A
爱民治国，能无知乎[2]
Can you love the people and govern the state without personal knowledge?
兵强则灭，木强则折[4]
An army will be shattered when it becomes strong; trees will snap when they grow strong.
不出户，知天下[6]
Without going out of the door, one can know all things under Heaven.
不尚贤，使民不争[8]
Refrain from exalting capable men, so that the not compete.
不自见，故明(10)
He does not merely rely on his own eyes ,therefore he is wise and penetrating.
C
持而盈之，不如其已[12]
To hold and fill is not as god as to give up.
宠辱若惊[14]
People love vanity so much as to be easily alarmed.
D
大道废，有仁义[16]
It is when the Great Way is abandoned that the doctrine of benevolence and righteousness arises.
大道甚夷，而民好径[18]
The highway is very even, but men are fond of the short cut.
大方无隅，大器晚成[20]
The greatest square has no corners; the greatest vessel takes the longest to finish. ..
大巧若拙，大辩若讷(22)
The greatest skill seems to be clumsy. The greatest eloquence seems to stammer.
道常无为而无不为[24]
The Tao invariably does nothing, and yet there is nothing left undone.
道可道，非常道[26]
The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao.
道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物[28]
The Tao gives birth to the unified thing ( One), the One splits itself into two opposite aspects ( TW), the Two gives birth to another ( Three)，the newborn Three produces the myriad things.
道生之，德畜之[30]
The Tao begets all beings, and De fosters them.
道者，万物之奥[32] The Tao governs all things.
F
反者道之动[34]
Constant reversal is the movement of the Tao. ..
夫轻诺必寡信[36]
Light promising makes one lose one’s credibility.
甘其食，美其服(38]
Let the people the contented with their foo，pleased with their clothing. ..
谷神不死，是谓玄牝[40]
The Valley Spirt never dies. It is named the Mysterious Female.
故常无欲，以观其妙[42]
Therefore, he who rids himself forever of desire can see the subtleties of the Tao.
贵以身为天下，若可寄天下[44]
Only those who value themselves for the world can undertake its important tasks.
H
合抱之木，生于毫末[46]
A huge tree which fills one s arms grows from a small heap of earth.
惚兮恍兮，其中有象[48]
So vague and elusive is it, yet in it the form exists.
祸莫大于不知足[50]
There is no calamity greater than discontentment.
祸莫大于轻敌[52]
There is no disaster greater than underestimating the enemy.
祸兮，福之所倚[54]
It is upon bad fortune that good fortune leans.
J
见素抱朴，少私寡欲[56]
Manifest plainness ，embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness and harbor few desires.
江海所以能为百谷王者[58]
The rivers and seas can become the leaders of many streams precisely because they stay in the lower valleys.
将欲歙之，必固张之[60]
What is in the end to be contracted, must first be expanded.
金玉满堂，莫之能守[62]
If your hall is flld with gold and jade, whoever could keep them safe?
居善地，心善渊[64]
He is at ease with lowness in his dwelling.
绝圣弃智，民利百倍[66]
Banish wisdom and discard knowledge, and the people will benefit a hundredfold.
K
抗兵相加，哀者胜矣[68]
If the forces of two sides are in balance ,the side in grief will win.
孔德之容，惟道是从[70]
The content of great De is in conformity with the Tao.
M
民不畏死，奈何以死惧之[72]
Since the people do not fear death, what is the point of trying to frighten them with death.
民之从事，常于几成而败之[74]
People often fail when they are about to succeed in their work.
民之难治，以其上之有为[76]
The people are difficult to rule because the rulers are fond of taking action.
民之饥，以其上食税之多[78]
The people suffer from famine because the rulers gobble up too much tax-grain.
Q
曲则全，枉则直[80]
To yield is yet to be preserved wholly; to be bent Is yet to become straight.
取天下常以无事[82]
To govern all under Heaven one usually should not take any arbitrary action.
R
人法地，地法天[84]
Man follows the way of Earth, Earth follows the way of Heaven. .
弱之胜强，柔之胜刚[86]
The reason why the weak can overcome the strong and the soft can overcome the hard is known to all the people under Heaven.
S
善人者不善人之师[88]
The good man is the teacher of the bad, and the bad man is the material from which the good man learns.
善为士者不武[90]
He who is good at being an officer does not boast of his martial prowess.
善行，无辙迹(92]
One who is skilled at traveling leaves no trace of his wheels or footsteps.
善有果而已，不敢以取强[94]
Content yourself with your success ,and stop; do not seek to dominate all under Heaven by force.
善者不辩，辩者不善[96]
A good man does not prove thins by argument; he who proves things by argument is not good.
上善若水[98]
The highest good is like water.
上士闻道，勤而行之[100]
When the man of highest competency hears of the Tao， he diligently practices it.
生而不有，为而不恃([102]
To give birth to all things but not to take possession of them.
