What a big country wants is but to shelter
others；
And what a small country wants is but
to be able to
e in and be sheltered。
Thus （considering） that both may have what they want；
A big country ought to place itself low。
六十二章
道者，万物之奥。善人之宝，不善人之所保。美言可以市尊，美行可以加人。人之不善，何弃之有？故立天子，置三公，虽有拱璧以先驷马，不如坐进此道。古之所以贵此道者何？不曰：求以得，有罪以免邪？故为天下贵。
Tao is the mysterious secret of the universe；
The good man's treasure；
And the bad man's refuge。
Beautiful saying can be sold at the market；
Noble conduct can be presented as a gift。
Though there be bad people；
Why reject them？
Therefore on the crowning of an emperor；
On the appointment of the Three Ministers；
Rather than send tributes of jade and teams of four horses；
Send in the tribute of Tao。
Wherein did the ancients prize this Tao？
Did they not say； 〃to search for the guilty ones and pardon them〃？
Therefore is （tao） the treasure of the world。
六十三章
为无为，事无事，味无味。大小多少，报怨以德。图难于其易；为大于其细。天下难事，必作于易；天下大事，必作于细。是以圣人终不为大，故能成其大。夫轻诺必寡信，多易必多难。是以圣人犹难之，故终无难矣。
Acplish do…nothing。
Attend to no…affairs。
Taste the flavorless。
Whether it is big or small； many or few；
Requite hatred with virtue。
Deal with the difficult while yet it is easy；
Deal wit the big while yet it is small。
The difficult （problems） of the world
Must be dealt with while they are yet easy；
The great （problems） of the world
Must be dealt with while they are yet small。
Therefore the Sage by never dealing with great （problems）
Acplishes greatness。
He who lightly makes a promise
Will find it often hard to keep his faith。
He who makes light of many things
Will encounter many difficulties。
Hence even the Sage regards things as difficult；
And for that reason never meets with difficulties。
六十四章
其安易持；其未兆易谋；其脆易泮；其微易散。为之于未有，治之于未乱。合抱之木，生于毫末；九层之台，起于累土；千里之行，始于足下。为者败之；持者失之。是以，圣人无为，故无败；无持，故无失。民之从事，常于几成而败之。慎终如始，则无败事。是以圣人欲不欲，不贵难得之货，学不学，复众人之所过。以辅万物自然而不敢为。
That which lies still is easy to hold；
That which is not yet manifest is easy to forestall；
That which is brittle （like ice） easily melts；
That which is minute easily scatters。
Deal with a thing before it is there；
Check disorder before it is rife。
A tree with a full span's girth begins from a tiny sprout；
A nine…storied terrace begins with a clod of earth。
A journey of a thousand li beings at one's feet。
He who acts； spoils；
He who grasps； lets slip。
Because the Sage does not act； he does not spoil；
Because he does not grasp； he does not let slip。
The affairs of men are often spoiled within an ace of
pletion。
By being careful at the end as at the beginning
Failure is averted。
Therefore the Sage desires to have no desire；
And values not objects difficult to obtain。
Learns that which is unlearned；
And restores what the multitude have lost。
That he may assist in the course of Nature
And not presume to interfere。
六十五章
古之善为道者，非以明民，将以愚之。民之难治，以其智多。故以智治国，国之贼；不以智治国，国之福。知此两者亦稽式。常知稽式，是谓玄德。玄德深矣，远矣，与物反矣，然后乃至大顺。
The ancients who knew how to follow the Tao
Aimed not to enlighten the people。；
But to keep them ignorant。
The reason it is difficult for the people to leave in peace
Is because of too much knowledge。
Those who seek to rule a country by knowledge
Are the nation's curse。
Those who seek not to rule a country by knowledge
Are the nation's blessing。
Those who know these two （principles）
Also know the ancient standard；
And to know always the ancient standard
Is called the Mystic Virtue。
When the Mystic Virtue bees clear； far…reaching；
And things revert back （to their source）
Then and then only emerges the Grand Harmony。
六十六章
江海所以能为百谷王者，以其善下之，故能为百谷王。是以圣人欲上民，必以言下之；欲先民，必以身后之。是以圣人居上而民不重，居前而民不害。是以天下乐推而不厌。以其不争，故天下莫能与之争。
How did the great rivers and seas bee the Lords
of the ravines？
By being good at keeping low。
That was how they became Lords of the Ravines。
Therefore in order to be the chief among the people；
One must speak like their inferiors。
In order to be foremost among the people；
One must walk behind them。
Thus it is that the Sage stays above；
