第八章
上善若水。Superior good like water.
水善利萬物而不爭，
Water good benefit all things but not compete.
處眾人之所惡，
Dwell in all people's place loath,
故幾於道。
Thus close to Dao.
居善地。
Dwell in good ground.
心善淵。
Mind good deep.
與善仁。
Giving good kind
言善信。
Speaking good truthful.
政善治。
Governing good tranquil.
事善能。
Task good ability.
動善時。
Move good timing.
夫唯不爭，
For only not compete,
故無尤。
Thus no worry.
英譯：
08
The most virtuous person is like water.
Water benefits all things withouts competing,
And settles in lowly places which all despise.
That is why it comes close to Dao.
In dwelling, choose good location.
In thinking, set your mind on the deep.
In relationship, most important is kindness.
In speaking, be true to your words.
In governing, aim at tranquility.
In performing a task, consider your ability.
In making a move, choose the right time.
It is precisely because he does not compete,
That he is free from worry.
中譯：
品德最高尚的人就像水一樣。
水有利於萬物，而不相爭，
又居於眾人所厭惡的低地。
這就是為什麼它接近道的原因。
在居住方面，選擇好的地點。
在思考的時候，專注於深奧的東西。
在人際關係中，最重要的是友善。
說話時，要發由衷之言。
在治理方面，以安寧為目標。
在執行任務時，要考慮你的能力。
在行動的時候，選擇合適的時間。
正是因為他與人不爭，
所以他就沒有煩惱。
