04道德经英译本85种-第24章

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　　It　is　good　to　look　with　love　at　neighbor　states；　listen　to　how　cocks　crow　there　and　dogs　bark。

　　It　is　good　that　people　who　reach　old　age　cognize　the　Perfection　and　leave　this　world　so　that　they　do　not　need　to　return　here。

　　81

　　True　words　are　not　necessarily　exquisite。　Beautiful　words　are　not　necessarily　trustable。

　　The　kind　is　not　necessarily　eloquent。　The　eloquent　is　not　necessarily　kind。

　　He　who　knows　does　not　argue；　but　he　who　does　not　know　argues。

　　The　wise　is　not　selfish；　he　acts　for　the　good　of　others。

　　Great　Tao　takes　care　about　the　good　of　all　living　beings。　Everything　It　does　toward　living　beings　does　not　contain　violence　and　does　not　harm　anyone。

　　That　wise　also　acts　without　violence　and　does　not　harm　anyone。　　




　

　　
English_Bahm_TTK
　　Das　Tao　Te　King　von　Lao　Tse
　　English　by
　　Archie　J。　Bahm

　　1

　　Nature　can　never　be　completely　described；　for　such　a　description　of　Nature　would　have　to　duplicate　Nature。　No　name　can　fully　express　what　it　represents。
　　It　is　Nature　itself；　and　not　any　part　（or　name　or　description）　abstracted　from　Nature；　which　is　the　ultimate　source　of　all　that　happens；　all　that　comes　and　goes；　begins　and　ends；　is　and　is　not。　But　to　describe　Nature　as　〃the　ultimate　source　of　all〃　is　still　only　a　description；　and　such　a　description　is　not　Nature　itself。　Yet　since；　in　order　to　speak　of　it；　we　must　use　words；　we　shall　have　to　describe　it　as　〃the　ultimate　source　of　all。〃
　　If　Nature　is　inexpressible；　he　who　desires　to　know　Nature　as　it　is　in　itself　will　not　try　to　express　it　in　words
　　Although　the　existence　of　Nature　and　a　description　of　that　existence　are　two　different　things；　yet　they　are　also　the　same。
　　For　both　are　ways　of　existing。　That　is；　a　description　of　existence　must　have　its　own　existence；　which　is　different　from　the　existence　of　that　which　it　describes；　and　so　again　we　have　to　recognize　an　existence　which　cannot　be　described。

　　2

　　It　is　because　we　single　out　something　and　treat　it　as　distinct　from　other　things　that　we　get　the　idea　of　its　opposite。　Beauty；　for　example；　once　distinguished；　suggests　its　opposite；　ugliness。
　　And　goodness；　when　we　think　of　it；　is　naturally　opposed　to　badness。
　　In　face；　all　distinctions　naturally　appear　as　opposites。　And　opposites　get　their　meaning　from　each　other　and　find　their　completion　only　through　each　other。　The　meaning　of　〃is〃　and　〃is　not〃　arise　from　our　distinguishing　between　them。
　　Likewise　〃difficult　and　easy；〃　〃long　and　short；〃　〃high　and　low；〃　〃loud　and　soft；〃　〃before　and　after〃　…　all　derive　their　meanings　from　each　other。
　　Therefore　the　intelligent　man　accepts　what　is　as　it　is。　In　seeking　to　grasp　what　is；　he　does　not　devote　himself　to　the　making　of　distinctions　which　are　then　mistaken　to　be　separate　existences。　In　teaching；　he　teaches；　not　by　describing　and　pointing　out　differences；　but　by　example。　Whatever　is　exists；　and　he　sees　that　nothing　is　gained　by　representing　what　fully　exists　by　a　description　…　another　lesser；　diluted　kind　of　existence。　If　something　exists　which　cannot　be　wholly　revealed　to　him　with　his　viewpoint；　he　does　not　demand　of　it　that　it　be　nothing　but　what　it　seems　to　him。
　　If　some　one　else　interprets　him；　he　does　not　trust　that　interpretation　as　being　equal　to　his　own　existence。　If　some　part　of　him　stands　out　as　if　a　superior　representative　of　his　nature；　he　will　not　surrender　the　rest　of　his　nature　to　it。
　　And　in　not　surrendering　the　whole　of　his　nature　to　any　part　of　it；　he　keeps　himself　intact。　This　is　how　the　intelligent　man　preserves　his　nature。

