道德经（中英文对照版）

1、第一章 道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。 无名天地之始，有名万物之母。故常无欲以观其妙； 常有欲以观其徼（jio）。 此两者同出而异名，同谓之玄，玄之又玄，众妙之门。 if you can talk about it,it aint tao.if it has a name,its just another thing.tao doesnt have a name.names are for ordinary things.stop wanting stuff; it keeps you from seeing whats real.when you want stuff, all you s

2、ee are things.those two sentences mean the same thing.figure them out, and youve got it made.第二章 天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已。皆知善之为善，斯不善已。故有无相生，难易相成，长短相形，高下相倾，音声相和，前后相随。是以圣人处无为之事，行不言之教；万物作焉而不辞，生而不有，为而不恃， 功成而弗居。夫唯弗居，是以不去。 if something looks beautiful to you, something else must be ugly.if something seems good, somet

3、hing else must seem bad.you cant havesomething without nothing.if no job is difficult, then no job is easy.some things are up high because other things are down low.you know youre listening to music because it doesnt sound like noise.all that came first, so this must be next.the masters get the job

4、done without moving a muscleand get their point across without saying a word.when things around them fall apart, they stay cool.they dont own much, but they use whatevers at hand.they do the work without expecting any favors.when theyre done, they move on to the next job.thats why their work is so d

5、amn good.第三章 不尚贤，使民不争；不贵难得之货，使民不为盗；不见（xin）可欲，使民心不乱。 是以圣人之治，虚其心，实其腹， 弱其志，强其骨。常使民无知无欲。 使夫智者不敢为也。为无为，则无不治。 if you toss compliments around freely,people will waste your time trying to impress you.if you give things too much value,youre going to get ripped off.if you try to please people,youll just make

6、them pissed.the master leadsby clearing the crap out of peoples headsand opening their hearts.he lowers their aspirationsand makes them suck in their guts.he shows you how to forget what you know and what you want,so nobody can push you around.if you think youve got the answers, hell mess with your

7、head.stop doing stuff all the time, and watch what happens.第四章 道冲而用之或不盈，渊兮似万物之宗；挫其锐，解其纷，和其光，同其尘，湛（chn，通假字“沉”）兮似或存。吾不知谁之子，象帝之先。 how much tao is there?more than youll ever need.use all you want,theres plenty more where that came from.you cant see tao, but its there.damned if i know where it came from.

8、its just always been around.第五章 天地不仁，以万物为刍（ch）狗； 圣人不仁，以百姓为刍狗。天地之间，其犹橐龠(tuyu)乎虚而不屈，动而愈出。 多言数穷，不如守中。 taos neutral:it doesnt worry about good or evil.the masters are neutral:they treat everyone the same.lao tzu said tao is like a bellows:its empty, but it could help set the world on fire.if you keep us

9、ing tao, it works better.if you keep talking about it, it wont make any sense. be cool. 第六章 谷神不死，是谓玄牝(pn)。玄牝之门，是谓天地根。绵绵若存，用之不勤。 tao is an eternal mystery,and everything starts with tao.everybody has tao in them.they just have to use it.第七章 天长地久。天地所以能长且久者，以其不自生，故能长生。是以圣人后其身而身先；外其身而身存。非以其无私邪（y），故能成其私。

10、 tao never stops. why? because it isnt trying to accomplish anything.the masters hang back.thats why theyre ahead of the game.they dont hang on to things.thats how they manage to keep them.they dont worry about what they cant control.thats why theyre always satisfied.第八章 上善若水。水善利万物而不争，处众人之所恶（w）， 故几于

11、道。 居善地，心善渊，与善仁，言善信，政善治，事善能，动善时。夫唯不争，故无尤。 doing the right thing is like water.its good for all living things,and flows without thinking about where its going.just like tao.keep your feet on the ground.remember whats important.be there when people need you.say what you mean.be prepared for anything. d

