老子《道德經(jīng)》英譯第二十二章

　　【原文】

　　曲則全，枉則直，洼則盈，敝則新，少則得，多則惑。

　　是以圣人抱一為天下式。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。古之所謂「曲則全」者，豈虛言哉!誠全而歸之。

　　【現(xiàn)代漢語】

　　委婉迂回能達到圓滿的結果;屈就才能伸展;低洼空虛才能充盈;弊舊就能生新;缺乏預示著多得;過多則會迷惑。

　　所以遵循‘道’的人以‘道’的原則作為天下事理的標準和范例。不自我標榜，反而能夠顯明;不自以為是，反而能夠得到彰顯;不自我夸耀，反而能建立功勛;不自我矜持，反而能長久。

　　就是因為與世無爭，所以天下沒有人和他爭奪。古人所說的“委婉迂回能達到圓滿的結果”等箴言，怎么會是空話呢!那是實實在在的真理啊!

　　【英譯】

　　The circumbendibus leads to consummation; the condescender leads to spread; the low-lying position leads to increscence; the worn things lead to brand new vitality; the lack leads to abundance; and, overmuch abundance leads to puzzlement.

　　Therefore the sage holds in Tao's principle, and manifests it to all the world. He is free from self- display, and therefore he shines; from self-righteous, and therefore he is distinguished; from self-boasting, and therefore his merit is acknowledged; from self-complacency, and therefore he acquires superiority. It is because he is thus free from striving that therefore no one in the world is able to strive with him.

　　That saying of the ancients that 'the circumbendibus leads to consummation…' was not vainly spoken. Those are all indeed truth.

　　【備注】

　　“多則惑”——這是當今世界的最大特征。

　　滿足多，固然困惑;財貨缺乏，渴欲多，欲望多就更會惑。所以，這個社會上，無論貧窮富有，大多數(shù)人是處于“惑”狀態(tài)的。

　　老子所說的“曲則全”中的“全”到底是社會概念、還是精神涵義，抑或是形而上的呢?不知道，只求何時此心能平靜。