04道德经英译本85种-第26章

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t。〃

　　18

　　When　people　try　to　improve　upon；　and　thus　deviate　from；　the　way　Nature　itself　naturally　functions；　they　develop　artificial　codes　of　right　and　wrong。
　　When　knowledge　becomes　highly　abstract；　men　are　deceived　by　mistaking　abstractions　for　realities。
　　When　instinctive　family　sympathies　are　replaced　by　rules　for　proper　conduct　then　parents　become　〃responsible〃　and　children　become　〃dutiful〃。
　　When　corruption　replaces　genuine　benevolence　in　government；　then　loyalty　oaths　are　demanded　of　officials。

　　19

　　Therefore　…　If　we　ignore　intricate　learning　and　knowledge　of　petty　distinctions；　we　shall　be　many　times　better　off。
　　If　we　neglect　to　insist　upon　the　formal　proprieties　of　etiquette；　our　intuitive　sympathies　will　return。
　　If　we　abolish　opportunities　for　profiteering　〃within　the　law；〃　incentive　for　political　corruption　will　disappear。
　　If　the　foregoing　three　principles　are　unclear；　then　at　least　the　following　are　understandable：
　　Simply　be　yourself。　Act　naturally。　Refrain　from　self…assertiveness。　Avoid　covetousness。

　　20

　　If　we　stop　fussing　about　grammatical　trivialities；　we　will　get　along　much　better。　The　difference　between　〃Yes〃　and　〃ya〃　is　insignificant　as　compared　with　a　genuine　distinction　like　〃Good〃　and　〃Bad〃。
　　Yet　some　people　are　as　fearful　of　making　a　grammatical　mistake　as　of　committing　a　vital　error。　How　stupid　to　waste　our　lives　in　infinite　details！
　　While　others　enjoy　devoting　themselves　to　ceremonious　holiday　celebrations；　such　as　the　spring　festivals；　I　stay　at　home　as　unperturbed　as　a　helpless　babe。
　　So　while　others　are　feasting；　I　appear　neglected。　Am　I　the　one　who　is　a　misguided　fool？
　　When　everyone　else　is　exuberant；　I　continue　to　be　disinterested。　When　everyone　else　is　alert　to　the　niceties　of　etiquette；　I　persist　in　being　indifferent。　I　am　as　unconcerned　as　the　rolling　ocean；　without　a　care　to　bother　me。
　　While　others　behave　like　busybodies；　I　alone　remain　placid　and　resist　arousement。　How　can　I　withstand　the　pressure　of　public　opinion？　Because　I　am　succored　by　Mother　Nature　herself。

　　21

　　Intelligence　consists　in　acting　according　to　Nature。
　　Nature　is　something　which　can　neither　be　seen　nor　touched。　Yet　all　of　the　forms　which　can　possibly　be　seen　or　touched　are　latent　within　it。　And　all　of　the　things　that　will　actually　be　seen　or　touched　are　embedded　as　potentialities　within　it。　Deep　in　its　depths　are　activating　forces。　No　matter　how　unplumbable　the　depths；　these　forces　unfailingly　sustain　the　world　as　it　appears　to　us。
　　From　the　beginning　until　now；　they　have　never　ceased　to　express　themselves　in　appearances。
　　How　do　I　know　all　this　to　be　so？　It　is　intuitively　self…evident；　for　every　existing　thing　testifies　to　it；　including　what　appears　right　here　and　now。

　　22

　　Submit　to　Nature　if　you　would　reach　your　goal。　For；　whoever　deviates　from　Nature's　way；　nature　forces　back　again。　Whoever　gives　up　his　desire　to　improve　upon　Nature　will　find　Nature　satisfying　all　his　needs。　Whoever　finds　his　desires　extinguished　will　find　more　desires　arising　of　their　own　accord。　Whoever　desires　little　is　easily　satisfied。　Whoever　desires　much　suffers　frustration。
　　Therefore；　the　intelligent　person　is　at　one　with　Nature；　and　so　serves　as　a　model　for　others。
　　By　not　showing　off；　he　is　exemplary。　By　not　asserting　that　he　is　right；　he　does　the　right　thing。　By　not　boasting　of　what　he　will　do；　he　succeeds　in　doing　more　than　he　promises。
　　By　not　gloating　over　his　successes；　his　achievements　are　acclaimed　by　others。　By　not　competing　with　others；　he　achieves　without　opposition。
　　Therefore　the　old　saying　is　not　idle　talk：　〃Submit　to　Nature　if　you　would　reach　your　goal。〃　For　that　is　the　only　genuine　way。

　　23

　　Things　which　act　naturally　do　not　need　to　be　told　how　to　act。　The　wind　and　rain　begin　without　being　ordered；　and　quit　without　being　commanded。　This　is　the　way　with　all　natural　beginnings　and　endings。
　　If　Nature　does　not　have　to　instruct　the　wind　and　the　rain；　how　much　less　should　man　try　to　direct　them？
　　Whoever　acts　naturally　is　Nature　itself　acting。　And　whoever　acts　unintelligently　is　unintelligence　in　action。
　　By　acting　naturally；　one　reaps　Nature's　rewards。　So　by　acting　intelligently；　one　achieves　intelligent　goals。　Whereas　by　acting　unintelligently；　one　comes　to　an　unintelligent　end。
　　Those　who　do　not　trust　Nature　as　a　model　cannot　be　trusted　as　guides。

