第 486 节
作者:九米      更新:2021-02-19 21:32      字数:8932
  On sad occasions the right side。
  In the army; the Lieutenant Commander stands on the left;
  While the Commander…in…Chief stands on the right。
  This means that war is treated on a par with a funeral service。
  Because many people have been killed; it is only right that survivors should mourn for them。
  Hence; even a victory is a funeral。
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  TAO is always nameless。
  Small as it is in its Primal Simplicity;
  It is inferior to nothing in the world。
  If only a ruler could cling to it;
  Everything will render homage to him。
  Heaven and Earth will be harmonized
  And send down sweet dew。
  Peace and order will reign among the people
  Without any command from above。
  When once the Primal Simplicity diversified;
  Different names appeared。
  Are there not enough names now?
  Is this not the time to stop?
  To know when to stop is to preserve ourselves from danger。
  The Tao is to the world what a great river or an ocean is to the streams and brooks。
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  HE who knows men is clever;
  He who knows himself has insight。
  He who conquers men has force;
  He who conquers himself is truly strong。
  He who knows when he has got enough is rich;
  And he who adheres assiduously to the path of Tao is a man of steady purpose。
  He who stays where he has found his true home endures long;
  And he who dies but perishes not enjoys real longevity。
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  THE Great Tao is universal like a flood。
  How can it be turned to the right or to the left?
  All creatures depend on it;
  And it denies nothing to anyone。
  It does its work;
  But it makes no claims for itself。
  It clothes and feeds all;
  But it does not lord it over them:
  Thus; it may be called 〃the Little。〃
  All things return to it as to their home;
  But it does not lord it over them:
  Thus; it may be called 〃the Great。〃
  It is just because it does not wish to be great
  That its greatness is fully realised。
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  HE who holds the Great Symbol will attract all things to him。
  They flock to him and receive no harm; for in him they find peace; security and happiness。
  Music and dainty dishes can only make a passing guest pause。
  But the words of Tao possess lasting effects;
  Though they are mild and flavourless;
  Though they appeal neither to the eye nor to the ear。
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  WHAT is in the end to be shrunken;
  Begins by being first stretched out。
  What is in the end to be weakened;
  Begins by being first made strong。
  What is in the end to be thrown down;
  Begins by being first set on high。
  What is in the end to be despoiled;
  Begins by being first richly endowed。
  Herein is the subtle wisdom of life:
  The soft and weak overcomes the hard and strong。
  Just as the fish must not leave the deeps;
  So the ruler must not display his weapons。
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  TAO never makes any ado;
  And yet it does everything。
  If a ruler can cling to it;
  All things will grow of themselves。
  When they have grown and tend to make a stir;
  It is time to keep them in their place by the aid of the nameless Primal Simplicity;
  Which alone can curb the desires of men。
  When the desires of men are curbed; there will be peace;
  And the world will settle down of its own accord。
  38
  HIGH Virtue is non…virtuous;
  Therefore it has Virtue。
  Low Virtue never frees itself from virtuousness;
  Therefore it has no Virtue。
  High Virtue makes no fuss and has no private ends to serve:
  Low Virtue not only fusses but has private ends to serve。
  High humanity fusses but has no private ends to serve:
  High morality not only fusses but has private ends to serve。
  High ceremony fusses but finds no response;
  Then it tries to enforce itself with rolled…up sleeves。
  Failing Tao; man resorts to Virtue。
  Failing Virtue; man resorts to humanity。
  Failing humanity; man resorts to morality。
  Failing morality; man resorts to ceremony。
  Now; ceremony is the merest husk of faith and loyalty;
  It is the beginning of all confusion and disorder。
  As to foreknowledge; it is only the flower of Tao;
  And the beginning of folly。
  Therefore; the full…grown man sets his heart upon the substance rather than the husk;
  Upon the fruit rather than the flower。
  Truly; he prefers what is within to what is without。
  39
