《道德经》英译（第六十七章）

天下皆谓我道大，

似不肖。

夫唯大，

故似不肖。

若肖，

久矣其细也夫！

我有三宝，

持而保之：

一曰慈，

二曰俭，

三曰不敢为天下先。

慈故能勇，

俭故能广，

不敢为天下先，

故能成器长。

今舍慈且勇，

舍俭且广，

舍后且先，

死矣。

夫慈，

以战则胜，

以守则固。

天将救之，

以慈卫之。

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> 

Chapter 67

 

All under heaven say that I am great, great but unconventional.

Now,

Precisely because I am unconventional,

I can be great;

If I were conventional,

I would long since have become a trifle.

I have always possessed three treasures that I guard and cherish.

The first is compassion,

The second is frugality,

The third is not daring to be ahead of all under heaven.

Now,

Because I am compassionate, I can be brave;

Because I am frugal, I can be magnanimous;

Because I dare not be ahead of all under heaven, I can be a leader in the completion of affairs.

If, today, I were to

Be courageous while forsaking compassion,

Be magnanimous while forsaking frugality,

Get ahead while forsaking the hindmost,

that would be death!

For compassion

In war brings victory,

In defense brings invulnerability.

Whomsoever heaven would establish,

It surrounds with a bulwark of compassion.

 

（Victor H. Mair 译）