12、o whatever you can, whenever it needs doing.if you dont compare yourself to others,nobody can compare to you.第九章 持而盈之，不如其已；揣（zhu）而锐之，不可长保。金玉满堂，莫之能守； 富贵而骄，自遗其咎。功遂身退，天之道也。 if you drink too much, you get drunk.the engine wont start if youre always tinkering with it.if you hoard wealth,you fall into its

13、 clutches.if you crave success,you succumb to failure.do what you have to do, then walk away.anything else will drive you nuts.第十章 载营魄抱一，能无离乎？抟（tun）气致柔，能婴儿乎？涤除玄览（jin），能无疵乎？爱民治国，能无为乎？天门开阖，能为雌乎？ 明白四达，能无知乎？ 生之畜（xu）之。生而不有，为而不恃，长而不宰，是谓玄德。 can you hold on to your egoand still stay focused on tao?can you r

14、elax your mind and bodyand brace yourself for a new life?can you check yourselfand see past whats in front of your eyes?can you be a leaderand not try to prove youre in charge?can you deal with whats happeningand let it happen?can you forget what you knowand understand whats real?start a job and see

15、 it through.have things without holding on to them.do the job without expectation of reward.lead people without giving orders.thats the way you do it. 第十一章 三十辐共一毂(g)，当其无，有车之用。 埏埴(shn zh)以为器，当其无，有器之用。凿户牖（yu ）以为室，当其无，有室之用。故有之以为利，无之以为用。 a wheel has spokes,but it rotates around a hollow center.a pot is

16、made out of clay or glass,but you keep things in the space inside.a house is made of wood or brick,but you live between the walls.we work with something,but we use nothing. 第十二章 五色令人目盲，五音令人耳聋，五味令人口爽，驰骋畋(tin)猎令人心发狂，难得之货令人行妨。是以圣人为腹不为目，故去彼取此。 sight obscures.noise deafens.desire messes with your heart.t

17、he world messes with your mind.a master watches the worldbut keeps focused on whats real.第十三章 宠辱若惊，贵大患若身。何谓宠辱若惊？宠为上，辱为下，得之若惊，失之若惊，是谓宠辱若惊。 何谓贵大患若身？ 吾所以有大患者，为吾有身，及吾无身，吾有何患？故贵以身为天下，若可寄天下；爱以身为天下，若可托天下。 winning can be just as bad as losing.confidence can mess you up just as much as fear.what does winning

18、 can be just as bad as losing mean?if youre down,you might be able to get up.but if youre up, you can get knocked down real fast.dont worry about the score,just do what you have to do.what does confidence can mess you up just as much as fear mean?fear can keep you from getting the job done,but confi

19、dence can get you in over your head.walk tall, but dont get cocky.know your limits, and nothing can ever hold you back.deal with what you can. the rest will follow.第十四章 视之不见名曰夷，听之不闻名曰希，搏之不得名曰微。此三者，不可致诘，故混而为一。其上不皦（jio），其下不昧。绳绳(mn mn)不可名，复归于无物。是谓无状之状，无物之象，是谓惚恍。迎之不见其首，随之不见其后。执古之道，以御今之有。能知古始，是谓道纪。 you c

20、ant see tao, no matter how hard you look.you cant hear tao, no matter how hard you listen.you cant hold on to tao, no matter how hard you grab.but its there.its in you, and its all around you.remember that.the ancient masters were damn impressive.they were deep. real deep.words cant even begin to de

21、scribe how deep they were.you can only talk about how they acted.they were careful, like a man walking on thin ice.they were cautious, like a soldier behind enemy lines.they were polite,like a guest at a party.they moved quickly, like melting ice. they were as plain as a block of wood.their minds we

22、re as wide as a valley,and their hearts as clear as spring water.can you wait for that kind of openness and claritybefore you try to understand the world?can you hold stilluntil events have unfoldedbefore you do the right thing?when you act without expectations,you can accomplish great things.第十五章 古

