第2章 · 原文
现代白话译文
天下人都知道美之所以为美，那是由于有丑陋的存在；都知道善之所以为善，那是由于有邪恶的存在。所以有和无互相转化，难和易互相促成，长和短互相显现，高和下互相充实，音和声互相和谐，前和后互相接随。因此圣人用无为的态度处理世事，实行不言的教化；万物兴起而不加拒绝，生养万物而不据为己有，施恩泽万物而不自恃其功，功业成就而不居功自傲。正由于不居功，他的功绩才不会失去。
英文译本 / English Translations
D.C. Lau
The whole world recognizes the beautiful as the beautiful, yet this is only the ugly; the whole world recognizes the good as the good, yet this is only the bad. Thus Something and Nothing produce each other; The difficult and the easy complement each other; The long and the short off-set each other; The high and the low incline towards each other; Note and sound harmonize with each other; Before and after follow each other. Therefore the sage keeps to the deed that consists in taking no action and practises the teaching that uses no words. The myriad creatures rise from it yet it claims no authority; It gives them life yet claims no possession; It benefits them yet exacts no gratitude; It accomplishes its task yet lays claim to no merit. It is because it lays claim to no merit That its merit never deserts it.
Robert Henricks
1. When everyone in the world knows the beautiful as beautiful, ugliness comes into being; 2. When everyone knows the good, then the not good comes to be. 3. The mutual production of being and nonbeing, 4. The mutual completion of difficult and easy, 5. The mutual formation of long and short, 6. The mutual filling of high and low, 7. The mutual harmony of tone and voice, 8. The mutual following of front and back — 9. These are all constants. 10. Therefore the Sage dwells in nonactive affairs and practices the wordless teaching. 11. The ten thousand things arise, but he doesn't begin them; 12. He acts on their behalf, but he doesn't make them dependent; 13. He accomplishes his tasks, but he doesn't dwell on them; 14. It is only because he doesn't dwell on them, that they therefore do not leave them.
Addiss & Lombardo
Everybody knows beauty is beauty, but that's ugly. Everybody knows good is good, but that's bad. Thus being and non-being give birth to each other, difficult and easy complete each other, long and short test each other, high and low measure each other, musical notes and sounds harmonize with each other, before and after follow each other. That's why the sage does without doing and teaches without talking. The ten thousand things arise and he doesn't turn away; he gives them life but owns them not; he acts but claims nothing; his work done, he forgets it. And because he forgets, it lasts forever.
Arthur Waley
It is because every one under Heaven recognizes beauty as beauty, That the idea of ugliness exists. And equally if every one recognized virtue as virtue, this would merely create fresh conceptions of wickedness. For truly, Being and Not-being grow out of one another; Difficult and easy complete one another. Long and short test one another; High and low determine one another. Pitch and mode give harmony to one another. Front and back give sequence to one another. Therefore the Sage relies on actionless activity, Carries on wordless teaching, But the myriad creatures are worked upon by him; He does not disown them. He rears them, but does not lay claim to them, Controls them, but does not lean upon them, Achieves his aim, but does not call attention to what he does; And for the very reason that he does not call attention to what he does He is not ejected from fruition of what he has done.
林语堂
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Stephen Mitchell
When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad. Being and non-being create each other. Difficult and easy support each other. Long and short define each other. High and low depend on each other. Before and after follow each other. Therefore the Master acts without doing anything and teaches without saying anything. Things arise and she lets them come; things disappear and she lets them go. She has but doesn't possess, acts but doesn't expect. When her work is done, she forgets it. That is why it lasts forever.