04道德经英译本85种-第57部分

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　　So　to　be　ahead　of　the　people；　you　have　tofollow　them　in　your　own　person。　To　be　foremost　or　guide　well；　walk　behind。

　　The　wise　man　keeps　himself　on　top；　and　thepeople　hardly　feels　his　weight　or　get　crushed　by　it　in　time。　He　guidesin　this　way；　and　the　people　don't　harm　him　the　least。
　　He　can　even　walk　in　front　＇as　an　example＇；and　people　don't　wish　him　harm。＇Let's　hope　that。＇
　　In　this　dynamic　＇guru＇　way　everything　underheaven　will　be　glad　to　be　pushed　by　him　and　will　not　find　his　guidanceirksome。　Then　the　people　of　the　world　are　glad；　the　world　rejoices　andpraises　him　without　getting　tired　of　it；　in　order　to　uphold　him　forever。

　　He　accomplishes　his　aims　by　overt　non…striving。Because　he　doesn't　compete　in　the　open；　no　one　can　compete　well　with　him。

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　　Every　one　says　my　dao　is　greatly　like　folly。Just　because　it's　great；　it　looks　like　folly。　Great　ways　don't　look　likethe　ordinary　anyhow。
　　If　it　did　not　look　like　folly；　it　could　haveturned　small　and　petty　long　ago！　Then　it　would　have　been　small。　As　forthings　that　don't　look　foolish　to　common　men；　there　can　be　no　questionabout　their　smallness。

　　I　have　three　treasures。　Guard　and　keep　them：
　　The　first　is　a　deep；　deep　concern；　call　itmystic　pity；　if　you　like。
　　The　second　is　never　too　much；　which　may　meanfrugality。
　　And　the　third　is　refusal　to　be　ahead；　foremostor　first；　for　I　hardly　dare　to　be　ahead。

　　Deep；　concerned　love　brings　guts　＇or　fall＇。
　　Through　not　doing　too　much；　one　has　amplitude（of　reserve　power）：　Who　has　spared；　may　then　give　and　seem　generous。
　　Through　not　presuming　to　be　the　first　andbest　there　is；　one　can　develop　one's　talent　and　strength；　let　it　matureto　dominate　a　world。

　　On　the　other　hand；
　　to　be　bold　by　forsaking　deep　love；
　　to　be　generous　by　forsaking　frugality…wonreserves　and　clever；　artful　restraint；
　　and　to　be　ahead　and　rushing　in　front　by　forsakingfollowing　behind；
　　all　this　could　prove　fatal　in　the　end。

　　Ardent；　loving　concern　can't　fight　well　withoutconquering　a　lot。　It　shall　help　in　the　case　of　attack；　and　likewise　tobe　firm　in　the　case　of　defence。
　　When　heaven　is　to　save　a　person；　heaven　willprotect　him　through　deep　love。　Heaven　arms　those　it　would　not　see　beaten；with　all　right　concern。＇Let's　hope　that。＇

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　　A　skilful　leader　of　troops　is　never　oppressivewith　his　military　strength。　The　brave　soldier　is　hardly　very　violent；
　　The　best　fighter　doesn't　become　visibly　angry；he　hardly　loses　his　temper。
　　A　skilful　conqueror　doesn't　compete　withpeople。　The　great　conqueror　doesn't　fight　for　small　issues　alone。
　　The　best　user　of　men　acts　as　though　he　weretheir　inferior　and　puts　himself　below　them　by　the　virtue　of　not…competing。

　　This　is　called　the　ability　or　capacity　touse　men；　or　matching　heaven；　or　being　suited　to　the　highest　found　principle；＇maybe　of　old＇

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　　The　strategists　say：
　　〃If　I　dare　not　be　the　guest；　then　let　mebe　the　host。　When　I　dare　not　take　the　offensive；　then　I'll　take　the　defensive。If　you　doubt　your　ability　to　advance；　then　retreat。〃　Also：　〃When　you　doubtyour　ability　to　meet　the　enemy's　attack；　take　the　offensive　yourself。〃

　　Much　of　this　his　implies　to　march　withoutvisible　formations；　its　in　part　like　rolling　up　the　sleeve；　and　yet　presentingno　bare　arm。　Or　it　could　be　like　stretching　your　arm　without　showing　thesleeves。

