Tao Te Ching Chapter 20
第20章
絕學無憂,唯之與阿,相去幾何?善之與惡,相去若何?人之所畏,不可不畏。荒兮其未央哉﹗眾人熙熙,如享太牢,如春登臺。我獨泊兮其未兆,如嬰兒之未孩;儽儽兮若無所歸。眾人皆有餘,而我獨若遺。我愚人之心也哉﹗沌沌兮,俗人昭昭,我獨昏昏。俗人察察,我獨悶悶。澹兮其若海,飂兮若無止。眾人皆有以,而我獨頑似鄙。我獨異於人,而貴食母。
When we renounce learning we have no troubles.
The (ready) 'yes,' and (flattering) 'yea;'--
Small is the difference they display.
But mark their issues, good and ill;--
What space the gulf between shall fill?
What all men fear is indeed to be feared; but how wide and without end is the range of questions (asking to be discussed)!
The multitude of men look satisfied and pleased; as if enjoying a full banquet, as if mounted on a tower in spring. I alone seem listless and still, my desires having as yet given no indication of their presence. I am like an infant which has not yet smiled. I look dejected and forlorn, as if I had no home to go to. The multitude of men all have enough and to spare. I alone seem to have lost everything. My mind is that of a stupid man; I am in a state of chaos.
Ordinary men look bright and intelligent, while I alone seem to be benighted. They look full of discrimination, while I alone am dull and confused. I seem to be carried about as on the sea, drifting as if I had nowhere to rest. All men have their spheres of action, while I alone seem dull and incapable, like a rude borderer. (Thus) I alone am different from other men, but I value the nursing-mother (the Tao).
English: James Legge (1891), The Tâo Teh King, Sacred Books of the East vol. 39 (1891) — public domain. Chinese: Wang Bi recension (王弼本), commentary removed.
Character glossary
- 絕juéto cut, to sever; to break off, to termi
- 學xuélearning, knowledge, science; to study,
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 憂yōusad, grieving; melancholy, grief
- 唯wéionly; sole
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 阿āan initial particle, a prefix used for n
- 相xiāngmutual, reciprocal; equal; each other
- 去qùto go away, to leave, to depart
- 幾jǐsmall table; how many; a few, some
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 惡èbad, evil, wicked; to hate, to loathe; f
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 人rénman, person; people
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 畏wèifear, dread, awe, reverence
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 荒huāngwasteland, desert; uncultivated
- 兮xīexclamatory particle
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 央yāngcentral; to beg; to run out
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 眾zhòngmultitude, crowd; masses, public
- 熙xībright, prosperous; splendid, glorious
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 享xiǎngto share; to enjoy; to benefit from
- 太tàivery, too much; big; extreme
- 牢láopen, prison, stable; fast, firm, secure
- 春chūnspringtime; joyful, lustful, wanton
- 登dēngto rise, to mount, to board, to climb
- 臺táiplatform; unit; term of address
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 獨dúalone, independent, only, single, solita
- 泊pōto anchor; to moor
- 兆zhàoomen; mega-, million
- 嬰yīngbaby, infant; to bother
- 兒érson, child
- 孩háibaby, child; children
- 儽léilazy; tired out, worn fatigued
- 歸guīto return, to go back; to return to, to
- 皆jiēall, every, everybody
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 餘yúsurplus, remainder, excess
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 遺yíto lose; a lost article
- 愚yústupid, foolish
- 心xīnheart; mind; soul
- 也yěalso, too
- 沌dùnchaotic, confused; murky, turbid
- 俗súsocial customs; vulgar, unrefined
- 昭zhāobright, luminous; clear, manifest
- 昏hūndusk, nightfall, twilight, dark; to fain
- 察cháto examine, to investigate, to observe
- 悶mèngloomy, depressed, melancholy
- 澹dàncalm, quiet, tranquil
- 海hǎisea, ocean; maritime
- 飂liùwind in high places
- 止zhǐto stop, to halt; to detain; to desist
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 頑wánstubborn, recalcitrant, obstinate
- 似shìresembling, similar to; as if, to seem
- 鄙bǐrustic, vulgar; to despise, to scorn
- 異yìdifferent, strange, unusual; foreign; su
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 貴guìexpensive, costly; valuable, precious
- 食shífood; to eat
- 母mǔmother; female elders; female
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Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.