting

IsthatitdoesnotlifeforSelf.

Thereforeitcanlongendure.

ThereforetheSageputshimselflast,

Andfindshimselfintheforemostplace;

Regardshisbodyasaccidental,

Andhisbodyistherebypreserved.

IsitnotbecausehedoesnotliveforSelf

ThathisSelfisrealized?

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八章

上善若水。

水善利万物而不争，居众人之所恶，故几于道。

居善地，心善渊，与善仁，言善信，政善治，事善能，动善时。

夫唯不争，故无尤

。

Thebestofmenislikewater;

Waterbenefitsallthings

Anddoesnotcompetewiththem.

Itdwellsin（thelowly）placesthatalldisdain-

WhereinitcomesneartotheTao.

Inhisdwelling,（theSage）lovesthe（lowly）earth;

Inhisheart,heloveswhatisprofound;

Inhisrelationswithothers,heloveskindness;

Inhiswords,helovessincerity;

Ingovernment,helovespeace;

Inbusinessaffairs,helovesability;

Inhiactions,heloveschoosingtherig