#Click on a sentence 1 2 3 4 Chapter 28 Chapter 30 Back to index #

Ch. 29	Sentence 2
Beck	The world is a sacred vessel, not to be tampered with. Those who tamper with it, spoil it. Those who seize it, lose it.
Blackney	For the world is a sacred vessel Not made to be altered by man. The tinker will spoil it; Usurpers will lose it.
Bynner	The earth is like a vessel so sacred That at the mere approach of the profane It is marred And when they reach out their fingers it is gone.
Byrn	The world is sacred vessel and it can not be controlled. You will only it make it worse if you try. It may slip through your fingers and disappear.
Chan	The empire is a spiritual thing, and should not be acted on. He who acts on it harms it. He who holds on to it loses it.
Cleary	The most sublime instrument in the world cannot be contrived. Those who contrive spoil it; those who cling lose it.
Crowley	A Kingdom is of the nature of spirit, and yields not to activity. He who grasps it, destroys it; he who gains it, loses it.
Hansen	The social world is an energized artifact. It is not the case that it can be deemed. Those who deem-act crush it. Those who grasp lose it.
LaFargue	The world is a spirit-thing, it can't be 'worked' on. One who works ruins one who grasps loses.
Legge	The kingdom is a spirit-like thing, and cannot be got by active doing. He who would so win it destroys it; he who would hold it in his grasp loses it.
Lindauer	The world, a spirited tool, cannot act either.Those who act are spoiling Those who take hold of are losing.
LinYutan	(For) the world is God's own Vessel It cannot be made (by human interference). He who makes it spoils it. He who holds it loses it.
Mabry	You see, the World is sacred. It can't be improved upon. If you try you will ruin it. If you try to own it, You will lose it.
McDonald	For that which is under heaven is like a holy vessel, dangerous to tamper with. Those that tamper with it, harm it. Human go-between is likely to fail. Those that grab at it lose it. Who makes can spoil well; who holds can lose.
Merel	The world is shaped by the Way; It cannot be shaped by the self. Trying to change it, you damage it; Trying to possess it, you lose it.
Mitchell	The world is sacred. It can't be improved. If you tamper with it, you'll ruin it. If you treat it like an object, you'll lose it.
Muller	The world is a spiritual vessel, which can't be controlled. Manipulators mess things up. Grabbers lose it.
Red Pine	the world is a spiritual thing it can't be forced to force it is to harm it to control it is to lose it
Ta-Kao	For the world is a divine vessel: It cannot be shaped; Nor can it be insisted upon. He who shapes it damages it; He who insists upon it loses it.
Walker	The world is a vessel for spirit, and it wasn't made to be manipulated. Tamper with it and you'll spoil it. Hold it, and you'll lose it.
Wieger	The empire is a mechanism of extreme delicacy. It should be let go all alone. It should not be touched. He who touches it, deranges it. He who wishes to appropriate it, loses it.
World	The world is a manifestation of change and cannot be controlled. If you try to control it, you will end up deceiving yourself. If you treat it like an object, it will overwhelm you
Wu	The world is a sacred vessel, which must not be tampered with or grabbed after. To tamper with it is to spoil it, and to grasp it is to lose it.

