道德经一章道，可道，非恒道。名，可名，非恒名。无名，天地之始；有名，万物之母。故常无欲，以观其妙；常有欲，以观其徼。此两者同出而异名，同谓之玄。玄之又玄，众妙之门。TheTaothatcanbetroddenisnottheenduringandunchangingTao.Thenamethatcanbenamedisnottheenduringandunchangingname.(Conceivedofas)havingnoname,itistheOriginatorofheavenandearth;(conceivedofas)havinganame,itistheMotherofallthings.Alwayswithoutdesirewemustbefound,Ifitsdeepmysterywewouldsound;Butifdesirealwayswithinusbe,Itsouterfringeisallthatweshallsee.Underthesetwoaspects,itisreallythesame;butasdevelopmenttakesplace,itreceivesthedifferentnames.TogetherwecallthemtheMystery.WheretheMysteryisthedeepestisthegateofallthatissubtleandwonderful.二章天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已；皆知善之为善，斯不善矣。有无相生，难易相成，长短相形，高下相盈，音声相和，前后相随，恒也。是以圣人处无为之事，行不言之教，万物作而弗始，生而弗有，为而弗恃，功成而弗居。夫唯弗居，是以不去。Allintheworldknowthebeautyofthebeautiful,andindoingthistheyhave(theideaof)whatuglinessis;theyallknowtheskilloftheskilful,andindoingthistheyhave(theideaof)whatthewantofskillis.Soitisthatexistenceandnon-existencegivebirththeoneto(theideaof)theother;thatdifficultyandeaseproducetheone(theideaof)theother;thatlengthandshortnessfashionouttheonethefigureoftheother;that(theideasof)heightandlownessarisefromthecontrastoftheonewiththeother;thatthemusicalnotesandtonesbecomeharmoniousthroughtherelationofonewithanother;andthatbeingbeforeandbehindgivetheideaofonefollowinganother.Thereforethesagemanagesaffairswithoutdoinganything,andconveyshisinstructionswithouttheuseofspeech.Allthingsspringup,andthereisnotonewhichdeclinestoshowitself;theygrow,andthereisnoclaimmadefortheirownership;theygothroughtheirprocesses,andthereisnoexpectation(ofarewardfortheresults).Theworkisaccomplished,andthereisnorestinginit(asanachievement).Theworkisdone,buthownoonecansee;'Tisthisthatmakesthepowernotceasetobe.三章不尚贤，使民不争；不贵难得之货，使民不为盗；不见可欲，使民心不乱。是以圣人之治，虚其心，实其腹；弱其志，强其骨。常使民无知无欲。使夫知不敢弗为而已，则无不治。Nottovalueandemploymenofsuperiorabilityisthewaytokeepthepeoplefromrivalryamongthemselves;nottoprizeswhicharedifficulttoprocureisthewaytokeepthemfrombecomingthieves;nottoshowthemwhatislikelytoexcitetheirdesiresisthewaytokeeptheirmindsfromdisorder.Thereforethesage,intheexerciseofhisgovernment,emptiestheirminds,fillstheirbellies,weakenstheirwills,andstrengthenstheirbones.Heconstantly(triesto)keepthemwithoutknowledgeandwithoutdesire,andwheretherearethosewhohaveknowledge,tokeepthemfrompresumingtoact(onit).Whenthereisthisabstinencefromaction,goodorderisuniversal.四章道冲，而用之或不盈。渊兮，似万物之宗。挫其锐，解其纷，和其光，同其尘。湛兮，似或存。吾不知谁之子，象帝之先。TheTaois(like)theemptinessofavessel;andinouremploymentofitwemustbeonourguardagainstallfulness.Howdeepandunfathomableitis,asifitweretheHonouredAncestorofallthings!Weshouldbluntoursharppoints,andunravelthecomplicationsofthings;weshouldattemperourbrightness,andbringourselvesintoagreementwiththeobscurityofothers.HowpureandstilltheTaois,asifitwouldeversocontinue!Idonotknowwhosesonitis.ItmightappeartohavebeenbeforeGod.五章天地不仁，以万物为刍狗；圣人不仁，以百姓为刍狗。天地之间，其犹橐龠乎？虚而不屈，动而愈出。多闻数穷，不如守中。Heavenandearthdonotactfrom(theimpulseof)anywishtobebenevole...