第20章 · 原文
现代白话译文
应诺和呵斥，相差有多远？美好和丑恶，相差有多远？别人所畏惧的，我也不能不畏惧。这风气从远古以来就是如此，好像没有尽头的样子！众人都兴高采烈，好像去参加盛大的宴席，好像春天登台眺望美景。而我却独自淡泊宁静，无动于衷；混混沌沌，好像还不会笑的婴儿；疲惫懒散，好像无家可归。众人都有余裕，而我却好像不足。我真是只有一颗愚人的心啊！众人都光辉自炫，唯独我昏昏糊糊；众人都严厉苛刻，唯独我淳朴宽宏。恍惚啊，像大海汹涌；飘逸啊，像无处停留。众人都精明灵巧，唯独我愚昧笨拙。我唯独与人不同，而重视用道来滋养自己。
多版本对照
王弼注（魏晋）
下篇云．为学者日益．为道者日损．然则学求益所能．而进其智者也．若将无欲而足．何求于益．不知而中．何求于进．夫燕雀有匹．鸠鸽有仇．寒郷之民．必知旃裘．自然已足．益之则忧．故续凫之足．何异截鹤之胫．畏誉而进．何异畏刑．唯诃美恶．相去何若．故人之所畏．吾亦畏焉．未敢恃之以为用也．叹与俗相反之远也．众人迷于美进．惑于荣利．欲进心竞．故煕煕如享太牢．如春登台也．言我廓然无形之可名．无兆之可举．如婴儿之未能孩也．若无所宅．众人无不有怀有志．盈溢胸心．故曰皆有余也．我独廓然无为无欲．若遗失之也．絶愚之人．心无所别析．意无所美恶．犹然其情不可覩．我颓然若此也．无所别析．不可为名．耀其光也．分别别析也．情不可覩．无所繋以用也．皆欲有所施用也．无所欲为．闷闷昏昏．若无所识．故曰顽且鄙也．食母生之本也．人皆弃生民之本．贵末饰之华．故曰我独欲异于人.
河上公注（汉）
唯之与阿者，唯，恭也；阿，怒也。相去几何？善恶之行，相去远也。人之所畏者，人当畏天威，不可不畏也。
王夫之《老子衍》（明末清初）
善惡相傾，繇學而起，故效仁者失智，效智者失仁。既爭歧之，又強合之，方且以為免於憂，而孰知一彼一此者之相去不遠也？則揖讓亦唯，而征伐亦阿也。憒各封之，取快一區；故飫於大牢，不饗他味；厭於春遊，不願他觀。口目之用一，而所善者萬；心一，而口目之用萬；安能役役以奔其趣舍哉，其唯食於母乎！食於母者，不得已而有食，而未嘗有所不得已也。故荒未央者可盡，而頑鄙可居。雖然，其所食者虛也，因也。天下畏不仁，而我不敢暴；天下畏不智，而我不敢迷。以雪遁者，唯恐以跡；以棘行者，唯恐以罥。蟺婉輕微，而後學可絕；學可絕，而後生不損而物不傷。
憨山德清《老子道德经解》（明）
此承前二章言聖智之為害，不但不可用，且亦不可學也。然世俗無智之人，要學智巧仁義之事。既學於己，將行其志。則勞神焦思，汲汲功利，盡力於智巧之間。故曰巧者勞而智者憂。無知者又何所求。是則有學則有憂，絕學則無憂矣。然聖人雖絕學，非是無智。但智包天地而不用。順物忘懷，澹然無欲，故無憂。世人無智而好用。逐物忘道，汨汨於欲，故多憂耳。斯則憂與無憂，端在用智不用智之間而已。相去不遠，譬夫唯之與阿，皆應人之聲也，相去能幾何哉，以唯敬而阿慢。憂與無憂，皆應物之心也，而聖凡相隔，善惡相反，果何如哉。此所謂差之毫釐，失之千里也。老子言及至此，恐世俗將謂絕學，便是瞢然無知。故曉之曰，然雖聖人絕學，不是瞢然無知，其實未嘗不學也。但世俗以增長知見，日益智巧，馳騁物欲以為學。聖人以泯絕知見，忘情去智，遠物離欲以為學耳。且夫聲色貨利，皆傷生害道之物，世人應當可畏者。我則不可不畏懼而遠之。故曰人之所畏，不可不畏。苟不知畏，汨沒於此，荒淫無度，其害非細。故曰荒兮其未央哉。央，盡也。由是觀之，世人以增益知見為學。聖人以損情絕欲為學。所謂為學日益，為道日損，損之又損，以至於無為耳。眾人忘道逐物，故汨汨於物欲之間。酷嗜無厭，熙熙然如享太牢之味，以為至美。方且榮觀不休，如登春臺之望，以為至樂。老子謂我獨離物向道，泊於物欲未萌之前，不識不知，超然無欲。故曰我獨泊兮其未兆，若嬰兒之未孩。兆，念之初萌也。嬰兒，乃無心識愛惡之譬。孩，猶骸骨之骸。未骸，所謂骨弱筋柔。乃至柔之譬。眾人見物可欲，故其心執著而不捨。老子謂我心無欲，了無繫累。泛然應物，虛心遊世，若不繫之舟。故曰乘乘兮若無所歸。乘乘，猶泛泛也。眾人智巧多方，貪得無厭，故曰有餘。我獨忘形去智，故曰若遺。遺，猶忘失也。然我無知無我，豈真愚人之心也哉。但只渾渾沌沌，不與物辨，如此而已。故俗人昭昭，而我獨昏昏。昭昭，謂智巧現於外也。俗人察察，而我獨悶悶。察察，即俗謂分星擘兩，絲毫不饒人之意。昏昏悶悶，皆無知貌。我心如此，澹然虛明，若海之空闊不可涯量。颼然無著，若長風之御太虛。眾人皆自恃聰明知見，各有所以。以，猶自恃也。我獨無知無欲，頑而且鄙，亦似庸常之人而已。然我所以獨異於人者，但貴求食於母耳。凡能生物者，謂之母。所生者，謂之子。且此母字，不可作有名萬物之母的母字。此指虛無大道，能生天地萬物，是以道為母，而物為子。食，乃嗜好之意。眾人背道逐物，如棄母求食於子。聖人忘物體道，故獨求食於母。此正絕學之學。聖人如此，所以憂患不能入也。前章絕聖棄智，乃無用之用。此章絕學無憂，乃無學之學。後章孔德之容一章，乃無形名之形名耳。
马王堆帛书异文（西汉）
唯与诃，其相去几何？美与恶，其相去何若？
郭店楚简异文（战国）
唯与呵，其相去几何？美与恶，其相去何若？
English Translations / 英文译本