And the people do not feel his weight；
Walks in front；
And the people do not wish him harm。
Then the people of the world are glad to uphold him forever。
Because he does not contend；
No one in the world can contend against him。
六十七章
天下皆谓我道大，似不肖。夫唯大，故似不肖。若肖，久矣其细也夫！我有三宝，持而保之：一曰慈，二曰俭，三曰不敢为天下先。慈，故能勇；俭，故能广；不敢为天下先，故能成器长。今舍慈且勇，舍俭且广，舍后且先，死矣。夫慈，以战则胜，以守则固。天将救之，以慈卫之。
All the world says： my teaching （Tao） greatly resembles folly。
Because it is great； therefore it resembles folly。
If it did not resemble folly；
It would have long ago bee petty indeed！
I have Three Treasures；
Guard them and keep them safe：
the first is Love。
The second is； Never too much。
The third is； Never be the first in the world。
Through Love； one has no fear；
Through not doing too much； one has amplitude
（of reserve power）；
Through not presuming to be the first in the world；
One can develop one's talent and let it mature。
If one forsakes love and fearlessness；
forsakes restraint and reserve power；
forsakes following behind and rushes in front；
He is doomed！
For love is victorious in attack；
And invulnerable in defense。
Heaven arms with love
Those it would not see destroyed。 ？？
？？
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？？？？The brave soldier is not violent；
？？？？The good fighter does not lose his temper；
？？？？The great conqueror does not fight （on small issues）；
？？？？The good user of men places himself below others。
？？？？… This is the virtue of not…contending；
？？？？Is called the capacity to use men；
？？？？Is reaching to the height of being
？？？？Mated to Heaven； to what was of old。
六十九章
用兵有言：「吾不敢为主，而为客；不敢进寸，而退尺。」是谓行无行，攘无臂，执无兵，乃无敌矣。祸莫大于轻敌，轻敌几丧吾宝。故抗兵相若，哀者胜矣。
There is the maxim of military strategists；
I dare not be the first to invade； but rather be the invaded。
Dare not press forward an inch； but rather retreat a foot。
That is； to march without formations；
To roll up the sleeves；
To charge not in frontal attacks；
To arm without weapons。
There is no greater catastrophe than to underestimate the enemy。
To underestimate the enemy might entail the loss of my treasures。
Therefore when two equally matched armies meet；
It is the man of sorrow who wins。
七十章
吾言甚易知，甚易行。天下莫能知，莫能行。言有宗，事有君。夫唯无知，是以不我知。知我者希，则我者贵。是以圣人被褐而怀玉。
My teachings are very easy to understand
and very easy to practice；
But no one can understand them and
no one can practice them。
In my words there is a principle。
In the affairs of men there is a system。
Because they know not these；
They also know me not。
Since there are few that know me；
Therefore I am distinguished。
Therefore the Sage wears a coarse cloth on top
And carries jade within his bosom。
七十一章
知不知，上，不知不知，病。圣人不病，以其病病，是以不病。
Who knows that he does not know is the highest；
Who （pretends to） know what he does not know is sick…minded。
And who recognizes sick…mindedness as sick…mindedness
is not sick…minded。
The Sage is not sick…minded。
Because he recognizes sick…mindedness as sick…mindness；
Therefore he is not sick…minded。
七十二章
民不畏威，则大威至。无狎其所居，无厌其所生。夫唯不厌，是以不厌。是以圣人自知不自见，自爱不自贵。故去彼取此。
When people have no fear of force；
Then （as is the mon practice） great force descends
upon them。
Despise not their dwellings；
Dislike not their progeny。
Because you do not dislike them；
You will not be disliked yourself。
Therefore the Sage knows himself； but does not show himself；
Loves himself； but does not exalt himself。
Therefore he rejects the one （force） and
accepts the other （gentility）。
七十三章
勇于敢，则杀，勇于不敢，则活。此两者，或利或害。天之所恶，孰知其故？天之道，不争而善胜，不言而善应，不召而自来，姗然而善谋。天网恢恢，疏而不失。
Who is brave in daring （you） kill；
Who is brave in not daring （you） let live。
In these two；
There is some advantage and some disadvantage。
（Even if） Heaven dislikes certain people；
Who would know （who are to be killed and） why？
Therefore even the Sage regards it as a difficult question。
Heaven's Way （Tao） is good at conquest without strife；
Rewarding （vice and virtue） without words；
Making its appearance without call；
Achieving results with