23、之善为士者，微妙玄通，深不可识。夫唯不可识，故强为之容：豫兮若冬涉川，犹兮若畏四邻，俨兮其若容，涣兮若冰之将释，敦兮其若朴，旷兮其若谷，浑兮其若浊。澹兮其若海；泊兮若无止。孰能浊以静之徐清？孰能安以久动之徐生？保此道者不欲盈，夫唯不盈，故能蔽而新成。 keep your head clear.stay calm.watch as everything happens around you.everything reverts to its original state, which was nothing.and when something becomes nothing, it gets

24、right with tao.if you dont understand that,youre going to screw up somewhere down the line.if you figure it out,youll always know what to do.if you get right with tao,you wont be afraid to die,because you know you will.第十六章 致虚极，守静笃（d）。万物并作，吾以观复。夫物芸芸，各复归其根。归根曰静，是谓复命。复命曰常，知常曰明。不知常，妄作凶。知常容，容乃公，公乃王，王乃天，

25、天乃道，道乃久，没身不殆。 when a master takes charge,hardly anybody notices.the next best leader is obeyed out of love.after that, theres the leader obeyed out of fear.the worst leader is one who is hated.trust and respect people.thats how you earn their trust and respect.the masters dont give orders;they work

26、with everybody else.when the jobs done,people are amazed at what they accomplished.第十七章 太上，不知有之，其次亲而誉之，其次畏之，其次侮之。信不足焉，有不信焉。悠兮其贵言，功成事遂，百姓皆谓我自然。 when people lose touch with tao,they start talking aboutrighteousness and sanctity.when people forget whats true,they start talking about self-evident truths

27、.when people have no respectfor one another,they start talking about political correctness and family values.when the nation is unstable,people start talking about patriotism.第十八章 大道废，有仁义；慧智出，有大伪；六亲不和，有孝慈；国家昏乱，有忠臣。 when people lose touch with tao,they start talking about righteousness and sanctity.w

28、hen people forget whats true,they start talking about self-evident truths.when people have no respectfor one another,they start talking about political correctness and family values.when the nation is unstable,people start talking about patriotism.第十九章 绝圣弃智，民利百倍；绝仁弃义，民复孝慈；绝巧弃利，盗贼无有。此三者以为文不足，故令有所属。见素

29、抱朴，少私寡欲。 get rid of sanctity. people will understand the truth and be happier.get rid of morality.people will respect each other and do whats right.get rid of value and profit.people will not stealif they do not desire.if thats not possible, go to plan b:be simple. be real.do your work as best you c

30、an. dont think about what you get for it.stay focused. get rid of all your crap.第二十章 绝学无忧， 唯之与阿，相去几何？善之与恶，相去若何？人之所畏，不可不畏。荒兮其未央哉！众人熙熙，如享太牢，如春登台。我独泊兮其未兆，如婴儿之未孩；累累兮，若无所归。众人皆有余，而我独若遗。我愚人之心也哉！ 沌沌兮，俗人昭昭，我独昏昏。俗人察察，我独闷闷。澹兮其若海，恍兮若无止。众人皆有以，而我独顽似鄙。我独（欲）异于人，而贵食母。 dont spend too much time thinking about stupid s

31、hit.why should you careif people agree or disagree with you?why should you care if others find you attractive or not?why should you care about things that worry others?call bullshit on all that.let other peopleget worked up and try to enjoy themselves.im not going to give myself away.a baby doesnt k

32、now how to smile, but its still happy.let other peopleget excited about stuff.im not going to hang on to anything.im not going to fill my mind with ideas.im not going to get stuck in a rut, tied down to any one place.other people are clever;i guess i must be stupid.other people have goals;i guess i