圣人处无为之事，行不言之教(104)
The Sage manages affairs by “non action,” and teaches by “say nothing”.
圣人无常心，以在姓心为心(10)
The sage has no fixed personal will; he regards the people’ s will as his own.
圣人自知不自见[108]
The sage knows himself, but does not show himself.
师之所处，荆棘生焉[110]
Wherever armies are stationed, briers and thorns grow wild.
受国之垢，是谓社稷主[112]
He who bears the humiliation of the whole state can be the lord of the country.
T
太上，不知有之[114]
The best rulers are those about whom the people know nothing but their existence.
天长地久[116]
Heaven is eternal and Earth everlasting.
天得一以清， 地得一一以宁[118]
Heaven attained the Tao, and became clear. Earth attained the Tao, and became tranquil.
天地不仁，以万物为刍狗[120]
Heaven and Earth are ruthless, letting all things emerge or perish of themselves.
天地相合，以降甘露[122]
Yin and Yang between Heaven and Earth unite to drip sweet dew.
天网恢恢，疏而不失([124)
The net of Heaven is vast. It has large meshes, but it lets nothing escape.
天下难事必作于易[126]
Everything difficult under Heaven must be dealt with while it is still easy.
天下莫柔弱于水，而攻坚强者莫之能胜[128]
Nothing under Heaven is softer and weaker than water, but in attacking the hard and strong ,no force can compare with it ..
天下皆知美之为美[130]
When all people under Heaven acknowledge the beautiful as beauty. ..
天下之至柔[132]
The softest thing under Heaven is able to run in and out of the hardest.
天之道，利而不害[134]
The Way of Heaven is beneficial to all things and not harmful.
为学日益，为道日损([136]
The pursuit of learning may lead to the increase of desires day after day, The pursuit of the Tao is aimed at decreasing desires day after day,
为之于末有，治之于未乱[138]
Deal with things before they happen, and get things in order before the onset of their disorder.
我无为而民自化[140]
The sage said :“I do nothing, and the people of themselves submit…”
无名，天地之始[142]
The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth.
物壮则老，是谓不道[144]
Things must grow old after reaching their prime, which is contrary to the Tao.
X
希言自然[146]
Saying few words fits in with Nature.
小国寡民[148]
Given a small country with few inhabitants.
信言不美，美言不信[150]
Sincere words are not fine, and fine words are not sincere.
以道佐人主者，不以兵强于天下[52]
He who assists the ruler with the Tao does not dominate all under Heaven by force.
以身观身，以家观家[154]
Know a person in the perspective of a person, know a family in the perspective of a family.
以正治国，以奇用兵[156]
A state should be governed in a normal way, a war should be prosecuted in an unusual way.
用兵有言:吾不敢为主而为客[158]
A master of the art of war says, “I dare not take the offensive, but prefer to take the defensive. . .”
有国之母，可以长久[160]
Having the foundation of government, one can maintain sovereignty for a very long time.
有物混成，先天地生[162]
There was something formless yet complete that existed before Heaven and Earth.
有无相生，难易相成[164]
By opposing each other, existence and nonexistence come into being.
鱼不可脱于渊([166]
Fish cannot be taken away from deep water.
Z
躁胜寒，静胜热[168]
Rapid walking overcomes cold, and staying quiet overcomes heat.
执大象，天下往[170]
Whoever holds fast to the great image will become that one to whom all people under Heaven will come.
知常容，容乃公[172]
Only by knowing the eternal can one embrace all; only by embracing all can one be impartial; being impartial. ..
知其白，守其黑[174]
He who knows the white but keeps to the black is ready to be the model of all under Heaven.
知其荣，守其辱[176]
He who knows glory but keeps to disgrace. ..
知其雄，守其雌[178]
He who knows the masculine but keeps to the feminine. ..
知人者智，自知者明([180]
He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.
知我者希，则我者贵[182]
Those who are able to understand me are very few, and those who are able to follow me are very hard to meet.
知者不博，博者不知[184]
He who knows does not show off his learning, and he who shows off his learning does not know.
知者不言，言者不知[186]
He who knows does not speak, and he who speaks does not know.
知足不辱，知止不殆[188]
Whoever is contented will met no disgrace, and whoever knows when and Where to stop will meet no danger.
知足者富，强行者有志[190]
He who is content is rich; the who acts with persistence has will. ..
治大国若烹小鲜([192)
Governing a great state is like frying small fish (SO frequent disturbance should be avoided).
治人事天莫如啬[194]
For the rule of the people and the service of Heaven, there is nothing better than the principle of inaction.
致虚极，守静笃[196]
Try to the utmost to make the heart vacant, and be sure to hold fast to quietude.
重为轻根，静为躁君[198]
The heavy is the root of the light, and the tranquil is the master of the active.
自见者不明，自是者不彰[200]
He who only relies on his own eyes cannot see clearly; he who considers himself always in the right cannot tell right from wrong.