Extensive
interpretation of Tao Te Ching (29)
道德經演義（廿九）
There
are those who will conquer the world and make of it what they conceive or
desire. I see that they will not succeed.
將欲取天下而為之，吾見其不得己。
For the
world is God’s own Vessel, it cannot be made by human interference.
天下神器，不可為也，不可執也。
He who
makes it spoils it. He who holds it loses it.
為者敗之，執者失之。
For:
Some things go forward, and some things follow behind. Some blow hot, and some
blow cold. Some are strong, and some are weak. Some may cultivate, and some may
fall.
故物，或行或隨；或歔或吹，或強或羸；或培或隳。
Hence
the Sage eschews excess, eschews extravagance, eschews
pride.
是以為聖人去甚，去奢，去泰。
Let Be
and Let Alone (6) (13-16)(29。1)
莊子演義外篇在宥(六)(13-16)(29。1)
13 An
incumbent government official must know that it is great and worthy to possess
power and to have an area under his control.
為政者還要知道的是，擁有政權，以及擁有一片疆土，是一件了不得的大事，是一件真正值得擁有的東西。
14 The governmental official should look them as a part of his body and cherish
them. He should not look them as a thing that is irrelevant.
他應該將之視為自己的一部份，善加珍惜，不能只將之視為一件事不關己的東西而已。
15 Only if he cherish them and look them as a part of his body, he can be the
master of a territory; and the leader of its people.
惟有珍惜它，視它為自己的一部份，你才有可能成為這片疆土的主人。
悲夫，有土者之不知也！夫有土者，有大物也。有大物者，不可以物；物而不物，故能物物。
16 Governance of a country should follow this principal; so as to the other
jobs. He, who can look other as himself, treasure them dearly and look all
things as a part of his interest, protect them carefully, is unblocked and free
to roam around the universe. The man with this character is the most honorable
one.
治理國家是如此，其他事物上也應該這樣。能夠視人如已，正視一切事物，將之視為自己切身的一部份，善加珍惜的人，他們就能通行無阻，自由自在地遨遊於天地之間。具有這種性格者，是人類中最值得尊敬的人。
明乎物物者之非物也，豈獨治天下百姓而已哉！出入六合，遊乎九州，獨往獨來，是謂獨有。獨有之人，是之謂至貴。
Xianchi’s interpretation and
remark(29。1)
咸池評述(29。1)
1 Why
is land a thing worth being possessed?
為什麼唯有土地才是一塊真正值得擁有的東西呢？
2 Land is a thing relative lasting longer. If you don’t give it up, it will lay
around you permanently.
土地是相對持久的東西，只要你不捨棄它，離開它，它就一定會長久地駐守在你的身邊。
3 Land is like a mirror. It reflects what you input.
土地恰像一面鏡子，你放什麼進去，它就表現什麼出來。
4 It grows what you sow. It is reliable and loyal.
你種什麼它就長什麼，它是值得信賴的，是絕對忠誠的。
5 Land
is productive and it can bring you up and supply you with all things that life
needs, including house, food, ware and clothes.
土地是具有生產力的，土地可以養活你，供應你生活所需的一切東西，包括房屋、食物、甚至器皿及衣物等等。
6 Land is something like the genius in the magic bottle. It can offer what you
need. For such a good thing, we should definitely cherish and care of it.
土地有點兒像傳說中寶瓶裡的精靈，你想要什麼，祂就能供應你什麼。這麼好的東西，我們當然應該視如珍寶，予以愛惜。
External Things (5) (1-4)(29。2)
莊子雜篇外物(五)(1-4)(29。2)
1 One
of Laolaizi’s disciples who chopped firewood in the
wild field, when backed, he saw a stranger standing by the gate.
老萊子的弟子有一天在外面砍柴，回來時他在門口看見一位陌生人。
2 The disciple told Laolazi, “I see a very strange
man outside. He is tall. His legs are strong and stout. Looking him from
profile, he is somewhat crookback; ears are adnate on the rear brain. His eyes
show that he has ambition to rule the whole world. Who is he?”
這位弟子對老萊子說：「剛才我在門外看見一個非常奇特的人。他的身材高高地，可是下盤又顯得粗壯而矮胖。側面看，他有些駝背，耳朵緊貼著後腦。從他的眼神裏，我感覺到此人野心勃勃，想要統治整個世界似的，老師依您看，這個人會是誰呢？」
老萊子之弟子出薪，遇仲尼，反以告，曰：「有人於彼，修上而趨下，末僂而後耳，視若營四海，不知其誰氏之子。」
3 Laolaizi said excitedly, “He must be Confucius.
There is no other man like that. Go and invite him to come in.”