　　24

　　One　who　tries　to　stand　on　tiptoe　cannot　stand　still。　One　who　stretches　his　legs　too　far　cannot　walk。
　　One　who　advertises　himself　to　much　is　ignored。　One　who　is　too　insistent　on　his　own　views　finds　few　to　agree　with　him。
　　One　who　claims　too　much　credit　does　not　get　even　what　he　deserves。　One　who　is　too　proud　is　soon　humiliated。
　　These；　when　judged　by　the　standards　of　Nature；　are　condemned　as　〃Extremes　of　greediness　and　self…destructive　activity。〃　Therefore；　one　who　acts　naturally　avoids　such　extremes。

　　25

　　There　exists　something　which　is　prior　to　all　beginnings　and　endings；　Which；　unmoved　and　unmanifest；　itself　neither　begins　nor　ends。　All…pervasive　and　inexhaustible；　it　is　the　perpetual　source　of　everything　else；
　　For　want　of　a　better　name；　I　call　it　Nature。　If　I　am　forced　to　describe　it；　I　speak　of　it　as　〃ultimate　reality。〃
　　Ultimate　reality　involves　initiation　of　growth；　initiation　of　growth　involves　completion　of　growth；　and　completion　of　growth　involves　returning　to　that　whence　it　came。
　　Nature　is　ultimate；　the　principle　of　initiating　is　ultimate；　and　the　principle　of　perfecting　is　ultimate。　And　the　intelligent　person　is　also　ultimate。　Four　kinds　of　ultimate；　then；　exist；　and　the　intelligent　man　is　one　of　them。
　　Man　devotes　himself　to　satisfying　his　desires；　fulfilling　his　purposes；　realizing　his　ideals；　or　achieving　his　goals。　But　goals　are　derived　from　aims。　And　all　aiming　is　Nature's　aiming；　and　is　Nature's　way　of　being　itself。

　　26

　　Saneness　or　sobriety　is　more　basic　than　frivolity。　Calmness　or　self…sufficiency　is　superior　to　being　agitated。
　　Therefore　the　intelligent　man；　though　he　goes　on　a　long　journey；　will　never　depart　far　from　his　means　of　conveyance。　No　matter　how　exciting　the　distractions；　he　never　submits　to　their　lures。
　　What　would　happen　if　Nature　were　to　act　frivolously？
　　If　it　became　frivolous；　it　would　be　deprived　of　its　sanity。　If　it　became　agitated；　it　would　lose　control　of　itself。

　　27

　　The　wise　traveler　has　no　need　to　retrace　his　steps。　The　effective　speaker　does　not　need　to　repeat　himself。　The　generous　trader　needs　no　scales。
　　The　self…closing　door　needs　no　bolt；　for　it　will　not　open　itself　even　though　it　is　not　forced　to　stay　shut。　Things　which　go　together　naturally　do　not　have　to　be　tied；　for　they　will　not　separate　even　without　bonds。
　　Therefore　the　intelligent　man　expresses　his　beneficence　to　other　men　by　accepting　each　man's　own　way　as　best　for　himself。　And　he　performs　the　same　service　for　all　other　beings；　for　he　willingly　recognizes　that；　by　following　its　own　nature；　each　thing　does　the　best　that　can　be　done　for　it。
　　This　may　be　called　the　two…pronged　lesson：　Bad　men　can　learn　from　the　good　man's　successes。　Good　men　can　learn　from　the　bad　man's　failures。
　　Whoever　despises　such　teachers；　whether　good　or　bad；　or　who　fails　to　appreciate　such　lessons；　Even　though　he　may　be　a　〃walking　encyclopedia；〃　is　really　a　misguided　fool。　This　is　the　secret　of　wisdom。

　　28

　　He　who　knows　how　to　be　aggressive；　and　yet　remains　patient；　becomes　a　receptacle　for　all　Nature's　lessons。　Being　thus　receptive；　he　continually　reembodies　intelligence；　and　recuperates　his　primal　nature。
　　He　who　knows　how　to　be　brilliant；　and　yet　remains　demure；　becomes　the　ideal　which　all　things　have　as　their　ultimate　goal。　Being　thus　the　ideal；　he　actualizes　the　unending　goal　of　existence；　and　reinstates　his　primordial　condition　of　perfect　self　sufficiency。
　　He　who　know　how　to　be　proud；　and　yet　remains　humble；　becomes　the　recipient　of　all　Nature's　bounties。　Being　thus　receptive；　he　reintegrates　intrinsic　goodness；　and　restores　primitive　wholeness。
　　Intrinsic　goodness；　when　devoted　to　varieties　of　uses；　functions　a