　　Confront　well；　present　no　battle…front　yourself。Refrain　from　charging　in　frontal　attacks；　and　seem　to　be　armed　withoutweapons。＇Let　that　come　as　a　surprise。＇　Hold　a　thousand　weapons　withoutseeming　to　have　them。

　　Now；　great　calamity　comes　from　making　lightof　an　enemy。　There's　no　greater　catastrophe　than　if　a　foolishly　underestimatedenemy　robs　and　destroys　your　most　cherished　treasures。　It　could　even　destroyyour　topmost　treasure；　your　old；　dear　body。　Refrain　from　having　an　enemyat　the　price　of　losing　your　body　and　life。　Remember：　He　whose　enemy　presentsno　front；　could　lose　his　booty。

　　Therefore　when　armies　meet；　the　kind…lookingman　of　sorrows　could　win　＇by　such　as　surprise　tactics。　But　often　it's　theopposite　that　happens。＇　Who　doesn't　delight　in　warfare　in　the　open；　hewins。＇And　most　often　not？＇

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　　My　words　are　very　easy　to　understand　andvery　easy　to　put　into　practice。　Yet　no　one　understands　them；　no　one　putsthem　into　practice。
　　But　some　of　my　teaching　could　have　natureas　a　source；　and　also　there's　a　principle…ruled　ancestry　in　some　of　mywords。
　　Yes；　＇some　of＇　my　deeds　have　a　lord；　my　deedscould　have　＇right＇　dao　as　sovereign。
　　Most　men　don't　understand　this；　they're　unableto　understand　me。

　　Few　people　understand　me；　and　on　this　my　realvalue　depends。　I　am　highly　valued；　for　few　understand　me。
　　The　wise　man　wears　a　coarse　cloth　on　topand　carries　jade　underneath　his　dress；　within　his　bosom。

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　　To　know　that　you　do　not　know　is　best。　Whoknows　that　he　doesn't　know　is　the　highest。　To　know　when　one　doesn't　knowis　best。
　　Who　pretends　to　know　what　he　doesn't　knowis　sick…minded；　To　think　one　knows　when　one　doesn't　know　is　a　sort　of　malady。Pretend　to　know　when　you　don't　know　…　that's　a　disease。　He　who　recognisesthis　disease　as　a　disease　can　also　cure　himself　of　it　＇and　maybe　not＇。＇One　may　eventually　get　free　from　a　disease　by　recognising　it　for　whatit　is。＇
　　Who　recognises　sick…mindedness　as　sick…mindednesscan't　be　wholly　sick…minded；　after　all。
　　The　wise　man　is　hardly　sick…minded　if　herecognises　sick　mind　as　sick　and　also　cures　some　diseases。　He's　hardlya　sick　mind。

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　　If　the　people　hardly　fear　what's　dreadful；something　greatly　dreadful　could　descend。　If　people　have　no　fear　of　force；then　great　force　descends。　So　never　mind　if　people　are　not　intimidatedby　your　authority。　Some　mightier　authority　could　deal　with　them　in　thelong　run。

　　Neither　despise　their　dwellings　nor　narrowthe　living　space　of　their　dwellings。　They　could　cease　to　turn　away　if　youdon't　put　them　in　jail。　Don't　dislike　their　offspring；　harass　or　oppresstheir　lives。　Don't　harass　them；　and　they　could　cease　to　turn　from　you。Drop　heavy　taxes；　and　the　people　won't　be　fed　up。　If　you　don't　persecuteall；　you'll　hardly　be　so　much　disliked。　They're　not　oppressed　if　you　refrainfrom　gross　oppressive　measures。

　　So　the　wise　man　knows　himself　but　hardly　showsoff。　Knows　his　own　value；　but　doesn't　exalt　himself
　　Truly；　〃he　rejects　the　one　（brute　force　orenemicy）　but　accepts　or　takes　the　other　（being　some　kind；　sturdy　neighbour）。〃

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　　Who　is　brave　in　daring　can　kill　or　get　killed＇on　a　bus＇。
　　On　the　other　hand；　one　who　is　brave　in　notdaring；　can　survive　or　give　life。　Either　approach　can　be　profitable　orunprofitable；　still　one　of　them　is　harmful。
　　Who　is　brave　in　non…daring　without　ado　letslive。　There　can　be　some　advantage　and　some　disadvantage　in　each　approach…

