The state may be small; its people may be few. Let the people have tenfold and one-houndredfold of utensils, but never make use of them. Let the people weigh death heavily and have no desires to move far away. Though there be boats and carriages, no one wille ride in them. Though there be armour and weapons, no one will exhibit them. Let the people return to tying knots and using them, relish their food, appreciate their clothes, secure their homes, happy with their customs. The neighbouring states will be so close that they can see each other, and hear the sounds of roosters and dogs. But the people will grow old and die, without having visited each other.
The Classic of the Way and the Natural Virtue by the Old Master” is written by Laozi. Here we can enjoy some Exemplarious translation.
1. dào kě dào, fēi chánɡ dào. mínɡ kě mínɡ, fēi chánɡ mínɡ. Wú mínɡ ， tiān dì zhī shǐ.Yǒu mínɡ, wàn wù zhī mǔ 。 ɡù chánɡ wú ， yù yǐ ɡuān qí miào ;chánɡ yǒu, yù yǐ ɡuān qí jiǎo. Cǐ liǎnɡ zhě, tónɡ chū ér yì mínɡ , tónɡ wèi zhī xuán. Xuán zhī yòu xuán, zhònɡ miào zhī mén.
道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。无名，天地之始。 有名，万物之母。故常无，欲以观其妙；常有，欲以观其徼。此两者，同出而异名， 同谓之玄。玄之又玄，众妙之门。
道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。无名，天地之始。 有名，万物之母。故常无，欲以观其妙；常有，欲以观其徼。此两者，同出而异名， 同谓之玄。玄之又玄，众妙之门。
The dao that can be spoken of is not the eternal dao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the origin of heaven and earth; the namable is the mother of all things. Therefore constantly without desire, there is the recognition of subtlety; but constantly with desire, only the realization of potentiality. The two come from the same source, having different names. Both are called mysteries, more mystical than the most mystical, the gate of all subtleties.
11.Sān shí fú ɡònɡ yì ɡū , dānɡ qí wú ,yǒu chē zhī yònɡ. Shān zhí yǐ wéi qì ,dānɡ qí wú , yǒu qì zhī yònɡ . Záo hù yǒu yǐ wéi shì , dānɡ qí wú , yǒu shì zhī yònɡ . Qù yǒu zhī yǐ wéi lì , wú zhī yǐ wéi yònɡ.
三十辐共一毂，当其无，有车之用。埏埴以为器，当其无，有器之用。 凿户牖以为室，当其无，有室之用。故有之以为利，无之以为用。
三十辐共一毂，当其无，有车之用。埏埴以为器，当其无，有器之用。 凿户牖以为室，当其无，有室之用。故有之以为利，无之以为用。
Thirty spokes converge in a nave; just because of its nothingness (void) the usefulness of the cart exists. Molded clay forms a vessel; just because of its nothingness (hollowness) the usefullnes of the utensil exists. Doors and windows are cut in a house; juse because of their nothingness (emptiness) the usefulness of the house exists. Therefore, profit from which exists and utilize that which is absent.
16.zhì xū jí , shǒu jìnɡ dǔ . wàn wù bìnɡ zuò, wú yǐ ɡuān qí fù. ɡè fù ɡuī qí ɡēn. ɡuī ɡēn yuē jìnɡ , shì wèi fù mìnɡ , fù mìnɡ yuē chánɡ , zhī chánɡ yuē mínɡ. bù zhī chánɡ, wànɡ zuò, xiōnɡ . zhī chánɡ , rónɡ . rónɡ nǎi ɡōnɡ , ɡōnɡ nǎi wánɡ, wánɡ nǎi tiān , tiān nǎi dào , dào nǎi jiǔ , méi shēn bú dài .
致虚极，守静笃。万物并作，吾以观其复。各复归其根。归根曰静，是谓复命， 复命曰常，知常曰明。不知常，妄作，凶。知常，容。容乃公，公乃王，王乃天， 天乃道，道乃久，没身不殆。
致虚极，守静笃。万物并作，吾以观其复。各复归其根。归根曰静，是谓复命， 复命曰常，知常曰明。不知常，妄作，凶。知常，容。容乃公，公乃王，王乃天， 天乃道，道乃久，没身不殆。
Attain the ultimate emptiness; maintain the absolute tranquillity. All things rise together. And I observe their return… The multitude of all things return each other to their origin. To return to the origin means repose; it means return to their destiny. To return to their destiny means eternity; to know eternity means enlightenment. Not knowing eternity is to do evil things blindly. To know eternity means capacity. Capacity leads to justice, justice leads to kingship, kingship leads to Heaven, Heaven leads to dao. Dao is everlasting. Thus the entire life will be without danger.
25.Yǒu wù hún chénɡ , xiān tiān dì shēnɡ. jì xī liáo xī , dú lì ér bù ɡǎi , zhōu xínɡ ér bú dài, ké yǐ wéi tiān dì mǔ. wú bù zhī qí mínɡ , zì zhī yuē 「 dào 」. qiánɡ wéi zhī mínɡ yuē 「 dà 」. dà yuē shì , shì yuē yuǎn , yuǎn yuē fǎn.
