04道德经英译本85种-第24部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


　　Thus　the　great　state　places　itself　at　the　service　of　a　small　state　before　before　it　absorbs　the　small　state。　And　a　small　state　must　serve　the　interests　of　the　great　state　before　it　can　be　taken　into　the　great　state。
　　Hence；　some　submit　in　order　to　take；　while　others　submit　in　order　to　be　taken。
　　When　a　great　state　desires　to　have　more　people；　and　a　small　state　desires　to　be　protected；
　　it　is　by　submission　that　both　obtain　what　they　desire。

　　62

　　Nature　is　profoundly　worth　while。　It　is　that　which　is　most　worth　while　for　good　men；　And　it　is　the　only　real　value　for　bad　men。
　　Flattery　may　gain　favours；　and　gifts　may　help　one　to　advance；　But　bad　men　know　how　to　flatter　and　bribe。
　　Therefore　when　leaders　are　installed　in　office；　Better　than　he　who　artfully　gives　lavish　gifts　and　glowing　tribute；　Is　one　who；　by　doing　nothing　but　accepting　his　natural　role　as　a　follower；　pays　genuine　homage。
　　Why　have　men　always　valued　Nature？　Was　it　not　because　Nature　submitted　humbly　to　the　task　of　benefiting　the　good　and　the　bad　alike？　Is　this　not　the　reason　why　it　is　the　most　worth　while　thing　in　the　world？

　　63

　　Act　disinterestedly　…　without　intending　that　your　action　shall　change　the　course　of　Nature。　Behave　indifferently　…　without　trying　to　impose　your　own　ideas　upon　the　lives　of　others。　Appreciate　natural　flavours　…　without　adulterating　natural　foods　with　artificial　flavours。
　　Accept　the　fact　that　what　is　small　grows　big；　and　what　are　few　become　many。　Respond　intelligently　even　to　unintelligent　treatment。
　　Take　care　of　what　is　difficult　while　it　is　still　easy；　and　deal　with　what　will　become　big　while　it　is　yet　small；　For　all　difficult　things　originate　in　what　is　easy。
　　The　most　difficult　things　in　the　world　Must　be　accomplished　through　the　easiest。　The　greatest　things　in　the　world　Must　be　accomplished　through　the　smallest。
　　Therefore　the　intelligent　man；　although　never　troubling　himself　with　big　things；　still　accomplishes　the　same　result　（by　dealing　with　them　when　they　are　small）
　　He　who　is　careless　about　things　when　they　are　easy　will　have　to　face　them　when　they　become　difficult。
　　Therefore　the　intelligent　man；　although　dealing　with　things　which　will　become　difficult；　does　so　by　attending　to　them　while　they　are　not　difficult。

　　64

　　That　which　remains　quiet　is　easy　to　handle。　That　which　has　not　yet　developed　is　easy　to　manage；　That　which　is　weak　is　easy　to　control。　That　which　is　still　small　is　easy　to　direct。
　　Deal　with　little　troubles　before　they　become　big。　Attend　to　little　problems　before　they　get　out　of　hand。
　　For　the　largest　tree　was　once　a　sprout；　The　tallest　tower　started　with　a　single　brick；　And　the　longest　journey　began　with　a　first　stem。
　　Just　as　he　who　tries　to　hasten　what　is　natural；　must　fail　in　his　attempt；　So　he　who　tries　to　retard　what　is　natural；　must　fail　in　his　attempt。
　　Since　the　intelligent　man　does　not　seek　to　accelerate；　he　does　not　make　waste；　And　since　he　does　not　try　to　restrain；　he　does　not　fail。　People　are　as　likely　to　go　wrong　in　not　letting　things　come　to　their　normal　conclusions　as　they　are　in　not　letting　them　start　in　their　own　way。
　　The　intelligent　man　has　no　desire　to　redirect　and　no　desire　for　what　is　hard　to　get。　He　has　learned　to　be　unlearned；　and　returned　to　the　way　which　learned　men　have　forgoten。　He　lets　each　thing　develop　in　its　own　way；　without　any　attempt　to　intervene。

