Is stripped of desire （for contention）。
By stripping of desire quiescence is achieved；
And the world arrives at peace of its own accord。
三十八章
上德不德，是以有德；下德不失德，是以无德。上德无为而无以为；下德无为而有以为。上仁为之而无以为；上义为之而有以为。上礼为之而莫之应，则攘臂而扔之。故失道而后德，失德而后仁，失仁而后义，失义而后礼。夫礼者，忠信之薄，而乱之首。前识者，道之华，而愚之始。是以大丈夫居其厚，不居其薄；居其实，不居其华。故去彼取此。
The man of superior character is not （conscious of his） character。
Hence he has character。
The man of inferior character （is intent on） not losing character。
Hence he is devoid of character。
The man of superior character never acts；
Nor ever （does so） with an ulterior motive。
The man of inferior character acts；
And （does so） with an ulterior motive。
The man of superior kindness acts；
But （does so） without an ulterior motive。
The man of superior justice acts；
And （does so） with an ulterior motive。
（But when） the man of superior li acts and finds no response；
He rolls up his sleeves to force it on others。
Therefore：
After Tao is lost； then （arises the doctrine of） humanity。
After humanity is lost； then （arises the doctrine of） justice。
After justice is lost； then （arises the doctrine of） li。
Now li is the thinning out of loyalty and honesty of heart。
And the beginning of chaos。
The prophets are the flowering of Tao
And the origin of folly。
Therefore the noble man dwells in the heavy （base）；
And not in the thinning （end）。
He dwells in the fruit；
And not in the flowering （expression）。
Therefore he rejects the one and accepts the other。
三十九章
昔之得一者：天得一以清；地得一以宁；神得一以灵；谷得一以盈；侯得一以为天下正。其致之。天无以清，将恐裂；地无以宁，将恐废；神无以灵，将恐歇；谷无以盈，将恐竭；侯王无以贵高，将恐蹶。故贵以贱为本，高以下为基。是以侯王自谓「孤」、「寡」、「不谷」。此非以贱为本耶？非乎？故致数誉无誉。是故不欲禄禄如玉。珞珞如石。
There were those in ancient times possessed of the One；
Through possession of the One； the Heaven was clarified；
Through possession of the One； The Earth was stabilized；
Through possession of the One； the gods were spiritualized；
Through possession of the One； the valleys were made full；
Through possession of the One； all things lived and grew；
Through possession of the One； the princes and dukes
became the ennobled of the people。
… that was how each became so。
Without clarity； the Heavens would shake；
Without stability； the Earth would quake；
Without spiritual power； the gods would crumble；
Without being filled； the valleys would crack；
Without the life…giving power； all things would perish；
Without the ennobling power； the princes and dukes would stumble。
therefore the nobility depend upon the mon man for support；
And the exalted ones depend upon the lowly for their base。
That is why the princes and dukes call themselves
〃the orphaned；〃 〃the lonely one；〃 〃the unworthy。〃
Is is not true then that they depend upon the mon man for support？
Truly； take down the parts of a chariot；
And there is no chariot （left）。
Rather than jingle like the jade；
Rumble like the rocks。
四十章
反者道之动；弱者道之用。天下万物生于有，有生于无。
Reversion is the action of Tao。
Gentleness is the function of Tao。
The things of this world e from Being；
And Being （es） from Non…being。
四十一章
上士闻道，勤而行之；中士闻道，若存若亡；下士闻道，大笑之。不笑不足以为道。故建言有之：「明道若昧，进道若退，夷道若类，上德若谷，大白若辱，广德若不足，建德若偷；质真若渝，大方无隅，大器晚成，大音希声；大象无形。」道隐无名，夫唯道，善始且善成。
When the highest type of men hear the Tao （truth）；
they try hard to live in accordance with it。
When the mediocre type hear the Tao；
they seem to be aware and yet unaware of it。
When the lowest type hear the Tao；
They break into loud laughter …
If it were not laughed at； it would not be Tao。
Therefore there is the established saying：
〃Who understands Tao seems dull of prehension；
Who is advance in Tao seems to slip backwards；
Who moves on the even Tao （Path） seems to go up and down。〃
Superior character appears like a hollow （valley）；
Sheer white appears like tarnished；
Great character appears like infirm；
Pure worth appears like contaminated。
Great space has no corners；
Great talent takes long to mature；
Great music is faintly heard；
Great form has no contour；
And Tao is hidden without a name。
It is this Tao that is adept at lending （its power）
and bringing fulfillment。
四十二章