　　3

　　If　no　distinctions　of　superiority　and　inferiority　prevail　among　officers；　they　will　devote　themselves　to　their　tasks　rather　than　to　rivalries　with　one　another。
　　If　no　special　value　is　placed　upon　rare　things；　one　will　have　no　incentive　for　stealing　them。
　　If　nothing　appears　to　arouse　envy；　one　will　remain　satisfied　with　things　as　they　are
　　Since　this　is　so；　the　wise　administrator　does　not　lead　people　to　set　their　hearts　upon　what　they　cannot　have；　but　satisfies　their　inner　needs。　He　does　not　promote　ambition　to　improve　their　status；　but　supports　their　self…sufficiency。　He　does　not　complicate　their　lives　with　knowledge　of　multifarious　details　or　with　an　urge　to　attend　to　this；　that　and　the　other。
　　By　keeping　people　contented；　he　prevents　those　who　mistakenly　believe　that　ambition　is　better　than　contentment　from　leading　the　contented　astray。
　　By　being　calm　and　contented　himself；　he　sets　an　example　for　his　people。

　　4

　　Nature　contains　nothing　but　natures；　and　these　natures　are　nothing　over　and　above　Nature。
　　In　Nature；　all　natures　originate；
　　all　conflicts　are　settled；　all　differences　are　united；　all　disturbances　are　quieted。
　　Yet　no　matter　how　many　natures　come　into　being；　they　can　never　exhaust　Nature。
　　To　look　for　an　external　source　of　Nature　is　foolish；　for　Nature　is　the　source　of　all　else。

　　5

　　Opposites　are　not　sympathetic　to　each　other。　Each　one　of　the　many　kinds　of　opposites　acts　as　if　it　could　get　along　without　its　other。　But　Nature　treats　opposites　impartially；　dealing　with　each　of　every　pair　of　opposites　with　the　same　indifference。
　　And　the　intelligent　man　will　regard　opposites　in　the　same　manner。
　　No　matter　how　deeply　natures　are　torn　by　opposition；　Nature　itself　remains　unchanged。　In　conflicts　between　opposites；　the　more　one　attacks　his　seeming　opponent　（upon　which　he　really　depends　for　his　completion）；　the　more　he　defeats　himself　（and　thereby　demonstrates　that　only　Nature；　and　not　any　opposite　abstracted　from　existence；　is　self…sufficient）。
　　So；　likewise；　no　matter　how　much　debaters　argue；　their　argument　proves　nothing。　Things　are　what　they　are；　regardless　of　how　much　we　disagree　about　them。

　　6

　　The　tendency　towards　opposition　is　ever…present。　Opposition　is　the　source　of　all　growth。
　　And　the　principle　of　opposition　is　the　source　of　all　opposites。
　　The　principle　of　opposition　is　inherent　in　Nature；　so　oppositeness　will　continue　forever；　no　matter　how　many　opposites　may　come　and　go。

　　7

　　The　principle　of　initiation　persists；　and　the　principle　of　completion　continues。
　　Why　do　such　opposing　principles　persist？　Because　they　inhere　in　Nature；　rather　than　stand　by　themselves。　That　is　why　opposites　endure。
　　The　intelligent　man；　when　an　issue　arises；　stands　off　and　observes　both　contentions。
　　Since　he　does　not　take　sides；　he　never　loses　a　battle。
　　By　not　favouring　one　side　more　than　the　other；　he　is　able　to　appreciate　the　virtues　of　both　sides。

　　8

　　The　best　way　to　conduct　oneself　may　be　observed　in　the　behaviour　of　water。　Water　is　useful　to　every　living　thing；　yet　it　does　not　demand　pay　in　return　for　its　services；　it　does　not　even　require　that　it　be　recognized；　esteemed；　or　appreciated　for　its　benefits。　This　illustrates　how　intelligent　behaviour　so　closely　approximates　the　behaviour　of　Nature　itself。
　　If　experience　teaches　that　houses　should　be　built　close　to　the　ground；　That　friendship　should　be　based　on　sympathy　and　good　will；
　　That　good　government　employs　peaceful　means　of　regulation；　That　business　is　more　successful　if　it　employs　efficient　methods；　That　wise　behaviour　adapts　itself　appropriately　to　the　particular　circumstances；　All　this　is　because　these　are　the　easiest　ways。
　　If　one　proceeds　naturally；　without　ambition　or　envy；　everything　works　out　for　the　best。

　　9

　　Going　to　extremes　is　never　best。
　　For　if　you　make　a　blade　too　sharp；　it　will　become　dull　too　quickly
　　And　if　you　hoard　all　the　wealth；　you　are　bound　to　be　attacked。
　　If　you　become　proud　and　arrogant　regarding　your　good　fortune；　you　will　naturally　beget　enemies　who　jealously　despise　you。
　　The　way　to　success　is　this：　having　achieved　your　goal；　be　satisfied　not　to　go　further。　For　this　is　the　way　Nature　operates。

　　10

　　If　you　would　retain　a　wholesome　personality；　must　you　not　restrain　your　lower　interests　from　dominating　over　your　higher　interests？
　　If　you　wish　to　live　healthily；　should　you　not　breathe　naturally；　like　a　child；　and　not　hold　your　breath　until　your　vitality　is　nearly　exhausted？
　　If