04道德经英译本85种-第465章

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nd　more　elaborate；　report　of　the　meeting　between　Confucius　and　the　Old　Philosopher。　Sze…Ma　Ch慽en　（163…85　B。　C。）　is　sometimes　supposed　to　have　derived　his　account　from　Chwang…tze；　but　Chwang…tze's　story　bears　traces　of　legendary　elements　which　can　not　but　be　regarded　as　fiction；　and　it　is　difficult　to　believe　that　the　historian　should　have　taken　his　sober　sketch　from　the　fantastic　tale　of　a　poet…philosopher。

　　The　names　of　Lao…tze's　birthplace；　state；　province　and　the　locality　of　his　life's　work　might　be　considered　as　invented　purposely　because　of　their　strange　significance　if　they　were　not　geographically　existent。　In　the　first　edition　of　Lao…tze's　Tao　Teh　King　we　translated　Cheu　as　〃the　State　of　Plenty；〃　and　will　only　add　that　the　word　is　made　up　of　the　characters　〃mouth〃　and　〃to　use；〃　its　original　meaning　being　〃to　supply　everywhere；　to　make　a　circuit　all　around　or　everywhere；　and　plenty。〃　The　Cheu　dynasty　was　so　called　because　the　emperor's　power　reached　all　over　the　civilized　world；　according　to　Chinese　notions。　In　the　present　edition　we　have　preferred　to　translate　the　word　Cheu　by　〃the　State　of　Everywhere。〃

　　It　would　be　easy　to　say　that　the　Old　Philosopher　was　a　citizen　of　Everywhere；　and　was　born　in　Good　Man's　Bend　to　describe　his　innate　character；　that　his　home　was　situated　in　Thistle　District　of　Bramble　Province　to　indicate　the　poverty　and　difficulties　with　which　his　life　was　surrounded。

　　The　plum…tree　is　the　symbol　of　immortality；　and　the　ear　might　signify　the　man　who　was　willing　to　listen。　Accordingly　Lao…tze's　family　name　Li　（plum）　seems　to　be　as　much　justified　as　his　proper　name　Er　（ear）。　What　splendid　material　with　which　to　change　Lao…tze　into　a　mythical　figure！　It　is　as　good　as　the　life　of　Napoleon　of　whom　P閞鑪　made　a　solar　hero；　an　Apollo；　on　account　of　his　name　and　the　several　events　of　his　careerhis　final　sinking　in　the　west　and　disappearance　on　an　island　in　the　Atlantic；　the　ocean　of　sunset。　Nevertheless　the　historicity　of　Lao…tze　and　the　authenticity　of　his　book　seem　to　be　sufficiently　well　ascertained。

　　The　historicity　of　Lao…tze's　writing　has　been　doubted　only　once；　but　by　so　great　an　authority　as　H。　A。　Giles。　We　must；　however；　remember　that　the　greater　part　of　the　Tao　Teh　King　is　preserved　in　quotations　in　the　pre…Christian　writings　of　Lieh…tze；　Chwang…tze；　and　Hwai　Nan…tze。　（For　details　see　the　article　in　reply　to　Professor　Giles　in　The　Monist；　XI；　pp。　574…601。）

　　Lao…tze's　book　on　Reason　and　Virtue　first　bore　the　title　Tao　Teh。　It　was　in　all　outward　appearances　a　mere　collection　of　aphoristic　utterances；　but　full　of　noble　morals　and　deep　meditation。　It　met　the　reward　which　it　fully　deserved；　having　by　imperial　decree　been　raised　to　the　dignity　of　canonical　authority；　hence　the　name　King　or　〃canon；〃　completing　the　title　Tao　Teh　King；　as　now　commonly　used；　which　we　translate　〃Canon　of　Reason　and　Virtue。〃

　　Although　Confucian　philosophy　has　become　the　guiding　star　of　the　Chinese　government　Lao…tze　has　taken　a　firm　hold　on　the　hearts　of　the　people；　and　in　the　progress　of　time　his　figure　has　grown　in　significance　into　the　stature　of　a　Christ…like　superhuman　personality。　So　it　happened　that　later　traditions　added　to　Sze…Ma　Ch慽en's　brief　report　various　details　which　became　more　and　more　fantastic。　We　learn　that　Yin　Hi；　the　officer　of　the　frontier；　was　warned　beforehand　by　astrological　science　of　the　sage's　coming。　He　is　further　reputed　to　have　accompanied　his　master　into　the　deserts　of　the　west；　traveling　in　a　car　drawn　by　black　oxen。

