老子道德经汉译选
1).知人者智，
自知者明。
胜人者有力，
自胜者强。
知足者富，
强行者有志，
不失其所者久，
死而不亡者寿。
He show knows others in wise;
He who knows himself is clever;
He who conquers others is forceful;
He who knows contentment is rich;
He who perseveres1 is a man of will;
He who does not lose his root can endure;
He whose Tao survives him is long-lived.
2).知不知，
尚矣；
不知知，
病也。
夫惟病病，
是以不病。
圣人不病，
以其病病，
是以不病。
Knowing one s ignorance of certain knowledge
is the best attitude;
Not knowing certain knowledge yet pretending to know
is a bad attitude.
The sage2 is of no shortcoming,
Because he considers shortcoming as shortcoming.
He considers shortcoming as shortcoming,
Thus he has no shortcoming.
3).信言不美，
美言不信。
善者不辩，
辩者不善。
知者不博，
博者不知。
圣人不积，
既以为人己愈有，
既以与人己愈多。
True words are not embellished3,
The embellished words are not true.
A good man does not quibble;
He who quibbles is not good.
A man of true learning does not show off his learning.
He who shows off his learning does not have true learning.
The sage does not store up.
Helping4 others as best as he can.
He is helped even more.
Giving others as much as he can,
He becomes richer and richer still.
