第60章 · 原文
现代白话译文
治理大国，好像煎烹小鱼一样。用道治理天下，鬼怪不起作用；不是鬼怪不起作用，而是它的作用不伤人；不是它的作用不伤人，而是圣人也不伤人。鬼怪和圣人都不伤人，所以德归于他们，交相会合。
英文译本 / English Translations
D.C. Lau
Governing a large state is like boiling a small fish. When the empire is ruled in accordance with the way, The spirits lose their potencies. Or rather, it is not that they lose their potencies, But that, though they have their potencies, they do not harm the people. It is not only they who, having their potencies, do not harm the people, The sage, also, does not harm the people. As neither does any harm, each attributes the merit to the other.
Robert Henricks
1. Ruling a large state is like cooking small fish. 2. When you use the Way to govern the world, evil spirits won't have godlike power. 3. Actually, it's not that evil spirits won't have godlike power, 4. It's that their power will not harm men. 5. But it's not [just] that their power won't harm men, 6. The Sage, also, will not harm them. 7. Since these two do not harm others, 8. Therefore their Virtues intermingle and return to them.
Addiss & Lombardo
Governing a large state is like cooking a small fish. When the way is used to approach the world, ghosts have no power. Not only do ghosts have no power, but the spirits do not harm people. Not only do spirits not harm people, but the sage also does not harm people. When neither harms the other, virtue converges and returns to its root.
Arthur Waley
Ruling a large kingdom is indeed like cooking small fish. They who by Tao all that is under heaven Did not let an evil spirit within them display its powers. Nay, it was not only that the evil spirit did not display its powers; Neither was the Sage's good spirit used to the hurt of other men. Nor was it only that his good spirit was not used to harm other men, The Sage himself was thus saved from harm. And so, each being saved from harm, Their "powers" could converge towards a common end.
林语堂
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Stephen Mitchell
Governing a large country is like frying a small fish. You spoil it with too much poking. Center your country in the Tao and evil will have no power. Not that it isn't there, but you'll be able to step out of its way. Give evil nothing to oppose and it will disappear by itself.