第77章 · 原文
现代白话译文
天的道，不就像张弓射箭一样吗？高了就压低一些，低了就抬高一些；有余的就减少一些，不足的就补充一些。天的道，是减少有余的来补充不足的。人的道却不是这样，是减少不足的来供奉有余的。谁能把有余的拿来供奉给天下呢？只有有道的人。因此圣人有所作为而不自恃，功成而不居功，他不愿意表现自己的贤能。
英文译本 / English Translations
D.C. Lau
Is not the way of heaven like the stretching of a bow? The high it presses down, The low it lifts up. The excessive it takes from, The deficient it gives to. It is the way of heaven to take from what has in excess in order to make good what is deficient. The way of man is otherwise: it takes from those who are in want in order to offer this to those who already have more than enough. Who is there that can take what he himself has in excess and offer this to the empire? Only he who has the way. Therefore the sage benefits them yet exacts no gratitude, Accomplishes his task yet lays claim to no merit. Is this not because he does not wish to be considered a better man than others?
Robert Henricks
1. The Way of Heaven is like the flexing of a bow. 2. The high it presses down; the low it raises up. 3. From those with a surplus it takes away; to those without enough it adds on. 4. Therefore the way of Heaven — 5. Is to reduce the excessive and increase the insufficient; 6. The Way of Man — 7. Is to reduce the insufficient and offer more to the excessive. 8. Now, who is able to have a surplus and use it to offer to Heaven? 9. Clearly, it's only the one who possesses the Way. 10. Therefore the Sage — 11. Take actions but does not possess them; 12. Accomplishes his tasks but does not dwell on them. 13. Like this, is his desire not to make a display of his worthiness.
Addiss & Lombardo
The way of heaven is like drawing a bow. The high is lowered, the low is raised. The excessive is reduced, the insufficient is supplemented. The way of heaven reduces the excessive and supplements the insufficient. The way of man is not so, it reduces the insufficient to serve the excessive. Who can have the excess to serve the world? Only those with the way. Therefore the sage acts but does not rely, achieves but does not dwell. He does not wish to show his worth.
Arthur Waley
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 does Heaven take away from those who have too much, And give to those that have not enough. But if it is Heaven's way to take from those who have too much And give to those that have not enough, this is far from being man's way. He takes away from those that have not-enough in order To make offering to those who already have too much. One there is and one only, so rich that he the possessor of Tao. (If, then, the Sage "though he controls does not lean, And when he has achieved his aim does not linger", It is because he does not wish to reveal himself as better than others.)
林语堂
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Stephen Mitchell
As it acts in the world, the Tao is like the bending of a bow. The top is bent downward; the bottom is bent up. It adjusts excess and deficiency so that there is perfect balance. It takes from what is too much and give to what isn't enough. Those who try to control, who use force to protect their power, go against the direction of the Tao. They take from those who don't have enough and give to those who have far too much. The Master can keep giving because there is no end to her wealth. She acts without expectation, succeeds without taking credit, and doesn't think that she is better than anyone else.