道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。万物负阴而抱阳，冲气以为和。人之所恶，唯「孤」、「寡」、「不谷」。而王公以为称。故，物或损之而益，或益之而损。人之所教，我亦教之：「强梁者不得其死」，吾将以为教父。
Out of Tao； One is born；
Out of One； Two；
Out of Two； Three；
Out of Three； the created universe。
The created universe carries the yin at its back
and the yang in front；
Through the union of the pervading principles it
reaches harmony。
To be 〃orphaned；〃 〃lonely〃 and 〃unworthy〃 is what men hate most。
Yet the princes and dukes call themselves by such names。
For sometimes things are benefited by being taken away from；
And suffer by being added to。
Others have taught this maxim；
Which I shall teach also：
〃The violent man shall die a violent death。〃
This I shall regard as my spiritual teacher。 ？？
？？
？？？？
？？ê？è？？？
？？？？ìì？？？？？áèá￡？3？3òìì？？？？？á？á？￡？？ó？è？？？？？？￡？áê？ò？？a？？？a？？ó？ò？？￡2？？？？？？ì￡？？？？a？？ò？￡？ìì？？？￡？°？？？￡
？？？？The softest substance of the world
？？？？Goes through the hardest。
？？？？That…which…is…without…form penetrates that…which…has…no…crevice；
？？？？Through this I know the benefit of taking no action。
？？？？The teaching without words
？？？？And the benefit of taking no action
？？？？Are without pare in the universe。
四十四章
名与身孰亲？身与货孰多？得与亡孰病？是故，甚爱必大费，多藏必厚亡。知足不辱，知止不殆，可以长久。
Fame or one's own self； which does one love more？
One's own self or material goods； which has more worth？
Loss （of self） or possession （of goods）； which is the greater evil？
Therefore： he who loves most spends most；
He who hoards much loses much。
The contented man meets no disgrace；
Who know when to stop runs into no danger …
He can long endure。
四十五章
大成若缺，其用不弊。大盈若冲，其用不穷。大直若屈，大巧若拙，大辩若讷。躁胜寒，静胜热，清静为天下正。
The highest perfection is like imperfection；
And its use is never impaired。
The greatest abundance seems meager；
And its use will never fail。
What s most straight appears devious；
The greatest skill appears clumsiness；
The greatest eloquence seems like stuttering。
Movement overes cold；
（But） keeping still overes heat。
Who is calm and quiet bees the guide for the universe。
四十六章
天下有道，却走马以粪。天下无道，戎马生于郊。祸莫大于不知足；咎莫大于欲得。故，知足之足，常足矣。
When the world lives in accord with Tao；
Racing horses are turned back to haul refuse carts。
When the world lives not in accord with Tao；
Cavalry abounds in the countryside。
There is no greater curse than the lack of contentment。
No greater sin than the desire for possession。
Therefore he who is contented with contentment
shall be always content。
四十七章
不出户，知天下；不窥牖，见天道。其出弥远，其知弥少。是以圣人不行而知，不见而明，不为而成。
Without stepping outside one's doors；
One can know what is happening in the world；
Without looking out of one's windows；
One can see the Tao of heaven。
The farther one pursues knowledge；
The less one knows。
Therefore the Sage knows without running about；
Understands without seeing；
Acplishes without doing。 ？？
？？
？？？？
？？ê？°？？？
？？？？？a？§è？ò？￡？？aμàè？？？？￡？？？？ó？？？￡？ò？？áóú？？？a？￡？？？a？？？？2？？a？￡è？ìì？？3￡ò？？？ê？？￡？°？？ó？ê？￡？2？×？ò？è？ìì？？？￡
？？？？The student of knowledge （aims at） learning day by day；
？？？？The student of Tao （aims at） losing day by day。
？？？？By continual losing
？？？？One reaches doing nothing （laissez…faire）。
？？？？He who conquers the world often does so by doing nothing。
？？？？When one is pelled to do something；
？？？？The world is already beyond his conquering。
四十九章
圣人常无心，以百姓心为心。善者吾善之，不善者吾亦善之，得善。信者吾信之，不信者吾亦信之，得信。圣人在天下，歙歙焉，为天下浑其心，圣人皆孩之。
The Sage has no decided opinions and feelings；
But regards the people's opinions and feelings as his own。
The good ones I declare good；
The bad ones I also declare good。
That is the goodness of Virtue。
The honest ones I believe；
The liars I also believe；
That is the faith of Virtue。
The Sage dwells in the world peacefully； harmoniously。
The people of the world are brought into a munity of heart；
And the Sage regards them all as his own children。
五十章
出生入死。生之徒，十有三；死之徒，十有三；人之生，动之死地，亦十有三。夫何故？以其生之厚。盖闻善摄生者，陵行不遇兕虎，入军不被甲兵。兕无所投其角，虎无所措其爪，兵无所容其刃。夫何故？以其无死地。
Out of life； death enters。
The panions （organs） of life are thirteen；
The panions （organs） of death are （also） thirteen。
What send man to death in this life are also （these） thirteen。
How is it so？
Because of the