The Image of Nothingness。
That is why it is called the Elusive：
Meet it and you do not see its face；
Follow it and you do not see its back。
十五章
古之善为道者，微妙玄通，深不可识。夫唯不可识，故强为之容：豫兮，若冬涉川；犹兮，若畏四邻；俨兮，其若客；涣兮，其若凌释；敦兮，其若朴；旷兮，其若谷；混兮，其若浊。孰能浊以止？静之徐清。孰能安以久？动之徐生。保此道者，不欲盈。夫唯不盈，故能蔽而新成。
The wise ones of old had subtle wisdom and depth of understanding；
So profound that they could not be understood。
And because they could not be understood；
Perforce must they be so described：
Cautious； like crossing a wintry stream；
Irresolute； like one fearing danger all around；
Grave； like one acting as guest；
Self…effacing； like ice beginning to melt；
Genuine； like a piece of undressed wood；
Open…minded； like a valley；
And mixing freely； like murky water。
Who can find repose in a muddy world？
By lying still； it bees clear。
Who can maintain his calm for long？
By activity； it es back to life。
He who embraces this Tao
Guards against being over…full。
Because he guards against being over…full；
He is beyond wearing out and renewal。
十六章
致虚极，守静笃。万物并作，吾以观复。夫物芸芸，各复归其根。归根曰静，静曰复命。复命曰常，知常曰明。不知常，妄作，凶。知常容，容乃公，公乃王，王乃天，天乃道，道乃久，殁身不殆。
Attain the utmost in Passivity；
Hold firm to the basis of Quietude。
The myriad things take shape and rise to activity；
But I watch them fall back to their repose。
Like vegetation that luxuriantly grows
But returns to the root （soil） from which it springs。
To return to the root is Repose；
It is called going back to one's Destiny。
Going back to one's Destiny is to find the Eternal Law。
To know the Eternal Law is Enlightenment。
And not to know the Eternal Law
Is to court disaster。
He who knows the Eternal Law is tolerant；
Being tolerant； he is impartial；
Being impartial； he is kingly；
Being kingly； he is in accord with Nature；
Being in accord with Nature； he is in accord with Tao；
Being in accord with Tao； he is eternal；
And his whole life is preserved from harm。 ？？
？？
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？？？？Of the best rulers
？？？？The people （only） know that they exist；
？？？？The next best the love and praise；
？？？？The next they fear；
？？？？And the next they revile。
？？？？When they do not mand the people's faith；
？？？？Some will lose faith in them；
？？？？And then they resort to oaths！
？？？？But （of the best） when their task is acplished；
？？？？their work done；
？？？？The people all remark； 〃We have done it ourselves。〃
十八章
大道废，有仁义；智慧出，有大伪；六亲不和，有孝慈；国家昏乱，有忠臣。
On the decline of the great Tao；
The doctrine of 〃humanity〃 and 〃justice〃 arose。
When knowledge and cleverness appeared；
Great hypocrisy followed in its wake。
When the six relationships no longer lived at peace；
There was （praise of） 〃kind parents〃 and 〃filial sons。〃
When a country fell into chaos and misrule；
There was （praise of） 〃loyal ministers。〃
十九章
绝圣弃智，民利百倍；绝仁弃义，民复孝慈；绝巧弃利，盗贼无有。此三者以为文，不足。故令有所属：见素抱朴，少思寡欲，绝学无忧。
Banish wisdom； discard knowledge；
And the people shall profit a hundredfold；
Banish 〃humanity；〃 discard 〃justice；〃
And the people shall recover love of their kin；
Banish cunning； discard 〃utility；〃
And the thieves and brigands shall disappear。
As these three touch the externals and are inadequate；
The people have need of what they can depend upon：
Reveal thy simple self；
Embrace thy original nature；
Check thy selfishness；
Curtail thy desires。
二十章
唯之与阿，相去几何？美之与恶，相去若何？人之所畏，不可不畏。荒兮，其未央哉！众人熙熙，如享太牢，如春登台。我独泊兮，其未兆；沌沌兮，如婴儿之未孩；儡儡兮，若无所归。众人皆有馀，而我独若遗。我愚人之心也哉，沌沌兮！俗人昭昭，我独昏昏。俗人察察，我独闷闷。淡兮，其若海，望兮，若无止。众人皆有以，而我独顽似鄙。我独异于人，而贵食母。
Banish learning； and vexations end。
Between 〃Ah！〃 and 〃Ough！〃
How much difference is there？
Between 〃good〃 and 〃evil〃
How much difference is there？〃
That which men fear
Is indeed to be feared；
But； alas； distant yet is the dawn （of awakening）！
The people of the world are merry…making；
As if partaking of the sacrificial feasts；
As if mounting the terrace in spring；
I alone am mild； like one unemployed；
Like a new…born babe that cannot yet smile；
Unattached； like one without a home。
The people of the world have enough and to spare；
But I am like one left out；
