第二十二章
曲則全，枉則直，窪則盈，敝則新，少則得，多則惑。是以聖人抱一為天下式。不自見，故明；不自是，故彰；不自伐，故有功；不自矜，故長。夫唯不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。古所謂曲則全者，豈虛言哉？誠全而歸之。
【譯文】
委曲才能保全，彎曲才能直進，低窪才能滿盈，陳舊才能變新，追求得少才能得到，追求得多反而迷亂。因此聖人總是讓對立的雙方抱合為一，作為天下的法式。不自我表現，所以才能顯露；不自以為是，所以才明白道理；不自我吹噓，所以才有功勞；不自高自大，所以才能為人之長。正是因為不與人爭，所以天下沒有人能與他爭。古人講的“委曲才能保全”的說法，難道是沒用的空話嗎？確實能得到保全。
Stooping, you will be preserved.
Wronged, you will be righted.
Hollow, you will be filled.
Worn out, you will be renewed.
Having little, you may gain;
Having much, you may be at a loss.
So the Sage holds on to one to be the model for the world.
He does not show himself, so he is seen everywhere.
He does not assert himself, so he is well-known.
He does not boast, so he wins success.
He is not proud, so he can lead.
As he contends for nothing, none in the world could contend with him.
Is it not true for the ancients to say,
“Stooping, you will be preserved”?
It is indeed the whole truth to which lead all the ways.
第二十三章
希言自然。飄風不終朝，驟雨不終日。孰為此者？天地。天地尚不能久，而況於人乎？故從事於道者，道者同於道，德者同於德，失者同於失。同於道者，道亦樂得之；同於德者，德亦樂得之；同於失者，失亦樂得之。信不足焉，有不信焉。
【譯文】
少言寡語合乎自然。疾風颳不了一早晨，驟雨下不了一整天。誰能颳風下雨？天地才能颳風下雨。天地都不能使它長久，更何況是人呢？所以學習大道的人，有道的與大道相同，有德的與道德相同，缺失的與缺失的道德相同。與大道相同的人，大道也樂於得到他；與道德相同的人，道德也樂於得到他；與缺失道德相同，缺失的道德也樂於得到他。誠信不足了，才會產生不信任。
It is natural to speak little.
A wanton wind cannot whisper all the morning; a sudden rain cannot howl all the day long.
Who has made them so?
Heaven and earth.
Heaven and earth cannot speak long, not to speak of man.
Therefore, those who follow the divine law
conform to it; so do those who follow the human law, and those who imitate heaven.
Those who conform to the divine law are welcome to the divine; those who conform to the human law are welcome to the human; those who conform to heaven are welcome to heaven.
Some are not trustworthy enough, some, not at all.
第二十四章
企者不立，跨者不行，自見者不明，自是者不彰，自伐者無功，自矜者不長。其在道也，曰餘食贅行。物或惡之，故有道者不處。
【譯文】
踮起腳跟站不穩，叉開兩腿不能走，自我表現不能顯露，自以為是不能明理，自吹自擂沒有功勞，自高自大不能為長。對於大道來說，這都是餘棄的食物，多餘的行為。萬物都討厭，所以有道的人不這樣做。
One who stands on tiptoe cannot stand firm; who makes big strides cannot walk long.
One who sees only himself has no good sight; who thinks only himself right cannot be recognized.
One who boasts of himself will not succeed; who thinks himself superior cannot be a leader.
In the light of the divine law such behavior is like superfluous food.
It is disliked by those who follow the divine law.
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