老萊子興奮地說：「這人想必是孔丘了，天下絕沒有第二個人長得像他那樣，快去請他進來。」
老萊子曰：「是丘也，召而來。」
4 After Confucius was invited to come in, Laolaizi
said to Confucius, “Confucius! If you would like to lower your profile, to take
off your pride and to wipe off your self-flattered cleverness, you would be an
amiable man whom others would like to approach. Nowadays, you go around like
this but it is certain to be refused everywhere. It is in vain for you to hold
a great ambition.”
孔子被請進來後，老萊子對孔子說：「孔兄啊！如果你能放下身段，擺脫你的驕傲，除卻你那自以為是的聰明模樣，你一定可以成為一個和藹可親，人人都願意親近的人。以你目前這個模樣，卻想到處傳播你的儒學思想，肯定是處處碰壁，徒有滿腔熱情也是枉然的。」
仲尼至。曰：「丘，去汝躬矜與汝容知，斯為君子矣。」
Xianchi’s interpretation and remark (29。2)
咸池評述(29。2)
1 There is a young
revolutionist in the movie of Doctor Zhivago. He was very zealous in reforming and devoted
himself into revolution despite of toughness.
電影 “齊瓦哥醫生” 裡有一位年輕的革命家，他抱著改革的熱忱，滿腔的熱血，不畏艱難地投身於革命運動中。
2 This young
revolutionist’s zeal concealed all other emotions in his life, including love.
這位年輕的革命家，他當時的熱忱，已經完全掩蓋了他生命中其他各種的情愫，包括愛情。
3 Comparing to this
young revolutionist, Doctor Zhivago had a complete
emotions and characters that a young man should has. So, his life was wonderful
and lovely.
相對於這位年輕的革命家，片中的齊瓦哥醫生，他就比較能完整地擁有著每一位年青人所應該具有的各種情感以及人性化的一面。因此他的生活是多彩多姿，充滿著朝氣的。
4 To strive for the ideal, especially in political
one, most of them will find it unworthy at end of the day.
為了理想而奮鬥，特別是在政治方面，絕大部份的人，他們最後都會發覺，那全然是不值得的。
5 The revolution for Soviet Russia is regarded as
a farce, but its cost is countless young men lost their youth hoods and lives.
蘇俄的革命，最後被證明是一場鬧劇，可是因這場鬧劇而付出的代價，卻是無數年青人的青春與生命。
6 Laolaizi asked Confucius “to lower your profile, to take
off your pride and to wipe off your self-flattered cleverness”. In other words,
Laolaizi asked Confucius should not persist in or
should not be firmly confident in the way of doing things.
老萊子要孔子 “去汝躬矜與汝容知”。就是叫他不要那麼尖銳，不要老是那麼信心滿滿地認為，事情一定要往哪個方向去進行。
7 Lives are
diversified. Each one has his unique experience. Operation of society is
complicated, not singularism can deal with all
changes. If one wants to do something great in his post, the best way is that
he totally has no ism and idea. When he comes into power, he may adjust policy
and guideline in terms of social demand, going with situation to bring out
measures. Thus he is good statesman.
人生是多樣化的，每個人也都擁有其獨特的人生際遇。而社會的運作也是極其複雜多變的，絕對
不是某項單一的主張就足以應付得了的。如果真想在政壇上有所做為，最好的辦法就是不要有任何固定的主張與看法，私下默默觀察，靈活地視社會的需要，從而機 動地調整其施政方針。唯有這樣，才能算是好的政治家。
8 I think what Chuang
Tzu’s real meaning in this article is: A proud and self-righteous man is
incompetent and improper for being a leader.
一個自視過高而又自以為是的人，他根本就不配、也不適合當一名領導人。我想這就是莊子的本意吧！
Xianchi’s
interpretation and remark of Tao Te Ching(29) a。29
咸池評述道德經演義（廿九）a。29
1 The
world, the country, the society and even the families operation are all
manipulated by an invisible hand.
任何家庭、社會、國家乃至於整個世界，它們的成立、組成與運作，都是由一隻看不見的手在操縱的。
2 The hand put the earth on a place that is to-the-point distance to the sun,
and put the moon around it to produce tide, which makes creatures grow.