To agree and to disagree amount to the same thing. To be good and to be bad amount to the same thing. What others fear, I cannot help fearing. The wilderness is vast, without end! The people are merry, as if partaking of a sacrificial feast, as if ascending a terrace in spring. I alone am tranquil and have not yet given signs, like an infant who has not yet smiled. I am alone and listless, as if I had no home to return to. The people all have surplus, while I alone seem lacking. I have the mind of a fool, how confused! Ordinary people are bright and clear, I alone am dull and muddled. Ordinary people are sharp and keen, I alone am blunt and obscure. How calm and peaceful, like the sea! How vast and boundless, like the wind! The people all have purposes, while I alone appear stubborn and rustic. I alone differ from others and value the mother that nourishes.
Agreement and disagreement differ little. Good and bad differ little. What others fear, I cannot help but fear. The wilderness is vast and endless! The people are merry, as if enjoying a sacrificial feast, as if climbing a terrace in spring. I alone am tranquil and have not yet given signs, like an infant who has not yet smiled. I am alone and listless, as if I have no home to return to. The people all have surplus, while I alone seem lacking. I have the mind of a fool, how confused! Ordinary people are bright and clear, I alone am dull and muddled. Ordinary people are sharp and keen, I alone am blunt and obscure. How calm and peaceful, like the sea! How vast and boundless, like the wind! The people all have purposes, while I alone appear stubborn and rustic. I alone differ from others and value the mother that nourishes.
Agreeing and disagreeing are close. Good and bad are close. What others fear, I cannot help but fear. So vast, it has no end. The people are merry, as if enjoying a feast, as if climbing a terrace in spring. I alone am calm, like an infant who has not yet smiled. I alone am wandering, like one with no home to return to. The people all have enough, I alone seem lacking. I have the mind of a fool, how confused. Ordinary people are bright, I alone am dim. Ordinary people are sharp, I alone am dull. Calm like the sea, drifting like the wind. The people all have purpose, I alone seem stubborn and rustic. I alone differ from others, and value the mother that nourishes.