33、must be aimless.like the wind. or the waves.im not like other people.im getting right with tao.第二十一章 孔德之容，惟道是从。道之为物，惟恍惟惚。惚兮恍兮，其中有象；恍兮惚兮，其中有物。窈（yo）兮冥兮，其中有精；其精甚真，其中有信。自今及古，其名不去，以阅众甫。吾何以知众甫之状哉？以此。 a master stays focused on tao.nothing else, just tao.but you cant pin tao down-you cant even see it!how ar

34、e you supposed to focus on something like that?just remember what lao tzu said: the universe began as a void.the void fills with images.images lead to the creation of objects.and every object has tao at its core.thats the way its been,ever since the world began.how can i be so sure?i just know.第二十二章

35、 曲则全，枉则直，洼则盈，敝则新，少则得，多则惑。是以圣人抱一为天下式。不自见故明，不自是故彰，不自伐故有功，不自矜故长。夫唯不争，故天下莫能与之争。古之所谓曲则全者，岂虚言哉！诚全而归之。 learn how to stand still if you want to go places.get on your kneesif you want to stand tall.if you want wisdom, empty your mind.if you want the world, renounce your riches.push yourself until youre exhau

36、sted, and then youll find your strength.you can go farif you dont have anything to carry.the more you acquire,the less you can really see.a master takes this to heartand sets an example for everybody else.she doesnt show offso people take notice.shes not out to prove anythingso people take her at he

37、r word.she doesnt brag about herselfbut people know what shes done.she hasnt got an agendabut people know what she can do.shes not out to get anybodyso nobody can get in her way.learn how to stand still if you want to go places.thats not as crazy as it sounds.get in touch with tao,and youll see what

38、 i mean.第二十三章 希言自然。故飘风不终朝，骤雨不终日。孰为此者？天地。天地尚不能久，而况于人乎？故从事于道者同于道，德者同于德，失者同于失。同于道者，道亦乐得之；同于德者，德亦乐得之；同于失者，失亦乐得之。 信不足焉，有不信焉。 when you have nothing to say,you may as well keep your mouth shut.the wind and the rain dont go on forever.if nature knows enough to give it a rest sometimes,so should you.if youre

39、 ready for tao,you can live with tao.if youre ready to succeed,you can live with success.if youre ready to fail, you can live with failure.trust your instincts, and others will trust you.第二十四章 企者不立，跨者不行，自见者不明，自是者不彰，自伐者无功，自矜者不长。其在道也，曰余食赘行。物或恶之，故有道者不处。 keep your feet firmly plantedunless you want to f

40、all on your face.learn how to pace yourself if you want to get anywhere.dont call attention to yourself if you want people to notice your work.nobody respects people who always have excuses.nobody gives credit to people who always take it.people who hype themselves have nothing else to offer.think o

41、f being in touch with tao like eating at a buffet:take only what you need.save some for everybody else.第二十五章 有物混成，先天地生。寂兮寥兮，独立不改，周行而不殆，可以为天下母。吾不知其名，强字之曰道，强为之名曰大。大曰逝，逝曰远，远曰反。故道大，天大，地大，人亦大。域中有四大，而人居其一焉。人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。 something perfecthas existed forever,even longer than the universe.its a vast, unc

42、hanging void.theres nothing else like it.it goes on forever and never stops,and everything else came from it.i dont know what else to call it so ill call it tao.whats it like?i can tell you this much: its great.so great that it endures.something that endures goes a long way.and something that goes a

43、 long way always comes back to the beginning.taos great.heavens great.earths great. and someone in touch with taois great, too.those are the four greatest thingsin the universe.someone whos in touch with tao is in touch with the earth.the earth is in touch with heaven.heavens in touch with tao.taos

44、in touch with the way things are.第二十六章 重为轻根，静为躁君。是以圣人终日行，不离辎重。虽有荣观，燕处超然。奈何万乘之主，而以身轻天下？轻则失本，躁则失君。 to be light on your feet, you need a steady mind.if your body is active, your mind should be relaxed.a master can travel long distances and still see everything she owns.she may be surrounded by beautybu