　　65

　　Originally　people　knew　how　to　follow　Nature；　For　they　did　not　try　to　arouse　in　the　people　an　interest　in　cunning；　but　let　them　remained　unspoiled。
　　The　shrewder　people　are；　the　harder　they　are　to　govern。　Therefore　to　try　to　improve　government　by　means　of　increasing　cleverness　in　people　is　to　endanger　it。　But　to　improve　government　by　encouraging　honesty　in　the　people　is　beneficial。
　　The　comprehend　the　significance　of　these　two　ways　is　to　be　profoundly　intelligent。
　　Profound　intelligence　is　that　penetrating　and　pervading　power　To　restore　all　things　to　their　original　harmony。

　　66

　　Rivers　and　seas　dominate　the　landscape；　Because；　by　being　good　at　seeking　the　lowest　places；　they　fill　and　occupy　and　spread　over　everything。
　　Likewise　the　intelligent　man　is　superior　to　others；　Because　he　admits　that　he　is　inferior；　And　he　is　a　leader　of　others　Because　he　is　willing　to　be　a　follower。
　　Thus　although　he　is　actually　superior　to　others；　they　do　not　feel　depressed。　And　when　he　leads　them；　they　do　not　feel　that　they　are　being　forced　to　obey。　So　all　are　happy　to　give　him　their　support。
　　Since　he　competes　with　no　one；　no　one　competes　with　him。

　　67

　　Everyone　says：　〃Nature　is　great；　yet　Nature　is　simple。〃　It　is　great　because　it　is　simple。　If　it　were　not　simple；　long　ago　it　would　have　come　to　little。
　　Nature　sustains　itself　through　three　precious　principles；　which　one　does　well　to　embrace　and　follow。　These　are　gentleness；　frugality　and　humility。
　　When　one　is　gentle；　he　has　no　fear　of　retaliation。　When　one　is　frugal；　he　has　no　fear　of　retaliation。　When　one　is　humble；　no　one　challenges　his　leadership。
　　When　rudeness　replaces　gentleness；　And　extravagance　replaces　frugality；　and　pride　replaces　humility；　The　one　is　doomed。
　　Since　a　gentle　attack　arouses　little　antagonism；　And　a　gentle　defense　provokes　little　anger；　Nature　predisposes　to　gentleness　those　most　suited　for　survival。

　　68

　　The　best　soldier　does　not　attack。　The　superior　fighter　succeeds　without　violence。
　　The　greatest　conqueror　wins　without　a　struggle。　The　most　successful　manager　leads　without　dictating。
　　This　is　called　intelligent　nonaggressiveness。　This　is　called　mastery　of　men。　This　is　called　matching　the　wisdom　of　the　highest　and　oldest　in　Nature。

　　69

　　Military　maxims　say：　〃It　is　easier　to　defend　than　to　attack。〃　〃It　is　better　to　back　away　a　foot　than　to　assault　to　gain　an　inch。〃
　　This　means　that　the　best　way　to　advance　is　to　retreat。　He　who　bares　his　flesh　will　appear　to　have　no　need　for　carrying　weapons。　He　who　does　not　flourish　weapons　appears　to　have　nothing　to　defend。　He　who　does　not　prepare　to　defend　himself　appears　to　have　no　enemies。
　　No　one　will　attack　a　person　unless　he　appears　to　be　an　enemy；　For　to　attack　one　who　is　not　an　enemy　is　to　lose　a　friend。
　　Therefore；　when　opposing　enemies　meet　for　open　battle；　he　who　runs　away　to　hide　is　the　one　who　wins。

　　70

　　The　things　I　am　saying　are　very　easy　to　understand　and　very　easy　to　practice。　Yet　no　one　in　the　world　can　comprehend　them　fully　nor　practice　them　perfectly。
　　The　things　I　am　saying　did　not　originate　with　me　but　have　their　source　in　Nature。　It　is　because　men　do　not　understand　this　source　that　they　do　not　understand　me。　Since　those　who　understand　me　are　few；　they　are；　for　that　reason；　all　the　more　worthy　of　emulation。
　　Therefore　the　intelligent　man　presents　a　poor　exterior；　yet　carries　Nature's　riches　embedded　in　his　core。

