道德经上篇：《道经》
第二十五章
【原文】
有物混成，先天地生。寂兮寥兮①，独立而不改，周行而不殆②，可以为天地母③。吾不知其名，强字之日道，强为之名曰大。大曰逝，逝曰远，远曰反。故道大，天大，地大，人亦大。域中有四大，而人居其一焉。人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。
【注释】
①寂：没有声音。寥：没有形体。
②殆：通“怠”。
③母：根本。
【译文】
有一种浑然而成的东西，在有天地之前就已经产生了。它寂寂无声而又广阔无形，它独立长存而永不衰竭，周而复始地循环运行而永不停息，可以作为天地万物的根本。我不知道究竟叫它什么名字才好，只好叫它为“道”，我再勉强给它取个名字叫“大”。它广大无边而运行不息，运行不息而伸展遥远，伸展遥远而回归本原。所以道是伟大的，天是伟大的，地是伟大的，人也是伟大的。天地间有这四大，而人只不过是其中的一个。在这四大之中，人是效法于地的，地是效法于天的，天是效法于道的，而道则纯任自然。
English Translation
Version 1：by Daniel Baida Su and Shangyu Chen
An integrated being existed before the birth of Heaven and earth.
How still! How void!
Standing all by himself and never changing,
He moves in and through all and is not wearied,
Worthy to be the mother of Heaven and earth.
I do not know his name;
So, I call it “Tao.”
If forced to name him,
I would name him “the Great.”
Being great, he keeps expanding—
Reaching to the farthest distance, until he returns.
Therefore, Tao is great;
Heaven is great;
Earth is great;
Human being is also great.
In the universe, the four are great,
And the human is one of them.
Human beings emulate the earth;
The earth emulates Heaven;
Heaven emulates Tao;
And Tao emulates what is as is.
How still! How void!
Standing all by himself and never changing,
He moves in and through all and is not wearied,
Worthy to be the mother of Heaven and earth.
I do not know his name;
So, I call it “Tao.”
If forced to name him,
I would name him “the Great.”
Being great, he keeps expanding—
Reaching to the farthest distance, until he returns.
Therefore, Tao is great;
Heaven is great;
Earth is great;
Human being is also great.
In the universe, the four are great,
And the human is one of them.
Human beings emulate the earth;
The earth emulates Heaven;
Heaven emulates Tao;
And Tao emulates what is as is.
Version 2：by John C. H. Wu
