第五十二章
天下有始
原文
英譯
The World Has a Beginning
Everything in the world has a beginning,
and this beginning serves as the root of all things in the world.
Now that you know the root, you can know everything.
If you grasp the root of everything,
you will avoid danger all your life.
Block the hole of lust and shut the door of desire
so that you will have not any trouble from birth to death.
If you open the hole of desire,
there will be more trouble,
and you will never be cured.
To be able to see the subtle is called "intelligent";
to be able to hold on to the weak is called "strong".
If you use its light to restore keen sight,
you will not endanger yourself.
This is the everlasting divine law.
說明
1、“母”與“子”的英譯
老子認為，天下萬物都有一個開始，而這個開始就是天地萬物的根源，就是所謂的道。是以，他把道比作生養萬物的母親，而把萬物比作道的孩子。許淵沖和Arthur Waley都直接譯成“mother”與“sons”，沒有點明真正含義。辜正坤譯成“the mother of all things”與“children(all things)”, 點出了“母”是“萬物之母”，“子”是“萬物”, 符合原意。我們則更進一步，意譯成“the root of all things in the world”與“all things”，更容易了解。
2、“塞其兌，閉其門，終身不勤”的英譯
“兌”在《易經》的八卦裡作“口”解；可解釋為口耳鼻，泛指與外界相通的器官。許淵沖采用了此意，把整句譯成“Dull（使鈍）your senses and shut their doors, you need not toil（辛苦工作） all your life.”。再看“勤”的解釋，其主要意思有“用力”、“勞苦”、“擔心、憂慮”等。Arthur Waley把“勤”了解為“用力”，整句譯成了“Block the passages（通道）, shut the doors, and till the end your strength shall not fail.”。辜正坤譯成“Block the openings (of knowledge), shut the door (of desires), and you will be free from illness all your life.”，把“勤”譯成“illness”，和其字意及原文都有出入。我們認為，“兌”引申為“孔穴”，老子的意思是 “欲望之兌”和“欲望之門”，而且，此處“勤”應是“憂慮、煩擾”之意。是以，我們譯成了“Block the hole of lust and shut the door of desire so that you will have not any trouble from birth to death.”，應該更符合老子的本意吧。
3、“見小曰明，守柔曰強”的英譯
此句話的意思是察看細小便可見大，這才叫明；守住柔弱便可克剛，這才叫強。此句是一個并列句，但Arthur Waley的譯文“A good sight means seeing what is very small, so strength means holding on to what is weak. ”是一個表示因果關系的句子，譯得不錯。許淵沖意譯成“Keen（敏銳的） sight can see the smallest thing; supple（靈活的）mind can resist the strongest force.”，基本符合原意。辜正坤譯成“To be able to perceive（感覺）the minute is called Discernment（洞察力）; to be able to play the role of the weak is called Strong”，覺得上半句很好，下半句一般。我們譯成：“To be able to see the subtle（微妙的）is called ‘intelligent’; to be able to hold on to the weak is called ‘strong’. ”, 句子結構對應，而且用詞簡單，便于了解。