45𝌲洪德

道德經 Dao De Jing [Tao Te Ching]

Chapter 45: Great or Overflowing Virtue

	繁體 Trad ↔ 简体 Simp	Legge's Translation	Susuki's Translation	Goddard's Translation
	洪德	Great or Overflowing Virtue	Greatest Virtue	The Virtue (de) of Greatness
1	大成若缺，其用不弊。大盈若沖，其用不窮。	Who thinks his great achievements poor Shall find his vigour long endure. Of greatest fulness, deemed a void, Exhaustion ne'er shall stem the tide.	"Greatest perfection imperfect will be, But its work ne'er waneth. Greatest fullness is vacuity, Its work unexhausted remaineth."	Extreme perfection seems imperfect, its function is not exhausted. Extreme fullness appears empty, its function is not exercised.
2	大直若屈，大巧若拙，大辯若訥。	Do thou what's straight still crooked deem; Thy greatest art still stupid seem, And eloquence a stammering scream.	"Straightest lines resemble curves; Greatest skill like a tyro serves; Greatest eloquence stammers and swerves."	Extreme straightness appears crooked; great skill, clumsy; great eloquence, stammering.
3	靜勝躁，寒勝熱。清靜為天下正。	Constant action overcomes cold; being still overcomes heat. Purity and stillness give the correct law to all under heaven.	Motion conquers cold. Quietude conquers heat. Purity and clearness are the world's standard.	Motion conquers cold, quietude conquers heat. Not greatness but purity and clearness are the world's standard.

繁體 Trad ↔ 简体 Simp

Legge's Translation

Susuki's Translation

Goddard's Translation

洪德

Great or Overflowing Virtue

Greatest Virtue

The Virtue (de) of Greatness

大成若缺，其用不弊。大盈若沖，其用不窮。

Who thinks his great achievements poor
Shall find his vigour long endure.
Of greatest fulness, deemed a void,
Exhaustion ne'er shall stem the tide.

"Greatest perfection imperfect will be,
But its work ne'er waneth.
Greatest fullness is vacuity,
Its work unexhausted remaineth."

Extreme perfection seems imperfect, its function is not exhausted. Extreme fullness appears empty, its function is not exercised.

大直若屈，大巧若拙，大辯若訥。

Do thou what's straight still crooked deem; Thy greatest art still stupid seem,
And eloquence a stammering scream.

"Straightest lines resemble curves; Greatest skill like a tyro serves;
Greatest eloquence stammers and swerves."

Extreme straightness appears crooked; great skill, clumsy; great eloquence, stammering.

靜勝躁，寒勝熱。清靜為天下正。

Constant action overcomes cold; being still overcomes heat. Purity and stillness give the correct law to all under heaven.

Motion conquers cold. Quietude conquers heat. Purity and clearness are the world's standard.

Motion conquers cold, quietude conquers heat. Not greatness but purity and clearness are the world's standard.