　　Now；　〃Dao…heaven　hates　the　one　it　hates；　hateswhat　it　hates；　and　none　can　know　the　reason　why。〃　Who　knows　why　and　whatit　dislikes？　Heaven　dislikes　certain　people；　but　the　wise　man　considersit　a　tricky　question。　Yes；　why　heaven　seems　to　hate　…　even　a　wise　man　regardsit　as　a　tricky　question。

　　Well；　it's　in　the　fixed　dao　sets　of　heavennot　to　strive　in　the　open；　but　none　the　less　to　conquer。　Not　to　compete；but　all　the　same　win　expertly。　Be　good　at　conquest　without　strife。

　　Dao　hardly　speaks；　it　skilfully　responds。It　comes　without　skilful　invitation；　it　can　appear　without　a　call。　It　doesn'tseem　anxious　about　things　and　yet　it　shows　up　it　plans　very　well。　It　getsable　results　without　obvious　design；　as　from　hidden；　laid；　＇broad＇　plansand　schemes。＇Say　little；　foster　well　laid　schemes　and　designs。＇

　　Dao…heaven's　net　is　wide；　with　big；　coarsemeshes。　Still　it　misses　nothing。　Nothing　slips　through。

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　　When　the　people　are　not　afraid　of　death；why　threaten　them　with　death　sentences？
　　Even　supposing　the　people　are　constantlyafraid　of　death　and　we　can　seize　and　kill　those　who　are　unruly　or　vicious；who　would　dare　to　slay　them？　There's　always　the　master　executioner　（Heaven）。To　kill　in　his　stead　is　like　thrusting　oneself　into　he　master…carpenter'splace　and　doing　his　chipping　for　him。　〃He　who　tries　it　is　lucky　if　he　doesn'tcut　his　hand；〃　they　say。　To　undertake　executions　for　the　master　executioneris　like　hewing　wood　for　him。　It　rarely　happens　you　escape　injuring　yourown　hands。　Now；　often　it　happens　as　well　that　the　executioner　is　killed…
　　And　to　take　the　place　of　the　executioneris　in　part　like　handling　the　hatchet　for　the　master　carpenter。　He　who　handlesthe　hatchet　for　the　master　carpenter　seldom　escapes　injury　to　his　hands。

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　　People　are　hungry　because　rulers　eat　toomuch　income；　too　much　tax…grain。　Therefore　they　starve；　but　also　becauseof　bad　interference　from　those　above。　Some　turn　hard　to　rule　as　their　rulersdo　too　many　things。　That's　why　they're　hard　to　keep　in　order。
　　If　so；　the　people　are　not　very　afraid　ofdeath；　as　they're　anxious　to　make　a　living。　That's　why　they　take　deathlightly　in　such　cases。

　　So：　Those　who　interfere　not　with　their　livingthat　are　wise　in　exalting　life。　Maybe　he　who　seeks　only　little　after　lifecan　excel　in　making　life　valuable。　But　all　that　have　hearts　set　only　littleon　life　could　be　superior　to　those　who　set　store　by　life。

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　　When　man　is　born；　he　is　tender　and　weak。In　death　he　becomes　stiff　and　hard。
　　All　things；　the　grass　as　well　as　trees；　aresupple　and　soft　while　alive。　When　dead　they　become　brittle　and　dried。
　　So　hardness　and　stiffness　very　often　accompanydeath；　the　soft　and　gentle　could　be　companions　of　life。
　　The　headstrong　army　will　lose　in　battle。They　say　〃the　weapon　that's　too　hard　will　be　broken；　the　tree　that　hasthe　hardest　wood　will　be　cut　down〃。　Yes；　a　hard　tree　will　be　cut　down。
　　So　the　hard　and　mighty　eventually　shouldbe　cast　down；　and　the　soft　and　weak　may　be　set　on　high。

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　　Heaven's　way　is　like　the　bending　of　a　bow。When　a　bow　is　bent　the　top　comes　down　and　the　bottom…end　comes　up。
　　So　too　could　heaven　take　away　from　thosewho　have　too　much；　and　give　to　those　that　have　not　enough。　Take　away　fromthose　that　have　too　much　and　give　to　those　that　have　not　enough。
　　But　this　is　far　from　man's　way。　He　takesaway　from　those　that　have　not　enough　to　o