【原文】
天长地久。天地所以能长且久者，以其不自生，故能长生。
是以圣人后其身而身先，外其身而身存。非以其无私邪！故能成其私。
【现代汉语】
天地长生不朽。天地之所以能永久长存，是因为它们的所有活动、运作都不是为了自己，所以它们的生命能够久远而不枯竭。
所以圣人把自己的利益放在百姓利益的后面，因而得到天下人的爱戴；从不优先考虑自己的利益，所以能完善自己的人格。因为圣人的无私，故能成就自己。
【英译】
Heaven and earth are long-enduring. The reason why heaven and earth are able to endure and continue thus long is because they do not live and work for themselves. This is how they are able to continue and endure.
The sages of Taoism (people accord with the standard of Tao’s) put themselves last, so people all love and esteem them. They never possess priority for their own benefit, and then their personality reaches in perfect status.
Is it not because they have no personal and private desire, that therefore they get great achievement?
【备注】
这一章往往被我们误解为老子诲人权谋之术的“罪证”，所以，更显现出读圣人之书，要贯通全篇，而不能断章取义的重要。 |