Ch. 29	Sentence 3
Beck	Some lead, and some follow. Some blow hot, and some blow cold. Some are strong, and some are weak. Some are up, and some are down.
Blackney	For indeed there are things That must move ahead, While others must lag; And some that feel hot, While others feel cold; And some that are strong, While others are weak; And vigorous ones, While others worn out.
Bynner	For a time in the world some force themselves ahead And some are left behind, For a time in the world some make a great noise And some are held silent, For a time in the world some are puffed fat And some are kept hungry, For a time in the world some push aboard And some are tipped out:
Byrn	Some are meant to lead, and others are meant to follow; Some must always strain, and others have an easy time; Some are naturally big and strong, and others will always be small; Some will be protected and nurtured, and others will meet with destruction.
Chan	Among creatures some lead and some follow. Some blow hot and some blow cold. Some are strong and some are weak. Some may break and some may fall.
Cleary	So creatures sometimes go and sometimes follow, sometimes puff and sometimes blow, are sometimes strong and sometimes weak, begin sometime and end sometime;
Crowley	The wheel of nature revolves constantly; the last becomes the first, and the first last; hot things grow cold, and cold things hot; weakness overcomes strength; things gained are lost anon.
Hansen	Hence, among natural kinds sometimes act, sometimes conform. sometimes snort sometimes blow. sometimes be strong sometimes weak. sometimes control sometimes destroy.
LaFargue	Yes, things: Sometimes they will go ahead, sometimes follow after sometimes they will be snorting wildly sometimes breathing easily sometimes they will be strong, sometimes weak sometimes they will break, sometimes destroy.
Legge	The course and nature of things is such that What was in front is now behind; What warmed anon we freezing find. Strength is of weakness oft the spoil; The store in ruins mocks our toil.
Lindauer	So of things Some lead and some follow Some gust and some puff lightly Some are strong and some thin Some support and some destroy.
LinYutan	For: Some things go forward, Some things follow behind; some blow hot, And some blow cold; Some are strong, And some are weak; Some may break, And some may fall.
Mabry	Therefore, sometimes you must lead and sometime you must follow. Sometimes you need to blow hard, and sometimes you can breathe easily. Sometime you must be strong and sometimes tender. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
McDonald	Among creatures of this world some lead and some follow. Some things go forward among creatures: some go in front, some follow behind - Some blow out, some blow in; some blow out while others would blow in. Some are feeling vigorous just when others are worn out. Some are strong, some are weak. Some are loading just when others would be tilting out. Some can break, some can fall.
Merel	So some will lead, while others follow. Some will be warm, others cold Some will be strong, others weak. Some will get where they are going While others fall by the side of the road.
Mitchell	There is a time for being ahead, a time for being behind; a time for being in motion, a time for being at rest; a time for being vigorous, a time for being exhausted; a time for being safe, a time for being in danger.
Muller	Therefore: Sometimes you lead Sometimes you follow Sometimes you are stifled Sometimes you breathe easy Sometimes you are strong Sometimes you are weak Sometimes you destroy And sometimes you are destroyed.
Red Pine	sometimes things lead sometimes they follow sometimes blow hot sometimes blow cold sometimes expand sometimes collapse
Ta-Kao	Therefore the Sage does not shape it, so he does not damage it; 'He does not insist upon it, so be does not lose it. 'For, among all things, some go ahead, while others lag behind; Some keep their mouth shut, while others give forth puffs; Some are strong, while others are weak; Some are on the cart, while others fall off.
Walker	With Tao, sometimes you move ahead and sometimes you stay back; Sometimes you work hard and sometimes you rest; Sometimes you're strong and sometimes you're weak; Sometimes you're up; sometimes you're down.
Wieger	When he governs, the Sage lets all people (and their sum, the empire) go free according to their several natures, the agile and the slow, the ardent and the apathetic, the strong and the weak, the long-lived and the short-lived.
World	The world is a manifestation of change; sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, sometimes dynamic, sometimes static, sometimes vigorous, sometimes feeble, sometimes manifesting, sometimes disintegrating.
Wu	In fact, for all things there is a time for going ahead, and a time for following behind; A time for slow-breathing and a time for fast-breathing; A time to grow in strength and a time to decay; A time to be up and a time to be down.

Ch. 29	Sentence 4
Beck	Therefore the wise avoid excess, extravagance, and pride.
Blackney	So the Wise Man discards Extreme inclinations To make sweeping judgements, Or to a life of excess.
Bynner	At no time in the world will a man who is sane Over-reach himself, Over-spend himself, Over-rate himself.
Byrn	The Master accepts things as they are, and out of compassion avoids extravagance, excess and the extremes.
Chan	Therefore the sage discards the extremes, the extravagant, and the excessive.
Cleary	Therefore sages remove extremes, remove extravagance, remove arrogance.
Crowley	Hence the wise man avoids effort, desire, and sloth.
Hansen	Using this: Sages abandon superlatives, abandon extravagance, abandon expansiveness.
LaFargue	And so the Wise Person: Avoids excess, avoids extravagance, avoids being grandiose.
Legge	Hence the sage puts away excessive effort, extravagance, and easy indulgence.
Lindauer	Appropriately it happens that sages are Apart from extremes Apart from extravagance Apart from excess.
LinYutan	Hence the Sage eschews excess, eschews extravagance, Eschews pride.
Mabry	Knowing this, the Sage avoids extremes, extravagances and exhaustions.
McDonald	So the wise man discards excess, extravagance, and ridiculous pride: He discards even the absolute, the all-inclusive, the extreme.
Merel	So the sage will be neither extravagant nor violent.
Mitchell	The Master sees things as they are, without trying to control them. She lets them go their own way, and resides at the centre of the circle.
Muller	Hence, the sage shuns excess Shuns grandiosity Shuns arrogance.
Red Pine	therefore the sage avoids extremes avoids extravagance avoids excess
Ta-Kao	Therefore the Sage avoids excess, extravagance and indulgence.
Walker	The sage remains sensitive, avoiding extremes, avoiding extravagance, avoiding excess.
Wieger	He limits his action to the suppression of excesses which would harm the whole, such as power, wealth, and ambition.
World	Therefore, refuse to distinguish excesses and extremes. See only oneness. Flow with Infinity and exist in peace and harmony
Wu	Therefore, the Sage avoids all extremes, excesses and extravagances.