| |
Original |
Legge's
Translation |
Susuki's
Translation |
Goddard's
Translation |
| 1 |
其安易持，其未兆易謀，其脆易泮，其微易散，為之于未有，治之于未亂
。 |
That which is at rest is easily kept hold of; before a thing
has given indications of its presence, it is easy to
take measures
against it; that which is brittle is easily broken;
that which is very
small is easily dispersed.
|
What is still at rest is easily kept quiet. What has not as yet appeared is easily
prevented. What is still feeble is easily broken. What
is still scant is easily dispersed. |
That which is at rest is easily restrained, that which has not yet appeared is
easily prevented. The weak is easily broken,
the scanty is easily scattered.
|
| 2 |
合抱之木，生于毫末﹔九層之臺，起于累土﹔千里之行，始于足下。為
者拜之，執者失之，是以聖人無為，故無敗，無執，故無師。 |
Action should be taken before a thing has
made its appearance; order should be secured before disorder has begun. The
tree which fills the arms grew from the tiniest sprout; the tower of nine
storeys rose from a (small) heap of earth; the journey of a thousand li
commenced with a single step.
|
Treat things before they exist. Regulate things before disorder begins. The stout
tree has originated from a tiny rootlet. A tower
of nine stories is raised by heaping up [bricks of]
clay. A thousand miles' journey begins with a foot.
|
Consider a difficulty before it arises, and administer affairs before they become
disorganized. A tree that it takes both arms to encircle
grew from a tiny rootlet. A pagoda of nine stories
was erected by placing small bricks. A journey of
three thousand miles begins with one step.
|
| 3 |
民之從事，
常于几成而敗之﹔ |
He who acts (with an ulterior purpose) does harm; he who takes hold of a thing
(in the same way) loses his hold. The sage does not
act
(so), and therefore does no harm; he does not lay hold (so), and therefore
does not lose his bold. (But) people in their conduct of
affairs are constantly ruining them when they are on the eve of success.
|
He that makes mars. He that grasps loses. The holy man does not make; therefore
he mars not. He does not grasp; therefore he loses
not. The people when undertaking an enterprise are
always near completion, and yet they fail.
|
If one tries to improve a thing, he mars it; if he seizes it, he loses it. The
wise man, therefore, not attempting to form things
does not mar them, and not grasping after things
he does not lose them. The people in their rush for
business are ever approaching success but continually
failing.
|
| 4 |
慎終如始，則無敗事。 |
If they were careful at the end, as (they should be) at the beginning, they would
not so ruin them.
|
Remain careful to the end as in the beginning and you will not fail in your enterprise.
|
One must be as careful to the end as at the beginning if he is to succeed.
|
| 5 |
是以聖人欲不欲，不貴難得之貨
﹔學不學，復眾人之所過。 |
Therefore the sage desires what (other men) do not desire, and does not prize
things difficult to get; he learns what (other men)
do not
learn, and turns back to what the multitude of men have passed by.
|
Therefore the holy man desires to be desireless, and does not prize articles
difficult to obtain. He learns, not to be learned,
and seeks a home where multitudes of people pass
by.
|
Therefore the wise man desires to be free from desire, he does not value the
things that are difficult of attainment.
|
| 6 |
以輔萬物之自然，而不敢為。 |
Thus he helps the natural development of all things, and does not dare
to act (with an ulterior purpose of his own). |
He assists the ten thousand things in their natural development, but he does
not venture to interfere. |
He learns to be unlearned, he returns to that which all others ignore. In that
spirit he helps all things toward their natural development,
but dares not interfere. |