這隻手非常巧妙的將地球與太陽安排在一個恰當的位置，又在附近擺上一個月亮，從中製造潮汐，以利於生命的成長。
3 Mankind in each area has the same proportion of male and female: 50 more
against 40 more, which balances the match of marriage. When a kid grows to
seventeen or eighteen, it is natural for them to fall in love that propels them
to match and give births. Thus society, country and world last generation by
generation.
地球上每個地區的人類，男女兩性人口的分佈，大致上大都維持在５０多比４０多的比例在發展，如此婚配才不致於過分失衡。當一個孩子長到十七、十八歲，他們會很自然的發情，愛苗於焉而生。男女青年在這股愛、慾力量的推動下，他們結合了，進而生育，養育後代，從而促使社會、國家、世界生生不息的發展。
4 Laotse made it clear that the subtle operations were
mysterious. At last he had to admit that there is a hand manipulated behind
them; otherwise, thousands of coincidences happen to work out to constitute
unconsciously the marvelous world is impossible. Albert Einstein believed in
Cosmo- religion. He said that when I find out a certain physical knowledge with
the efforts of my whole life, I know at the same time that a gentleman had been
very skillful in application of the knowledge very long ago. Comparing to him,
I am rather petty.
老子清楚的看到這種微妙的現象，百思不得其解，最後只得承認，確實有一隻手在那兒操縱一切; 否則幾萬個巧 合碰在一起，完全無意識地組成這個世界根本就是不可思議的。愛因斯坦相信所謂的宇宙宗教。他說，當我窮畢生之力，瞭解到一項物理知識之後，我發現，在無窮
久遠的年代裡，老早已經有一位先生在那兒廣泛地運用這個知識，並且達到了滾瓜爛熟的地步，而我愛因斯坦與之相較簡直就是天淵之別，無足掛齒！
5 The wise, such as Laotse and Albert Einstein, found
in common that this world, this society and even this family were products that
were dominated by him. What’s more, this gentleman keeps watching their
operations any time and any interference of outer force, distortion and
addition are not allowed.
老子與愛因斯坦，這些智者，他們共同的發現是: 這個世界、這個社會、甚至包括整個家庭組織，都是這個宇宙主宰手中的產物。而且，這位仁兄無時無刻不在注視、觀察著它們的發展與運作。對於這個宇宙主宰而言，任何的外力干預、扭曲、加油添醋等都是不被接受的。
6 Laotse thought if a man tried to change the
operation of this world at his wills, he will not be successful.
如果一個人自以為聰明，企圖按照他個人的意志去改造、左右這個世界的運作，老子認為那都是註定不會成功的。
7 Laotse deemed that a thing belonging to this world
may leave as it wants; it may come as it wants; it may become warm as it wants;
it may become cool as it wants; it may become strong as it wants; it may become
weak as it wants; it may break as it wants; it may fall as it wants. We don’t
need to assist it, not to mentioning assistance of excessive enthusiasm.
老子認為，凡是屬於這個世界的東西，它們要走就讓它們走，它們要來就讓它們來，它們要暖就讓它們暖，它們要涼就讓它們涼，它們要強就讓它們強，它們要弱就讓它們弱，它們要碎就讓它們碎，它們要落就讓它們落。至於補破網就不必了，揠苗助長的事更是不可為之。
8 What is his right governance if a governor really has such attitude? Is it
non-action, and even is indulgence?
為政者如果真的抱有著這樣的態度，那麼他正確的施政之方又是什麼呢？難道就真的無為到放任不管了嗎？
9 Surely not. In later chapter about governance of
non-action, Laotse told us that governance should be
cautious in the following people’s activities, watching it carefully. When
people are working hard, governor should stand around for guard and offer tea
and towel. He should pave mineral pitch on the narrow meandering footpath. When
people want to come across the river, he should prepare boat and build bridge
right away.
當然不是這樣。老子在後面無為而治的章節中會告訴我們，為政者應該小心翼翼的尾隨在百姓的活動後面，小心觀察，及時的將羊腸小徑鋪上柏油，當老百姓辛苦工作時，守衛在四周站崗，並且提供茶水、毛巾等的服務; 一看到百姓要過河了，就趕緊備船搭橋。
10 Governor watches closely change and development of his society around the
clock; he serves and takes care of people, so actually his daily work is heavy.
But the governor should not sweat away at driving people to a direction at his
own will.
執政者一天二十四小時嚴密的觀察社會上的脈動，小心侍候、噓寒問暖，工作上也是毫不輕鬆的。而執政者工作的目的，也絕對不應該是逐趕百姓，將他們逼上某個方向，以貫徹其私欲，這一點非常重要。