45、t she isnt caught up in it.why run around thoughtlessly?if you act lightly,you lose your bearings.if you act recklessly,you lose your self-control.第二十七章 善行无辙迹，善言无瑕谪（zhe）；善数不用筹策；善闭无关楗，而不可开，善结无绳约，而不可解。是以圣人常善救人，故无弃人；常善救物，故无弃物，是谓袭明。故善人者，不善人之师；不善人者，善人之资。不贵其师，不爱其资，虽智大迷，是谓要妙。 with enough practice,you could

46、 come and go without a trace,speak without stumbling over words,do complicated math problems in your head.you could build a door with no lock that nobody could open.you could tie something down with no knots, without even a rope,and nobody could pry it loose.masters have time to help everybody, and

47、ignore nobody.they use their resources wisely, wasting nothing.some people call this following the light.good people teach others because they have the potential to be good too.brains count for nothingif you fail to respect your teachersor to honor the potential in others.thats one of the most impor

48、tant lessons of tao.第二十八章 知其雄，守其雌，为天下溪。为天下溪，常德不离，复归于婴儿。知其白，守其黑，为天下式。为天下式，常德不忒，复归于无极。知其荣，守其辱，为天下谷。为天下谷，常德乃足，复归于朴。朴散则为器， 圣人用之，则为官长，故大制不割。 if you are strong, but remain sensitive, power will flow through you.with that power, youll always be right with tao:its like a whole new life.if you are idealistic

49、, but stay rooted in reality, you are an example to others.set that example, and youll always be right with tao:there is no limit to what you can do.if you are honorable, but remain humble, you will see things as they are.if you see things as they are, youll always be right with tao:your life will b

50、ecome simple, yet full of potential.let tao show you how to get right with tao,so your slightest gesture can change the world.第二十九章 将欲取天下而为之，吾见弗得已。夫天下，神器也，非可为者也。为者败之，执者失之。是以圣人无为，故无败；无执，故无失。故物或行或随，或嘘或吹。或强或羸，或挫或隳（hu）。是以圣人去甚，去奢，去泰。 want to take over the world?think again.the worlds a holy place.you can

51、t just fuck around with it.those who try to change it destroy it.those who try to possess it lose it.with tao, you push forward, or maybe you stay behind.sometimes you push yourself, other times you rest.sometimes youre strong, sometimes youre weak.sometimes youre up, and sometimes youre down.a mast

52、er lives simply, avoiding extravagance and excess.第三十章 以道佐人主者，不以兵强天下。其事好还。师之所处，荆棘生焉。大军之后，必有凶年。善有果而已，不敢以取强。果而勿矜，果而勿伐，果而勿骄，果而不得已，果而勿强。物壮则老，是谓不道，不道早已。 listen up:if you want to be a leaderwhos in touch with tao,never use violence to achieve your goals.every act of violence backfires.an army on the move

53、leaves a trail of tears,and a military victory always lies in ruins.the masters do what needs doingand thats all they do.do what you have to do without arrogance or pride.get the job done and dont brag about it afterwards.do what you have to do, not for your own benefit,but because it needs to be do

54、ne.and dont do it the wayyou think it should be done,do it the way it needs to be done.the mighty will always lose their power and any connection they ever had to tao.they will not last long;if youre not right with tao, you might as well be dead.第三十一章 夫佳兵者，不祥之器，物或恶之，故有道者不处。君子居则贵左，用兵则贵右。兵者，不祥之器，非君子之器，不得已而用之，恬淡为上。胜而不美，而美之者，是乐杀人。夫乐杀人者，则不可以得志于天下矣。吉事尚左，凶事尚右。偏将军居左，上将军居右，言以丧礼处之。杀人之众，以哀悲泣之，战胜，以丧礼处之。 weapons are terrible things.if you want to get right with