04道德经英译本85种-第541章

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　　As　water　flows　into　streams；　then　rivers；　then　oceans
　　There　comes　a　point　when　it's　self…defeating　to　try　and　control　it

　　33

　　Knowing　others　is　knowledge；　knowing　yourself　is　wisdom
　　Conquering　others　is　strength；　conquering　yourself　is　power
　　Wanting　more　is　ambition；　stopping　at　enough　is　wealth
　　Having　it　all　makes　a　full　life；　leaving　and　being　honored；　that　ishaving　lived

　　34

　　The　tao　floats　and　drifts　whichever　way　it　likes
　　It　does　what　it　wants；　without　proclaiming　itself
　　All　things　depend　on　it；　but　it　is　not　their　master
　　It　has　no　desire；　and　thus　is　small
　　Yet　since　all　things　depend　on　it；　and　it　does　not　rule　them
　　It　is　magnificent

　　So　the　taoist　attempts　great　works　with　no　thought　of　being　great
　　And　thus　accomplishes　his　ends

　　35

　　Rest　in　the　tao　and　the　whole　world　will　come　to　you
　　They　will　suffer　no　harm；　but　find　safety　and　peace

　　The　curious　will　stop　where　they　see　music　and　games　and　food
　　But　will　soon　lose　their　taste　for　it　and　wander　on
　　The　tao；　though；　has　no　flavor；　no　color；　no　sound
　　It　is　easily　missed；　yet　once　found
　　It　is　inexhaustible

　　36

　　What　you　want　to　shrink；？let　expand
　　What　you　want　to　weaken；？let　grow　strong
　　What　you　want　to　avoid；？let　approach
　　What　you　want　to　own；？give　away

　　Honestly　done；　this　is　subtle　and　effective
　　It　is　how　the　weak　overcomes　the　strong；　how　the　few　lead　the　many
　　In　the　end；　a　leader　leads　because　people　consent　to　it
　　And　force　will　never　be　as　effective　as　engaging　simple　cooperation

　　37

　　The　tao　is　ever　nameless
　　If　leaders　could　be　one　with　it
　　The　world　would　transform　itself
　　Wherever　it　is　restless　and　troubled
　　It　could　be　soothed　by　simple　anonymous　actions
　　Which；　being　anonymous；
　　Would　cause　no　disgrace；　no　insult；　no　worries
　　And　all　of　heaven　and　earth　would　find　its　own　proper　balance

　　38

　　True　mastery　always　seems　artless
　　The　more　it　must　be　proclaimed；　the　less　masterful　it　is

　　The　virtuous　act　as　the　tao　moves　them；　without　forethought　or　reason
　　The　good　have　an　end　in　mind；　but　act　from　the　heart
　　The　righteous　have　an　end　and　a　means；　and　wave　them　like　a　flag
　　And　when　the　righteous　lose　their　faith　in　humanity
　　They　roll　up　their　sleeves　and　fight　the　good　fight
　　And　the　thread　of　the　way　becomes　tangled　beyond　recognition

　　Consider。。。

　　At　best；　we　are　like　infants；？we　do　nothing　and　everyone　smiles
　　Failing　that；　we　try　to　sense　what　makes　those　around　us　happy
　　When　that　fails；　we　turn　to　abstractions　…　rules　of　truth；　of　justice；of　order
　　But　such　abstractions　are　merely　the　flower　of　the　way
　　Beautiful　and　bitter；　full　of　hope　and　anger　and　violence
　　Rigid　and　fragile　as　crystal

　　What　can　this　bring　to　the　world　but　disorder？
　　Thoughtless　ideology　can　only　lead　to　cynical　indifference
　　Flowers　bloom　and　fade　and　wither　away；　no　matter　what
　　So　the　taoist　lets　them　be；　and　reaches　for　the　fruit　instead

　　39

　　It　is　said　that　by　attaining　the　one；　long　ago
　　Heaven　rose　and　opened　above　us
　　As　the　earth　took　root　and　became　solid
　　Gods　walked　the　land　in　their　glory
　　As　the　valleys　poured　forth　all　forms　of　life　to　honor　them
　　And　so　leaders；　attaining　the　one；　would　make　their　people　prosperousand　orderly

　　If；　then；　the　way　were　ever　truly　lost
　　Heaven　would　close　and　fall；　and　the　earth　crumble
　　Gods　would　fade　away　and　the　valleys　go　barren
　　And　leaders　would　fall　amidst　chaos　and　despair

　　What　is　noble　must　be　rooted　in　the　crude
　　What　is　high　must　be　settled　on　the　low
　　This　is　why　leaders　speak　more　often　of　the　unfortunate　than　the　fortunate
　　They　would　ground　themselves　among　the　lowly　to　reach　high
　　Though　they　have　cars；　they　would　rather　walk　among　the　people
　　Though　they　could　shine　like　jewels；　they　would　rather　seem　solid　asold　stone

