第六十七章

我有三宝

I Have Three Treasures

People all over the world say that

my divine law is too magnificent to look like anything specific

just because it is great.

If it is like anything specific,

the divine law will appear to be very small.

I have three treasures to hold on to and preserve:

the first is called kindness,

the second frugality,

and the third is my unwillingness to take the lead in the world.

If you have kindness,

you can be brave;

if you govern the state with the spirit of frugality,

you can naturally expand the state;

if you are unwilling to take the lead in the world,

you will become the leader of all things.

Now if you abandon kindness and pursue courage,

abandon frugality and pursue generosity,

abandon concessions and strive for first,

you are doomed to fail.

If you cherish the soldiers as your own children,

you can win the battle and your status can be firmly established.

If heaven wants to save someone,

it will protect him with kindness.

1. “天下皆谓我道大，似不肖”的英译

对这句话，我们的理解是“天下人说“我的道”太宏伟，不像任何具体事物的样子。”，所以译文亦然：“People all over the world say that my divine law is too magnificent to look like anything specific”，“大”取词“magnificent”，并且使用了读者熟悉的“too----to”结构。许渊冲将其译作“All the world say my divine law is great, and there is nothing like it”。辜正坤的译作“The whole world says that my Tao is great, resembling nothing concrete.”。Arthur Waley译作“Every one under heaven says that our Way is greatly like folly.”，即“天下人说我们的道极其像华而不实的东西”，将“大，似不肖”用一个词“folly”来表达了，这个词相对来说非常生僻，理解思路也和以上三家区别较大。

2. “一曰慈，二曰俭，三曰不敢为天下先”的英译

这句话的英译不同译本在英文取词上各有讲究。许渊冲将其译作“the first one is magnanimity, the second one is frugality, and the third is humidity to the last of the world.”。辜正坤译作“The first is mercy; the second is thrift; the third is unwillingness to take the lead in the world”。Arthur Waley译作“The first is pity, the second, frugality; the third, refusal to be foremost of all things.”。我们译作“the first is called kindness, the second frugality, and the third is my unwillingness to take the lead in the world.”，尤其在“慈”的取词上， 四家之言各有不同。