第63章 · 原文
现代白话译文
以无为的态度去作为，以不生事的态度去处事，以淡泊无味当作味。不管大怨小怨，都以德来报答。谋划困难的事情要从容易的地方入手，做大事要从细微的地方入手；天下的难事一定从容易的地方做起，天下的大事一定从细微的地方做起。所以圣人始终不自以为大，所以能成就大事。轻易许诺必然信用不足，把事情看得太容易必然困难重重。所以圣人总是把事情看得困难，所以始终没有困难。
英文译本 / English Translations
D.C. Lau
Do that which consists in taking no action; Pursue that which is not meddlesome; Savor that which has no flavor. Make the small big and the few many; Do good to him who has done you an injury. Lay plans for the accomplishment of the difficult before it becomes difficult; Make something big by starting with it when small. Difficult things in the word must needs have their beginnings in the easy; Big things must needs have their beginnings in the small. Therefore it is because the sage never attempts to be great that he succeeds in becoming great. One who makes promises rashly rarely keeps good faith; One who is in the habit of considering things easy meets with frequent difficulties. Therefore even the sage treats some things as difficult. That is why in the end no difficulties can get the better of him.
Robert Henricks
1. Act without acting; 2. Serve without concern for affairs; 3. Find flavor in what has no flavor. 4. Regard the small as large and the few as many, 5. And repay resentment with kindness. 6. Plan for the difficult while it is easy; 7. Act on the large while it's minute. 8. The most difficult things in the world begin as things that are easy; 9. The largest things in the world arise from the minute. 10. Therefore the Sage, to the end does not strive to do the great, 11. And as a result, he is able to accomplish the great; 12. Those who too lightly agree will necessarily be trusted by few; 13. And those who regard many things as easy will necessarily [end up] with many difficulties. 14. Therefore, even the Sage regards things as difficult, 15. And as a result, in the end he has no difficulty.
Addiss & Lombardo
Act without acting, work without working, taste without tasting. Whether big or small, many or few, repay resentment with virtue. Plan for the difficult while it is easy. Handle the big while it is small. The world's difficult things must be done while easy. The world's big things must be done while small. Therefore the sage never attempts to be great, and thus can achieve greatness. Light promises lead to little trust. Many easy things lead to many difficulties. Therefore the sage treats things as difficult, and thus has no difficulty.
Arthur Waley
It acts without action, does without doing, Finds flavour in what is flavourless, Can make the small great and the few many, "Requites injuries with good deeds, Deals with the hard while it is still easy, With the great while it is still small." In the governance of empire everything difficult Must be dealt with while it is still easy, Everything great must be dealt with while it is still small. Therefore the Sage never has to deal with the great; And so achieves greatness. But again "Light assent inspires little confidence And 'many easies' means many a hard." Therefore the Sage knows too how to make the easy difficult, And by doing so avoid all difficulties!
林语堂
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Stephen Mitchell
Act without doing; work without effort. Think of the small as large and the few as many. Confront the difficult while it is still easy; accomplish the great task by a series of small acts. The Master never reaches for the great; thus she achieves greatness. When she runs into a difficulty, she stops and gives herself to it. She doesn't cling to her own comfort; thus problems are no problem for her.