《道德经》英译（第六十五章）

古之善为道者，

非以明民，

将以愚之。

民之难治，

以其智多。

故以智治国，

国之贼；

不以智治国，

国之福。

知此两者亦稽式。

常知稽式，

是谓玄德。

玄德深矣，

远矣，

与物反矣，

然后乃至大顺。

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Chapter 65

 

The ancients who practiced the Way did not enlighten the people with it;

They used it, rather, to stupefy them.

The people are hard to rule because they have too much knowledge.

Therefore,

Ruling a state through knowledge is to rob the state;

Ruling a state through ignorance brings integrity to the state.

One who is always mindful of these two types grasps a paradigm;

Mindfulness of this paradigm is called “mysterious integrity.”

Deep and distant is this mysterious integrity!

It runs counter to things until it reaches the great confluence.

 

（Victor H. Mair 译）

 

Chapter 65

 

In the olden days those who obeyed the spirit of Tao did not enlighten the people,

but kept them simple hearted.

 

Clever people are difficult to govern.

And so, governing people with cleverness is a mistake;

while governing them with simplicity is a blessing.

The ruler who remembers this becomes a good model.

This is governing in the spirit of the Tao.

 

The effects of simplicity are profound indeed,

deep and far reaching.

It is the very opposite of common practice,

but it is the most effective way to rule.

 

（Sam Torode and Dwight Goddard 译）

 

Chapter 65

 

The person with “Dao” in ancient times

did not make the people smart with “Dao”,

but taught them to be ignorant by “Dao” instead.

The reason the people are difficult to control

is that they have too much knowledge.

So, to manage a country with knowledge

is always a disaster for the country;

to abandon knowledge in governing a country

is actually a blessing to it.

These who (with knowledge and without it) are known from one standard.

To carry out this standard always

is called “xuan de”¹.

How profound that “xuan de” is, how far-reaching it is.

It is opposite from any conventional experience.

Finally, it reaches the greatest harmony.²

 

1. “Xuan de” means “deep”, “profound” and “far-reaching”; it cannot be perceived by any sense organs, so it is called “xuan de”.

2. The last term means “to completely go well with the principle of Dao”.

 

（任远 译）