五 色 令 人 目 盲 ? 五 音 令 人 耳 聋 ? 五 味 令 人 口 爽 ?

      驰 骋 畋 猎 ， 令 人 心 发 狂 ? 难 得 之 货 ， 令 人 行 妨 。
      　 　是 以 圣 人 为 腹 不 为 目 ， 故 去 彼 取 此

      Colour's five hues from th' eyes their sight will take;
      Music's five notes the ears as deaf can make;
      The flavours five deprive the mouth of taste;
      The chariot course, and the wild hunting waste
      Make mad the mind; and objects rare and strange,
      Sought for, men's conduct will to evil change.

      Therefore the sage seeks to satisfy (the craving of) the belly, and
      not the (insatiable longing of the) eyes. He puts from him the
      latter, and prefers to seek the former.

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      宠 辱 若 惊 ， 贵 大 患 若 身 。
      　 　何 谓 宠 辱 若 惊 。

      宠 为 下 ， 得 之 若 惊 ， 失 之 若 惊 ， 是 谓 宠 辱 若 惊 。
      　 　何 谓 贵 大 患 若 身 。

      吾 所 以 有 大 患 者 ， 为 吾 有 身 ，

      及 吾 无 身 ， 吾 有 何 患 。
            故 贵 以 身 为 天 下 ， 若 可 寄 天 下 ?

      爱 以 身 为 天 下 ， 若 可 托 天 下 。

   

      Favour and disgrace would seem equally to be feared; honour and
      great calamity, to be regarded as personal conditions (of the same
      kind).

      What is meant by speaking thus of favour and disgrace? Disgrace is
      being in a low position (after the enjoyment of favour). The getting
      that (favour) leads to the apprehension (of losing it), and the losing
      it leads to the fear of (still greater calamity):--this is what is
      meant by saying that favour and disgrace would seem equally to be
      feared.

      And what is meant by saying that honour and great calamity are to be
      (similarly) regarded as personal conditions? What makes me liable to
      great calamity is my having the body (which I call myself); if I had
      not the body, what great calamity could come to me?

      Therefore he who would administer the kingdom, honouring it as he
      honours his own person, may be employed to govern it, and he who would
      administer it with the love which he bears to his own person may be
      entrusted with it.

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      视 之 不 见 ， 名 曰 夷 ?

      听 之 不 闻 ， 名 曰 希 ?

      搏 之 不 得 ， 名 曰 微 。

      此 三 者 不 可 致 诘 ， 故 混 而 为 一 。

      其 上 不 ? ， 其 下 不 昧 。

      绳 绳 兮 不 可 名 ， 复 归 于 物 。

      是 谓 无 状 之 状 ， 无 物 之 象 ， 是 谓 惚 恍 。

      迎 之 不 见 其 首 ， 随 之 不 见 其 后 。
      执 古 之 道 ， 以 御 今 之 有 。

      能 知 古 始 ， 是 谓 道 纪 。


      We look at it, and we do not see it, and we name it 'the
      Equable.' We listen to it, and we do not hear it, and we name it 'the
      Inaudible.' We try to grasp it, and do not get hold of it, and we
      name it 'the Subtle.' With these three qualities, it cannot be made
      the subject of description; and hence we blend them together and
      obtain The One.

      Its upper part is not bright, and its lower part is not obscure.
      Ceaseless in its action, it yet cannot be named, and then it again
      returns and becomes nothing. This is called the Form of the Formless,
      and the Semblance of the Invisible; this is called the Fleeting and
      Indeterminable.

      We meet it and do not see its Front; we follow it, and do not see
      its Back. When we can lay hold of the Tao of old to direct the things
      of the present day, and are able to know it as it was of old in the
      beginning, this is called (unwinding) the clue of Tao.