《道德经》英译（第七十二章）

民不畏威，

则大威至。

无狎其所居，

无厌其所生。

夫唯不厌，

是以不厌。

是以圣人自知不自见，

自爱不自贵。

故去彼取此。

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Chapter 72

 

When the people do not fear the majestic,

Great majesty will soon visit them.

Do not limit their dwellings,

Do not suppress their livelihood.

Simply because you do not suppress them, they will not grow weary of you.

For this reason,

The sage is self-aware, but does not flaunt himself;

He is self-devoted, but does not glorify himself.

Therefore,

He rejects the one and adopts the other.

 

（Victor H. Mair 译）

 

Chapter 72

 

When they lose their sense of awe,

people turn to religion.

When they no longer trust themselves,

they begin to depend upon authority.

 

Therefore the Master steps back

so that people won’t be confused.

He teaches without a teaching,

so that people will have nothing to learn.

 

（Stephen Mitchell 译）

 

Chapter 72

 

If people do not dread your majesty,

A greater dread will yet descend on them.

See then you do not cramp their dwelling place,

Or immolate their children or their stock,

Nor anger them by your own angry ways.

 

It is the Wise Man’s way to know himself,

And never to reveal his inward thoughts;

He loves himself but so, is not set up;

He chooses this in preference to that.

 

（R.B. Blakney 译）