《道德经》英译（第八十一章）

信言不美，

美言不信。

善者不辩，

辩者不善。

知者不博，

博者不知。

圣人不积，

既以为人己愈有，

既以与人己愈多。

天之道，

利而不害。

圣人之道，

为而不争。

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

Chapter 81

 

Sincere words are not beautiful,

Beautiful words are not sincere.

He who knows is not learned,

He who is learned does not know.

He who is good does not have much,

He who has much is not good.

The sage does not hoard.

The more he does for others,

the more he has himself;

The more he gives to others,

the more his own bounty increases.

Therefore,

The Way of heaven benefits but does not harm,

The Way of man acts but does not contend.

 

（Victor H. Mair 译）

 

Chapter 81

 

The truth is not always beautiful,

nor beautiful words the truth.

 

Those who have virtue,

have no need of argument for its own sake,

for they know that argument is of no avail.

 

Those who have knowledge of the natural way

do not train themselves in cunning,

whilst those who use cunning to rule their lives,

and the lives of others,

are not knowledgeable of the Tao,

nor of natural happiness.

 

The sage seeks not to have a store

of things or knowledge, for he knows,

the less of these he has, the more he has,

and that the more he gives,

the greater his abundance.

 

The way of the sage is pointed

but does not harm.

 

The way of the sage

is to work without cunning.

 

（Stan Rosenthal 译）