- 正文 - - - - - - - - - - - - -
天下皆知美之為美，斯惡已。
Heaven under all know beauty-as beauty, then ugly already.皆知善之為善，斯不善已。
All know good-as good, then not good already.
故有無相生，
Thus Thing Nothing mutual born,
難易相成，
Difficult easy mutual make,
長短相形，
long short mutual compare,
高下相傾，
High low mutual incline,
音聲相和，
Sound voice mutual harmonize,
前後相隨。
Front back mutual follow.
是以聖人處無為之事，
Therefore sage person engage no action's affair
行不言之教。
Pratice no words' teaching.
萬物作焉而不辭。
All things flourish but not refuse.
生而不有，為而不恃，
Born but not own, act but not posses,
功成而弗居。
Task finished but not dwell.
夫唯弗居，是以不去。
For only not dwell, therefore not gone.
- 英譯：
If the world knows beauty as beauty, then there is ugliness already.
If the world knows goodness as good, then there is evil already.
Thus, "Thing" and "Nothing" produce each other.
Difficult and easy complement each other.
Long and short contrast each other.
High and low distinguish each other.
Sound and voice harmonize each other.
Front and back follow each other.
Therefore, the safe manages his affairs without action.
And spreads his teachings without words.
All things flourish without interference.
Come to life without being possessed, he does his work without expectation.
He accomplishes his task without claiming credit.
Is it not precisely because he claims no credit, that credit is always due him?
- 中譯 ：
如果全世界都知道什麼是美，這表示已經有醜了。
如果全世界都知道什麼是善，這表示已經有惡了。
因此，「有」和「無」相互生成，
難與易相輔相成。
長與短相互對比，
高與低彼此區分。
音與聲相互協調，
前與後相互跟隨。
因此，聖人不採取行動來管理他的事務，
不用言語來傳播他的教導，
萬物興旺，互不干擾，
各自生活，而不據為己有。
他辛勤工作，卻毫無期望，
他完成任務，卻不求功勞。
這不正是因為他不求功勞，
而功勞卻總是屬於他嗎？
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