老子《道德经》英译第五十六章
第五十六章 玄同
【原文】
知者不言,言者不知。塞其兑,闭其门,挫其锐,解其纷,和其光,同其尘,是谓「玄同」。故不可得而亲,不可得而疏; 不可得而利,不可得而害;不可得而贵,不可得而贱。故为天下贵。
【现代汉语】
智者是不随便(向人民)施加政令的,施加政令的人就不是智者。
塞住他们知欲的孔窍,关闭他们知欲的门户,磨去锋芒,化解纠纷,涵蓄光耀,混同尘垢,这就叫做玄同的境界。这样就不分亲近,不分疏远,不分利益,不分祸害,不分高贵,不分低贱。所以这样的人能做天下的君王。
【英译】
He who knows (the Tao) does not (care to) speak (about it); he who is (ever ready to) speak about it does not know it.
He (who knows it) will keep his mouth shut and close the portals (of his nostrils). He will blunt his sharp points and unravel the complications of things; he will attemper his brightness, and bring himself into agreement with the obscurity (of others). This is called 'the Mysterious Agreement.'
(Such an one) cannot be treated familiarly or distantly; he is beyond all consideration of profit or injury; of nobility or meanness:--he is the noblest man under heaven.
【备注】