  FROM of old there are not lacking things that have attained Oneness。
  The sky attained Oneness and became clear;
  The earth attained Oneness and became calm;
  The spirits attained Oneness and became charged with mystical powers;
  The fountains attained Oneness and became full;
  The ten thousand creatures attained Oneness and became reproductive;
  Barons and princes attained Oneness and became sovereign rulers of the world。
  All of them are what they are by virtue of Oneness。
  If the sky were not clear; it would be likely to fall to pieces;
  If the earth were not calm; it would be likely to burst into bits;
  If the spirits were not charged with mystical powers; they would be likely to cease from being;
  If the fountains were not full; they would be likely to dry up;
  If the ten thousand creatures were not reproductive; they would be likely to come to extinction;
  If the barons and princes were not the sovereign rulers; they would be likely to stumble and fall。
  Truly; humility is the root from which greatness springs;
  And the high must be built upon the foundation of the low。
  That is why barons and princes style themselves 〃The Helpless One;〃 〃The Little One;〃 and 〃The Worthless One。〃
  40
  THE movement of the Tao consists in Returning。
  The use of the Tao consists in softness。
  All things under heaven are born of the corporeal:
  The corporeal is born of the Incorporeal。
  41
  WHEN a wise scholar hears the Tao;
  He practises it diligently。
  When a mediocre scholar hears the Tao;
  He wavers between belief and unbelief。
  When a worthless scholar hears the Tao;
  He laughs boisterously at it。
  But if such a one does not laugh at it;
  The Tao would not be the Tao!
  The wise men of old have truly said:
  ?The bright Way looks dim。
  The progressive Way looks retrograde。
  The smooth Way looks rugged。
  High Virtue looks like an abyss。
  Great whiteness looks spotted。
  Abundant Virtue looks deficient。
  Established Virtue looks shabby。
  Solid Virtue looks as though melted。
  Great squareness has no corners。
  Great talents ripen late。
  Great sound is silent。
  Great Form is shapeless。
  The Tao is hidden and nameless;
  Yet it alone knows how to render help and to fulfill。
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  TAO gave birth to One;
  One gave birth to Two;
  Two gave birth to Three;
  Three gave birth to all the myriad things。
  All the myriad things carry the Yin on their backs and hold the Yang in their embrace;
  Deriving their vital harmony from the proper blending of the two vital Breaths。
  What is more loathed by men than to be 〃helpless;〃 〃little;〃 and 〃worthless〃?
  And yet these are the very names the princes and barons call themselves。
  Truly; one may gain by losing;
  And one may lose by gaining。
  What another has taught let me repeat:
  〃A man of violence will come to a violent end。〃
  Whoever said this can be my teacher and my father。
  43
  THE softest of all things
  Overrides the hardest of all things。
  Only Nothing can enter into no…space。
  Hence I know the advantages of Non…Ado。
  Few things under heaven are as instructive as the lessons of Silence;
  Or as beneficial as the fruits of Non…Ado。
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  As for your name and your body; which is the dearer?
  As for your body and your wealth; which is the more to be prized?
  As for gain and loss; which is the more painful?
  Thus; an excessive love for anything will cost you dear in the end。
  The storing up of too much goods will entail a heavy loss。
  To know when you have enough is to be immune from disgrace。
  To know when to stop is to be preserved from perils。
  Only thus can you endure long。
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  THE greatest perfection seems imperfect;
  And yet its use is inexhaustible。
  The greatest fullness seems empty;
  And yet its use is endless。
  The greatest straightness looks like crookedness。
  The greatest skill appears clumsy。
  The greatest eloquence sounds like stammering。
  Restlessness overcomes cold;
  But calm overcomes heat。
  The peaceful and serene
  Is the Norm of the World。
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  WHEN the world is in possession of the Tao;
  The galloping horses are led to fertilize the fields with their droppings。
  When the world has become Taoless;
  War horses breed themselves on the suburbs。
  There is no calamity like not knowing what is enough。
  There is no evil like covetousness。
  Only he who knows what is enough will alw