04道德经英译本85种-第501章
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And very easy to put into practice。
Yet no one under heaven understands them;
No one puts them into practice。
But my words have an ancestry; my deeds have a lord;
And it is precisely because men do not understand this
That they are unable to understand me。
Few then understand me; but it is upon this very fact my value depends。
It is indeed in this sense that 搕he Sage wears hair…cloth on top;
But carries jade under neath his dress。?br》
71
揟o know when one does not know is best。
To think one knows when one does not know is a dire disease。
Only he who recognizes this disease as a disease
Can cure himself of the disease。
The Sage's way of curing disease
Also consists in making people recognize their diseases as diseases
And thus ceasing to be diseased。
72
Never mind if the people are not intimidated by your authority。
A Mightier Authority will deal with them in the end。
Do not narrow their dwelling or harass their lives;
And for the very reason that you do not harass them;
They will cease to turn from you。
Therefore the Sage knows himself but does not show himself。
Knows his own value; but does not put himself on high。
Truly; he rejects that but takes this?
73
He whose braveness lies in daring; slays。
He whose braveness lies in not daring ; gives life。
Of these two; either may be profitable or unprofitable。
But 揌eaven hates what it hates;
None can know the reason why?
Wherefore the Sage; too; disallows it。
For it is the way of Heaven not to strive but none the less to conquer;
Not to speak; but none the less to get an answer;
Not to beckon; yet things come to it of themselves。
Heaven is like one who says little; yet none the less has laid his plans。
Heaven's net is wide;
Coarse are the meshes; yet nothing slips through。
74
The people are not frightened of death。
What then is the use of trying to intimidate them with the death…penalty?
And even supposing people were generally frightened of death
And did not regard it as an everyday thing;
Which of us would dare to seize them and slay them?
There is the Lord of Slaughter always ready for this task;
And to do it in his stead is like thrusting oneself into the master…carpenter's place
And doing his chipping for him。
Now 揾e who tries to do the master…carpenter's chipping for him is lucky if he does not cut his hand。?br》
75
The people starve because those above them eat too much tax…grain。
That is the only reason why they starve。
The people are difficult to keep in order because those above them interfere。
That is the only reason why they are so difficult to keep in order。
The people attach no importance to death;
Because those above them are too grossly absorbed in the pursuit of life。
That is why they attach no importance to death。
And indeed; in that their hearts are so little set on life
They are superior to these who set store by life。
76
When he is born; man is soft and weak;
In death he becomes stiff and hard。
The ten thousand creatures and all plants
And trees while they are alive are supple and soft;
But when and dead they become brittle and dry。
Truly; what is stiff and hard is a 揷ompanion of death?
What is soft and weak is a 揷ompanion of life?
Therefore 搕he weapon that is too hard will be broken;
The tree that has the hardest wood will be cut down?
Truly; the hard and mighty are cast down;
The soft and weak set on high。
77
Heaven's way is like the bending of a bow。
When a bow is bent the top comes down and the bottom…end comes up。
So too does Heaven take away from those who have too much;
And give to those that have not enough。
But if it is Heaven's way to take from those who have too much
And give to those who have not enough; this is far from being man's way。
He takes away from those that have not…enough in order
To make offering to those who already have too much。
One there is and one only; so rich that he the possessor of Tao。
(If; then; the Sage 搕hough he controls does not lean;
And when he has achieved his aim does not linger?
It is because he does not wish to reveal himself as better than others。)
78
Nothing under heaven is softer or more yielding than water;
But when it attacks things hard and resistant there is not one of them that can prevail。
For they can find no way of altering it。
That the yielding conquers the resistant
And the soft conquers the hard is a fact known by all men;
Yet utilized by none。
Yet it is in reference to this that the Sage said
揙nly he who has accepted the dirt of the country can be lord of its soil shrines;
Only he who takes upon himself the evils of the country
Can become a king among those what dwell under heaven。?br》 Straight words seem crooked。
79
(To requite injuries with good deeds。)
To allay the main discontent;
But only in a manner that will certainly produce further discontents can hardly be called successful。
Therefore the Sage behaves like the holder of the left…hand tally;
Who stays where he is and does not go round making claims on people。
For he who has the 損ower?of Tao is the Grand Almoner;
He who has not the 損ower?is the Grand Perquisitor。
揑t is Heaven's way; without distinction of persons;
To keep the good perpetually supplied。?br》
80
Given a small country with few inhabitants;
He could bring it about that through
There should be among the people contrivances requiring ten times;
A hundred times less labour; they would not use them。
He could bring it about that the people would be ready
To lay down their lives and lay them down again in defence of their homes;
Tather than emigrate。
There might still be boats and carriage;
But no one would go in them;
There might still be weapons of war;
But no one would drill with them。
He could bring it about that
揟he people should have no use for any from of writing save knotted ropes;
Should be contented with their food; pleased with their clothing;
Satisfied with their homes;
Should take pleasure in their rustic tasks。
The next place might be so near at hand
That one could one could hear the cocks crowing in it; the dogs barking;
But the people would grow old and die without ever having been there?
81
True words are not fine…sounding;
Fine…sounding words are not true。
The good man does not prove by argument;
The he who proves by argument is not good。
True wisdom is different from much learning;
Much learning means little wisdom。
The Sage has no need to hoard;
When his own last scrap has been used up on behalf of others;
Lo; he has more than before!
When his own last scrap has been used up in giving to other;
Lo; his stock is even greater than before!
For heaven's way is to sharpen without cutting;
And the Sage's way is to act without striving。
English_Walker_TTK
Das Tao Te King von Lao Tse
English by
Brian Browne Walker; 1996
1
Tao is beyond words and beyond understanding。 Words may be used to speak of it; but they cannot contain it。
Tao existed before words and names; before heaven and earth; before the ten thousand things。 It is the unlimited father and mother of all limited things。
Therefore; to see beyond all boundaries to the subtle heart of things; dispense with names; with concepts; with expectations and ambitions and differences。
Tao and its many manifestations arise from the same source:
subtle wonder within mysterious darkness。 This is the beginning of all understanding。
2
When people find one thing beautiful; another consequently becomes ugly。
When one man is held up as good; another is judged deficient。
Similarly; being and non…being bala