　　Still　later　legends　add　to　these　fables　the　story　of　Lao…tze's　miraculous　conception　through　the　influence　of　a　star；　and　claim　that　he　was　the　incarnation　of　the　supreme　celestial　essence；　that　he　had　repeatedly　been　incarnate；　once　in　the　village　of　the　state　of　Tz抲。　This　latter　birth　is　represented　in　analogy　with　Buddha's　nativity；　for　his　mother　brought　forth　the　divine　child　from　her　left　side；　and　her　delivery　took　place　under　a　treein　Lao…tze's　case　it　was　a　plum…tree。　The　infant　at　his　very　birth　pointed　to　the　tree　saying；　〃I　shall　take　my　surname　Li　（plum）　from　this　tree。〃　His　head　was　white；　and　his　countenance　that　of　an　aged　man；　whence　it　is　said　he　derived　his　name　Lao…tze；　which　not　only　means　the　Old　Philosopher　but　also　the　Ancient　Child。　He　is　said　to　have　wandered　to　the　farthest　extremities　of　the　earth；　including　the　countries　Ta　Ts慽n　（which　seems　to　have　represented　the　Roman　Empire）　and　Tu　K慽en；　where　he　preached　his　doctrine　and　converted　the　people　to　the　truth。　In　China　he　is　reported　to　have　helped　Wu　Wang；　the　founder　of　the　famous　Cheu　dynasty；　in　the　year　112　B。　C。

　　Lao…tze's　various　disciples　developed　more　and　more　the　mystical　elements　of　Taoism；　the　practical　application　of　which　terminated　in　a　belief　in　alchemy；　especially　in　an　elixir　of　life。

　　The　Emperor　Wu　Ti　and　the　emperors　of　the　T慳ng　dynasty　were　staunch　believers　in　the　Old　Philosopher。　When　in　the　year　666　A。　D。　Emperor　Kao　Tsung　canonized　him　he　gave　him　a　rank　among　the　gods　as　the　Great　Supreme　（T慳i　Shang）；　as　the　Emperor…God　of　the　Dark　First　Cause。　H黙n　Tsung　honored　him　in　1013　A。　D。　with　the　title　T慳i　Shang　Lao　Chi黱；　the　Great　Exalted　One；　the　Ancient　Master。

　　We　regret　to　say　that　the　Taoism　of　China　is　a　religion　which；　powerful　though　it　is；　little　accords　with　the　venerable　old　philosopher；　and　without　danger　of　doing　its　priests　an　injustice　may　be　branded　as　a　system　of　superstitions　and　superstitious　practices。

　　The　Taoist　church　is　governed　by　a　Taoist　pope　who　lives　in　the　splendor　of　a　palace　surrounded　by　extensive　parks　near　Lung　Hu　Shan；　scarcely　less　beautiful　than　the　garden　of　the　Vatican　at　Rome。




　　Lao…tze's　Tao　Teh　King　contains　so　many　surprising　analogies　with　Christian　thought　and　sentiment；　that　were　its　pre…Christian　origin　not　established　beyond　the　shadow　of　a　doubt；　one　would　be　inclined　to　discover　in　it　traces　of　Christian　influence。　Not　only　does　the　term　Tao　（word；　reason）　correspond　quite　closely　to　the　Greek　term　Logos；　but　Lao…tze　preaches　the　ethics　of　requiting　hatred　with　goodness。　He　insists　on　the　necessity　of　becoming　like　unto　a　little　child；　of　returning　to　primitive　simplicity　and　purity；　of　non…assertion　and　non…resistance；　and　promises　that　the　crooked　shall　be　straight。

　　The　Tao　Teh　King　is　brief；　but　it　is　filled　to　the　brim　with　suggestive　thoughts。




　　Two　issues　of　the　author's　translation　of　Lao…Tze's　Tao　Teh　King　have　appeared　and　two　editions　of　an　extract　entitled　The　Canon　of　Reason　and　Virtue。　In　the　second　issue　of　the　first　edition　of　Lao…Tze's　Tao　Teh　King　attention　has　been　called　to　misprints　in　the　Chinese　text；　and　alternative　readings　have　been　proposed　in　an　additional　chapter　entitled　〃Emendations　and　Comments。〃

　　The　present　edition　is　meant　to　be　popular　and　is　an　enlargement　of　The　Canon　of　Reason　and　Virtue。　Of　the　larger　edition　entitled　Lao…Tze's　Tao　Teh　King；　it　incorporates　the　main　explanations　and　the　Chinese　text　which　in　its　revised　form　we　hope　is　now　quite　reliable。　A　few　variants　which　are　important　for　the　sense　of　the　text　have　been　added　in　footnotes。　Thus　the　present　little　volume　being　a　combination　of　the　larger　and　the　smaller　editions；　is　practically　a　new　work。　It　contains　a　comprehensive　introduction　and　incorporates　the　results　of　the　translator's　latest　labors　in　revising　and　reconsidering　the　many　difficult　passages　of　the　Tao　Teh　King。　A　number　of　new　interpretations　flashed　upon　him　from　time　to　time；　and　some　of　them　will　be　deemed　happy　and　probably　be　accepted　as　final。　This　certainly　is　true　of　the　first　paragraph　of　Chapter　2；　and　also　of　the　second　paragraph　of　Chapter　49。

　　I　do　not　deem　it　necessary　in　this　popular　edition　to　introduce　controversies　or　to　criticize　other　translations；　nor　do　I　want　to　correct　all　the　mistakes　and　misprints　of　my　own　former　editions。　I　must　be　satisfied　with　offering　the　best　results　of　my　labors。　My　ideal　has　been　to　reproduce　the　original　in　a　readable　form　which　would　be　as　literal　as　the　difference　of　languages　permits　and　as　intelligible　to　English…speaking　people　as　is　the　original　to　the　educated　native　Chinese。　While　linguistic　obscuri