　　40

　　The　tao　is　always　returning；　always　yielding
　　The　creatures　of　the　world　are　born　of　those　like　them
　　And　give　birth　to　those　like　them　in　turn
　　But　where　does　birth　come　from？

　　It　is　tao

　　41

　　One　man；　hearing　of　the　way；　will　strive　to　follow　it
　　Another　will　practice　it　sometimes；　and　not　others
　　A　third　will　hear　of　it；　and　laugh　at　how　useless　it　sounds
　　And　that's　as　it　should　be。

　　The　clearest　path　is　often　easily　missed
　　The　easiest　seems　to　go　in　the　wrong　direction
　　The　smoothest　looks　rutted　and　rough
　　True　strength　is　hidden；　like　seeds　in　a　valley　before　the　rains
　　True　white　shows　every　blotch　and　blemish
　　True　virtue　feels　pathetic；　thin；　weak；　insufficient

　　Such　is　the　way　of　words；？they　always　fail　in　their　ideals
　　Does　an　infinite　square　have　corners　or　edges？
　　Could　a　cup　be　molded　to　hold　everything；　including　itself？
　　Can　a　note　sound　that　has　all　tones；　and　none？
　　Would　everything　seen　at　once　look　like　anything　at　all？

　　The　tao　is　eternal；　too　large　and　too　small　for　names
　　Only　it　can　begin　things　and　bring　them　to　their　ends

　　42

　　The　tao　gave　birth　to　the　universe
　　The　universe　opened　heaven　and　earth
　　Heaven　and　earth　added　man　to　their　number
　　And　man　named　the　ten　thousand　things

　　All　living　things　wrap　themselves　in　the　female　and　wrap　the　male
　　And　by　so　cycling　achieve　harmony　and　life
　　So　all　despise　the　same　things；　where　the　cycle　fails
　　Being　orphaned；　abandoned；　or　starving
　　All　leaders；　then；　claim　as　their　sacred　trust
　　To　defend　those　with　no　other　options
　　And　so　it　goes　…　where　there　is　great　loss；　there　is　great　attention
　　Where　there　are　great　gains；　all　is　secrecy　and　shadowed　warfare。

　　Consider　well；　then；　the　following　phrase：
　　'Who　uses　force　will　be　forced　in　turn'
　　You　have　to　start　somewhere

　　43

　　What　flows　cannot　be　held　back　by　even　the　hardest　wall
　　What　has　no　form　finds　every　crack　and　space；　and　fills　it
　　This　is　doing　without　doing；　teaching　without　a　text
　　And　the　only　way　to　learn　to　do　it
　　Is　to　learn　not　to　do　anything　else

　　44

　　Fame　or　your　health；　riches　or　your　health；　which　is　worth　more　to　you？
　　Can　you　gain　one　without　losing　the　other？
　　Live　the　high　life　and　you　will　lose　respect；　whatever　you　gain　inenvy
　　Be　a　miser　and　you　will　lose　affection；　whatever　you　gain　in　respect
　　If　you　want　respect；　know　when　you　have　enough
　　If　you　want　peace　of　mind；　know　when　to　stop
　　Understand　'enough'　and　you'll　live　healthy　and　long

　　45

　　What's　done　right　seems　unfinished；　but　always　works
　　What's　filled　right　seems　empty；　but　there's　always　enough
　　The　perfectly　straight　seems　warped
　　The　most　skilled　looks　artless
　　The　greatest　eloquence　sounds　plain

　　What　exists　in　abundance　always　seems　unremarkable
　　We　move　to　warm　ourselves　and　rest　to　cool　ourselves
　　But　never　think　about　the　natural　warmth　that　lies　within　us
　　Always　flow　back　to　the　center；　find　what　strengths　lie　there
　　And　things　will　go　right　with　you

　　46

　　When　the　world　has　the　way；　people　do　what　the　want
　　When　it　loses　the　way；　they　are　forced　to　do　what　they're　told
　　There　is　no　greater　crime　than　wanting　too　much
　　No　disaster　more　total　than　not　knowing　when　to　stop
　　No　flaw　more　serious　than　the　grasping　hand

　　Know　what　enough　is；　know　when　you　have　it；　and　be　content
　　That　is　wisdom

　　47

　　If　you　know　where　you　are；　you　know　the　world
　　You　do　not　need　to　look　out　a　window　to　see　the　tao
　　The　more　you　look；　the　less　you　really　see
　　So　the　taoist　stays　and　lets　things　come　to　him
　　Sees　things　without　looking　for　them
　　Finishes　things　by　not　trying　to　make　them　complete

　　48

　　To　practice　most　things　means　to　gain　a　little　skill；every　day
　　To　practice　the　tao　means　to　lose　a　little
　　Lose　a　little　of　this　and　a　little　of　that　until　one　has　no　skill　leftat　anything
　　And　then　nothing　will　ever　be　left　undone
　　If　you　want　to　lead；　for