雙語(yǔ)詩(shī)歌翻譯|《道德經(jīng)·第三十八章》

具備“上德”的人不表現(xiàn)為外在的有德，因此實(shí)際上是有“德”；具備“下德”的人表現(xiàn)為外在的不離失“道”，因此實(shí)際是沒(méi)有“德”的。“上德”之人順應(yīng)自然無(wú)心作為，“下德”之人順應(yīng)自然而有心作為。上仁之人要有所作為卻沒(méi)有回應(yīng)他，于是就揚(yáng)著胳膊強(qiáng)引別人。所以，失去了“道”而后才有“德”，失去了“德”而后才有“仁”，失去了“仁”而后才有“義”，失去了義而后才有禮。“禮”這個(gè)東西，是忠信不足的產(chǎn)物，而且是禍亂的開(kāi)端。所謂“先知”，不過(guò)是“道”的虛華，由此愚昧開(kāi)始產(chǎn)生。所以大丈夫立身敦厚，不居于澆薄；存心樸實(shí)，不居于虛華。所以要舍棄澆薄虛華而采取樸實(shí)敦厚。

第三十八章

上德不德，
是以有德。
下德不失德，
是以無(wú)德。
上德無(wú)為而無(wú)以為。
下德無(wú)為而有以為。
上仁為之而無(wú)以為。
上義為之而有以為。
上禮為之而莫之以應(yīng)，
則攘臂而扔之。
故
失道而后德，
失德而后仁，
失仁而后義，
失義而后禮。
夫禮者，
忠信之薄而亂之首。
前識(shí)者，
道之華而愚之始。
是以大丈夫，
處其厚，不居其薄。
處其實(shí)，不居其華。
故去彼取此。

Chapter 38

A man of the great virtue (Teh)
does not claim to be of virtue,
Thus he is of the true virtue.
A man of the small virtue
always hold fast to the virtue in form,
Thus he is actually of no virtue.
A man of the great virtue remains inactive
Without deliberately manifesting his virtue;
A man of the small benevolence
keeps being active,
Always deliberately manifesting his virtue.
A man of the great benevolence acts
but never deliberately shows his benevolence;
A man of great justice acts
and also deliberately shows his justice.
A man of rigid rites acts
and even rolls up his sleeves
to force people to conform to rites
when no one responds to him.
Therefore
Virtue comes after the loss of Tao;
Benevolence comes after the loss of virtue;
Justice comes after the loss of benevolence;
Rites come after the loss of justice.
Thus rites result from the lack of loyalty and good faith,
And function as the beginning of great disorder.
Foresight is only the flowery embellishment of Tao
As well as the beginning of ignorance.
Hence the true man sets store by the thick rather than by the thin,
And values the fruit rather than the flower.
That is why he takes the former and discards the latter.