道德经上篇：《道经》
第二章
【原文】
天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已①；皆知善之为善，斯不善已。有无相生，难易相成，长短相形，高下相盈，音声相和②，前后相随，恒也。是以圣人处无为之事⑧，行不言之教；万物作而弗始④，生而弗有，为而弗恃（shì）⑤, 功成而弗居。夫唯弗居，是以不去。
【注释】
①已：语气词，可译为“了”。
②音声：古代音和声是有区别的。单调的、无节奏的叫“声”，复杂的、有节奏的叫“音”。
③是以：疑为后人所加。本章的前八句是老子的相对论，后八句是老子的政治论，文意不相连。圣人：老子理想中的“与道同体”的人物，他与儒家圣人有很大不同，是“有道的人”。
④始：管理、干涉的意思。
⑤恃(shì)：依赖，依靠。
【译文】
天下的人都知道美之所以为美，丑的观念也就出来了；都知道善之所以为善，恶的观念也就产生了。“有”和“无”互相对立而产生，困难和容易互相矛盾而促成，长和短互相比较才形成，高和下互相对照才有分别，音和声由于对立才显得和谐动听，前和后彼此排列才有顺序，这是永远如此的。因此，有道的人用“无为”的法则来对待世事，用“不言”的方式施行教化；让万物兴起而不加倡导，生养万物而不据为已有；抚育万物但不自恃己能，立下了功勋而不自我夸耀。正因为他不居功，所以他的功绩就不会失去。
English Translation
Version 1：by Daniel Baida Su and Shangyu Chen
If everyone knows beauty as beautiful, there is already ugliness;
If everyone knows kindness as kind, there is already evil.
Being and non-being beget each other;
The difficult and the easy complement each other;
The long and the short contrast with each other;
The high and the low point to each other;
The voice and its echo resound with each other;
Before and after follow each other.
Therefore, the Holy One acts without effort and teaches without speaking.
All things rise from him, yet he claims no sovereignty;
He multiplies all yet claims no possession;
He benefits all yet expects no return;
He accomplishes all yet claims no credit;
He claims no credit yet endures forever.
If everyone knows kindness as kind, there is already evil.
Being and non-being beget each other;
The difficult and the easy complement each other;
The long and the short contrast with each other;
The high and the low point to each other;
The voice and its echo resound with each other;
Before and after follow each other.
Therefore, the Holy One acts without effort and teaches without speaking.
All things rise from him, yet he claims no sovereignty;
He multiplies all yet claims no possession;
He benefits all yet expects no return;
He accomplishes all yet claims no credit;
He claims no credit yet endures forever.
Version 2：by John C. H. Wu