有物混成，先天地生。寂兮寥兮，独立而不改，周行而不殆，可以为天地母。 吾不知其名，字之曰「道」。强为之名曰「大」。大曰逝，逝曰远，远曰反。
有物混成，先天地生。寂兮寥兮，独立而不改，周行而不殆，可以为天地母。 吾不知其名，字之曰「道」。强为之名曰「大」。大曰逝，逝曰远，远曰反。
There is a thing formed in chaos existing before Heaven and Earth. Silent and solitary, it stands alone, unchanging. It goes around with peril. It may be the Mother of the world. Now knowing its name, I can only style it dao. With reluctance, I would call it Great. Great means out-going, out-going means far-reaching, far-reaching means returning.
40.反者，道之动。弱者，道之用。天下万物生于有，有生于无。
Returning is dao’s motion. Weakness is dao’s function. All things in the world are produced by being. And being is produced by non-being.
42.Dào shēnɡ yī , yì shēnɡ èr , èr shēnɡ sān , sān shēnɡ wàn wù . Wàn wù fù yīn ér bào yánɡ, chōnɡ qì yǐ wéi hé.
道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。万物负阴而抱阳，冲气以为和。
道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。万物负阴而抱阳，冲气以为和。
Dao begets One (nothingness; or reason of being), One begets Two (yin and yang), Two begets Three (Heaven, Earth and Man; or yin, yang and breath qi), Three begets all things. All things carry the femals and embrace the male. And by breathing together, they live in harmony…
64.Wéi zhě bài zhī , zhí zhě shī zhī . Shì yǐ shènɡ rén wú wéi , ɡù wú bài, wú zhí , ɡù wú shī. Mín zhī cónɡ shì, chánɡ yú jǐ chénɡ ér bài zhī. Shèn zhōnɡ rú shǐ , zé wú bài shì. Shì yǐ shènɡ rén yù bu yù, bú ɡuì nán dé zhī huò, xué bu xué , fù zhònɡ rén zhī suǒ ɡuò. Yǐ fǔ wàn wù zhī zì rán, ér bù ɡǎn wéi.
为者败之，执者失之。是以圣人无为，故无败，无执，故无失。 民之从事，常于几成而败之。慎终如始，则无败事。是以圣人欲不欲，不贵难得之货， 学不学，复众人之所过。以辅万物之自然，而不敢为。
为者败之，执者失之。是以圣人无为，故无败，无执，故无失。 民之从事，常于几成而败之。慎终如始，则无败事。是以圣人欲不欲，不贵难得之货， 学不学，复众人之所过。以辅万物之自然，而不敢为。
… To act means to fail; to insist means to lose. The Sage does not act and therefore never fails; he does not insist and therefore never loses. When the people undertake to do something, they almost always fail at the point of success. One should be cautious at the end as at the beginning, then there will be no failure. Therefore the Sages desires no desires, values not the rare treasures, learns from the unlearned, reverses the faults of the people, and assists all things in their natural development, never daring to interfere.
76.Rén zhī shēnɡ yě róu ruò , qí sǐ yě jiān qiánɡ; wàn wù 、 cǎo mù zhī shēnɡ yě róu cuì , qí sǐ yě kū ɡǎo. Gù jiān qiánɡ zhě, sǐ zhī tú; róu ruò zhě, shēnɡ zhī tú. Shì yǐ bīnɡ qiánɡ zé bú shènɡ, mù qiánɡ zé zhé . Qiánɡ dà chù xià, róu ruò chù shànɡ.
人之生也柔弱，其死也坚强；万物、草木之生也柔脆，其死也枯槁。 故坚强者，死之徒；柔弱者，生之徒。是以兵强则不胜，木强则折。强大处下， 柔弱处上。
人之生也柔弱，其死也坚强；万物、草木之生也柔脆，其死也枯槁。 故坚强者，死之徒；柔弱者，生之徒。是以兵强则不胜，木强则折。强大处下， 柔弱处上。
In life, man is supple and tender; in death, he becomes rigid and stark. Myriad things such as grass and trees are supple and frail in life, and shrivelled and dry in death. Therefore, the rigid and stark are disciples of death, while the supple and weak are disciples of life. Therefore the army that uses strength cannot win, the tree that stands firm will break. The strong and large are subordinate, the soft and weak are superior.
80.Xiǎo ɡuó ɡuǎ mín. shǐ yǒu shén bǎi zhī qì ér bú yònɡ. Shǐ mín zhònɡ sǐ ér bù yuǎn xǐ. Suī yǒu zhōu yú, wú suǒ chénɡ zhī. suī yǒu jiǎ bīnɡ, wú suǒ chén zhī. Shǐ rén fù jié shénɡ ér yònɡ zhī. Gān qí shí , měi qí fú, ān qí jū, lè qí sú. lín ɡuó xiānɡ wànɡ, jī quǎn zhī shēnɡ xiānɡ wén, mín zhì lǎo sǐ bù xiānɡ wǎnɡ lái .
小国寡民。使有什佰之器而不用。使民重死而不远徙。 虽有舟舆，无所乘之。虽有甲兵，无所陈之。使人复结绳而用之。 甘其食，美其服，安其居，乐其俗。邻国相望，鸡犬之声相闻， 民至老死不相往来。
小国寡民。使有什佰之器而不用。使民重死而不远徙。 虽有舟舆，无所乘之。虽有甲兵，无所陈之。使人复结绳而用之。 甘其食，美其服，安其居，乐其俗。邻国相望，鸡犬之声相闻， 民至老死不相往来。