　　71

　　To　know　how　little　one　knows　is　to　have　genuine　knowledge。　Not　to　know　how　little　one　knows　is　to　be　deluded。
　　Only　he　who　knows　when　he　is　deluded　can　free　himself　from　such　delusion。　The　intelligent　man　is　not　deluded；　because　he　knows　and　accepts　his　ignorance；　and　accepts　his　ignorance　as　ignorance；　and　thereby　has　genuine　knowledge。

　　72

　　Do　not　be　irritated　when　people　do　not　recognize　your　importance；　For　if　you　are　really　important；　sooner　or　later　circumstances　will　force　them　to　recognize　it。
　　Do　not　treat　them　contemptuously　nor　despise　them；　For　only　when　you　do　not　despise　them　will　they　not　despise　you。
　　Although　the　intelligent　man　knows　his　own　importance；　He　does　not　require　that　others　recognize　it；　and　he　esteems　himself　for　what　he　is；　But　does　not　insist　that　others　esteem　him。　He　does　not　seek　to　be　esteemed　by　others　because　he　recognizes　his　self…esteem　as　sufficicent。

　　73

　　He　whose　courage　expresses　itself　as　defiance　is　often　put　to　death。　He　whose　courage　manifests　itself　as　patience　to　endure　insult　continues　to　live。
　　Of　these　two　kinds　of　courage；　the　one　is　beneficial；　the　other　harmful。　Many　people　are　puzzled　as　to　why；　of　two　courageous　men；　one　is　harmed　and　one　benefited。　But　the　intelligent　man　finds　no　difficulty　with　this　question。
　　Nature　itself　has　the　patience　to　endure　insult；　yet　always　wins　in　the　end。　It　does　not　explain；　nevertheless　all　understand。　It　does　not　command；　but　all　eventually　obey。　It　does　not　hurry；　yet　everything　is　accomplished。
　　Nature's　web　is　so　finely　woven　…　wide　enough　to　catch　the　biggest；　fine　enough　to　catch　the　smallest　…　that　not　a　single　thing　escapes。

　　74

　　It　is　futile　to　threaten　people　with　death。　If　they　are　not　afraid　to　die；　they　cannot　be　frightened　by　the　death　penalty；　and　if　they　are　afraid　to　die；　why　should　we　kill　them？
　　Only　Nature　knows　the　proper　time　for　a　man　to　die。　To　kill　is　to　interrupt　Nature's　design　for　dying；　Like　a　blundering　apprentice　judging　himself　to　be　wiser　than　his　master。
　　Whenever　an　apprentice　thinks　he　is　smarter　than　his　master；　he　is　very　likely　to　hurt　himself。

　　75

　　Those　who　make　their　living　by　collecting　taxes　cause　the　people　to　starve；　when　the　people　starve；　the　tax　collectors；　having　no　one　to　tax；　starve　also。
　　Those　who　govern　people　make　them　discontented　with　being　controlled；　and　therefore　cause　them　to　be　uncontrollable。
　　Those　who　are　so　eager　to　make　a　better　living　that　they　risk　death　in　doing　so　are　the　very　ones　most　likely　to　die。　Only　the　self…sufficient　person　who　depends　upon　and　endangers　no　one　else　in　order　to　get　his　living　is　most　sure　to　live。

　　76

　　At　birth　a　man　is　soft　and　weak　…　yet　capable　of　living　the　whole　life　ahead　of　him。　At　death　he　is　hard　and　tough　…　yet　unable　to　live　for　even　a　minute　longer。
　　All　things；　whether　plants　of　animals；　while　living；　are　soft　and　weak；　But；　when　dead；　are　hard　and　tough。
　　Thus　hardness　and　toughness　are　allied　with　death；　While　softness　and　weakness　are　interrelated　with　life。
　　This　is　the　reason　why　the　tougher　fighters　are　more　likely　to　be　killed；　and　the　harder　trees　more　likely　to　be　cut　down。
　　Therefore　it　is　better　to　be　soft　and　weak　than　to　be　hard　and　tough。