| |
Original |
Legge's
Translation |
Susuki's
Translation |
Goddard's
Translation |
| 1 |
善行，無轍跡，善言，無瑕謫﹔善數，不用籌策﹔善閉，無關楗而不可開
，善結，無繩約而不可解。是以聖人常善救人，故無棄人﹔常善救物，故
無棄物。 |
The skilful traveller leaves no traces of his wheels or
footsteps; the skilful speaker says nothing that can
be found fault
with or blamed; the skilful reckoner uses no tallies;
the skilful
closer needs no bolts or bars, while to open what he
has shut will be
impossible; the skilful binder uses no strings or knots,
while to
unloose what he has bound will be impossible. In the
same way the
sage is always skilful at saving men, and so he does
not cast away any
man; he is always skilful at saving things, and so
he does not cast
away anything. This is called 'Hiding the light of
his procedure.'
|
"Good travelers leave no trace nor track,
Good speakers, in logic show no lack,
Good counters need no counting rack. "Good
lockers bolting bars need not,
Yet none their locks can loose.
Good binders need no string nor knot,
Yet none unties their noose." |
Good walkers leave no tracks, good speakers make no errors, good counters need
no abacus, good wardens have no need for bolts
and locks for no one can get by them. Good binders
can dispense with rope and cord, yet none can unloose
their hold. |
| 2 |
是謂襲明。故善人者，不善人之師﹔ |
Therefore the man of skill is a master (to be looked up to) by him
who has not the skill; and he who has not the skill is the helper of
(the reputation of) him who has the skill. |
Therefore the holy man is always a good saviour of men, for there are no outcast
people. He is always a good saviour of things, for
there are no outcast things. This is called applied
enlightenment.
|
Therefore the wise man trusting in goodness always saves men, for there is no
outcast to him. Trusting in goodness he saves all
things for there is nothing valueless to him. This
is recognizing concealed values.
|
| 3 |
不善人者，善人之資。不貴
其師，不愛其資，雖智大迷，是謂要妙。 |
If the one did not honour his master, and the other did not rejoice in his helper,
an (observer), though intelligent, might greatly err
about them. This is
called 'The utmost degree of mystery.'
|
Thus the good man does not respect multitudes of men. The bad man respects the
people's wealth. Who does not esteem multitudes nor
is charmed by their wealth, though his knowledge be
greatly confused, he must be recognized as profoundly
spiritual. |
Therefore the good man is the instructor of the evil man, and the evil man is
the good man's wealth. He who does not esteem his instructors
or value his wealth, though he be otherwise intelligent,
becomes confused. Herein lies the significance of spirituality. |
