老子道德經(核心三十三篇)
Laozi’s Dao De Jing (core 33 chapters)
Translated by LI Siming, 2011
55. Those rich in virtue are like baby
含德之厚，比於赤子。
蜂蠆虺蛇不螫，猛獸不據，攫鳥不搏。骨弱筋柔而握固。
Those well established in Virtue, are like babies.
Bees and snakes won’t bite, fierce animals won’t claw, and large birds won’t hunt. (Their) bones and ligaments are soft but when they hold their fists are tight.
未知牝牡之合而全作，精之至也。
終日號而不嗄，和之至也。
They don’t have sexual desire but their sexual organs often harden, as their bodily essence remains full.
They cry all day but their voices won’t soar, as they stay harmonized at all time.
知和曰常，知常曰明。
益生曰祥，心使氣曰強。
物壯則老，謂之不道，不道早已。
Those who know harmony is normal, those who know normal is bright.
Those who have excess desire brings hazard, those who let their desires to use their energy is to show off.
Things when get too strong will get old, are against the Dao, and will soon disappear.
67. Dao not like anything, three treasures
天下皆謂我道大，似不肖。
夫唯大，故似不肖。
若肖，久矣其細也夫！
The world called this Dao is big, but it does not look like anything described.
Because of its big, it does not look like anything.
If it looks like anything, it would be small long time ago!
我有三寶，持而保之。
一曰慈，二曰儉，三曰不敢為天下先。
慈故能勇；儉故能廣；不敢為天下先，故能成器長。
今舍慈且勇；舍儉且廣；舍後且先；死矣！
I have three treasures, hold and keep them.
First is kindness, second is economy, third is not in front of the world.
Kind and therefore can brave; economy and therefore can widespread; not in front and therefore can lead.
Now (people) seek brave without kindness; widespread without economy; lead without staying in the back; die soon!
夫慈以戰則勝，以守則固。
天將救之，以慈衛之。
Fight with kindness and one will win in war, and will hold his ground in defense.
Heaven will save it, and protect it with kindness.
70. Easy to know and do
吾言甚易知，甚易行。天下莫能知，莫能行。
言有宗，事有君。夫唯無知，是以不我知。
知我者希，則我者貴。
What i say is easy to know, easy to do. The world does not know, no one does.
What i say have principle, what i do have basis. People do not know, therefore do not understand me.
Understand me are few, follow me are precious.
是以聖人被褐懷玉。
Therefore saints wear coarse clothes but hold jade.
71. Knowing one knows nothing vs. no knowing but claims one knowing
知不知，上；不知知，病。
夫唯病病，是以不病。
Knowing one knows nothing, is sane; not knowing but claim one knows, is sickness.
When one knows sickness is sickness, one will not be sick.
聖人不病，以其病病，是以不病。
Saints are not sick, as they see sickness as sickness, and therefore not sick.
73. Nature of heaven, like a giant net
勇於敢則殺，勇於不敢則活。
此兩者，或利或害。天之所惡，孰知其故？是以聖人猶難之。
Courage when applied to doing kills, when applied to not-doing saves.
These two could benefit or harm. Who could know what the heaven dislike? Even saints have difficulty to tell.
天之道，不爭而善勝，不言而善應，不召而自來，繟然而善謀。
天網恢恢，踈而不失。
Heaven, do not compete but good at winning, do not speak but good at responding, do not invoke but arrive itself, broad and wise.
It is like a giant net, coarse but covers everywhere.
79. Hatred mediate vs. not arising, debt owner vs. collector
和大怨，必有餘怨；安可以為善？
Mediate big hatred, and there is always some residual hatred; how could it be a good?
是以聖人執左契，而不責於人。
有德司契，無德司徹。
天道無親，常與善人。
Therefore saints holding a debt note, but do not chase after the debtor.
Those with virtue are like debt note owner, those without virtue are like debt collector.
Heaven is not close to anyone, yet it helps the goods.