My heart must be that of a fool；
Being muddled； nebulous！
The vulgar are knowing； luminous；
I alone am dull； confused。
The vulgar are clever； self…assured；
I alone； depressed。
Patient as the sea；
Adrift； seemingly aimless。
The people of the world all have a purpose；
I alone appear stubborn and uncouth。
I alone differ from the other people；
And value drawing sustenance from the Mother。
二十一章
孔德之容，惟道是从。道之为物，惟恍惟惚。惚兮恍兮，其中有象；恍兮惚兮，其中有物；窈兮冥兮，其中有精；其精甚真，其中有信。自今及古，其名不去，以阅众甫。吾何以知众甫之状哉？以此。
The marks of great Character
Follow alone from the Tao。
The thing that is called Tao
Is elusive； evasive。
Evasive； elusive；
Yet latent in it are forms。
Elusive； evasive；
Yet latent in it are objects。
Dark and dim；
Yet latent in it is the life…force。
The life…force being very true；
Latent in it are evidences。
From the days of old till now
Its Named （manifested forms） have never ceased；
By which we may view the Father of All Things。
How do I know the shape of the Father of All Things？
Through these （manifested forms）！
二十二章
「曲则全，枉则直，洼则盈，敝则新，少则得，多则惑。」是以圣人抱一为天下式。不自见，故明；不自是，故彰；不自伐，故有功；不自矜，故长。夫唯不争，故天下莫能与之争。古之所谓「曲则全」者，岂虚言哉！诚全而归之。
To yield is to be preserved whole。
To be bent is to bee straight。
To be hollow is to be filled。
To be tattered is to be renewed。
To be in want is to possess。
To have plenty is to be confused。
Therefore the Sage embraces the One；
And bees the model of the world。
He does not reveal himself；
And is therefore luminous。
He does not justify himself；
And is therefore far…famed。
He does not boast of himself；
And therefore people give him credit。
He does not pride himself；
And is therefore the chief among men。
Is it not indeed true； as the ancients say；
〃To yield is to be preserved whole？〃
Thus he is preserved and the world does him homage。
二十三章
希言自然。故飘风不终朝，骤雨不终日。孰为此者？天地。天地尚不能久，而况于人乎？故从事于道者，同于道；德者，同于德；失者，同于失。同于道者，道亦乐得之；同于德者，德亦乐得之；同于失者，失亦乐得之。信不足焉，有不信焉。
Nature says few words：
Hence it is that a squall lasts not a whole morning。
A rainstorm continues not a whole day。
Where do they e from？
From Nature。
Even Nature does not last long （in its utterances）；
How much less should human beings？
Therefore it is that：
He who follows the Tao is identified with the Tao。
He who follows Character （Teh） is identified with
Character。
He who abandons （Tao） is identified with abandonment （of
Tao）。
He who is identified with Tao …
Tao is also glad to wele him。
He who is identified with character …
Character is also glad to wele him。
He who is identified with abandonment …
Abandonment is also glad t wele him。
He who has not enough faith
Will not be able to mand faith from others。 ？？
？？
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？？？？？ó？？2？á￠￡？？？？？2？？？￡？×？？？？？2？？÷￡？×？ê？？？2？？？￡？×？·￥？？？？1｜￡？×？？？？？2？3¤？￡？？？úμàò2￡？？？a？ê3×？？？￡？？？？ò？？？？￡？1êó？μà？？2？？ó？￡
？？？？He who stands on tiptoe does not stand （firm）；
？？？？He who strains his strides does not walk （well）；
？？？？He who reveals himself is not luminous；
？？？？He who justifies himself is not far…famed；
？？？？He who boasts of himself is not given credit；
？？？？He who prides himself is not chief among men。
？？？？These in the eyes of Tao
？？？？Are called 〃the dregs and tumors of Virtue；〃
？？？？Which are things of disgust。
？？？？Therefore the man of Tao spurns them。
二十五章
有物混成，先天地生。寂兮寥兮，独立而不改，周行而不殆，可以为天地母。吾不知其名，字之曰道，强为之名曰大。大曰逝，逝曰远，远曰反。故道大，天大，地大，人亦大。域中有四大，而人居其一焉。人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。
Before the Heaven and Earth existed
There was something nebulous：
Silent； isolated；
Standing alone； changing not；
Eternally revolving without fail；
Worthy to be the Mother of All Things。
I do not know its name
And address it as Tao。
If forced to give it a name； I shall call it 〃Great。〃
Being great implies reaching out in space；
Reaching out in space implies far…reaching；
Far…reaching implies reversion to the original point。
Therefore：
Tao is Great；
The Heaven is great；
The Earth is great；
The King is also great。
There are the Great Four in the universe；
And the King is one of them。
Man mod