第41章 · 原文
现代白话译文
上士听了道，努力去实行；中士听了道，半信半疑；下士听了道，大笑之。不被嘲笑，就不足以成为道。所以古人有言说：光明的道好像暗昧；前进的道好像后退；平坦的道好像崎岖；崇高的德好像峡谷；广大的德好像不足；刚健的德好像怠惰；质朴的真好像变幻；最洁白的好像污黑；最大的方形没有棱角；最大的器皿最后完成；最大的声音听不到；最大的形象看不见；大道隐微无名。只有道，善于施予万物并且成就万物。
多版本对照
王弼注（魏晋）
有志也．建犹立也．光而不耀．后其身而身先．外其身而身存．颣土内也．大夷之道．因物之性．不执平以割物．其平不见．乃更反若颣土内也．不徳其徳．无所怀也．知其白守其黒．大自然后乃得．广徳不盈．廓然无形．不可满也．伦匹也．建徳者．因物自然．不立不施．故若伦匹．质眞者不矜其眞故若沦．方而不割故无隅也．大器成天下不持然别．故必晩成也．听之不闻名曰希．大音不可得闻之音也．有声则有分．有分则不宫而商矣．分则不能统众．故有声者非大也．有形则有分．有分者不温则凉不炎则寒．故象而形者非大象．凡此诸善皆此道之所成也．在象则为大象而大象无形．在音则为大音而大音希声．物以之成．而不见其成形．故隐而无名也．贷之非唯供其乏而已．一贷之则足以永终其徳．故曰善贷也．成之不如机匠之裁．无物而不济其形．故曰善成.
河上公注（汉）
上士闻道者，上士，上德之人也。勤而行之者，勤于行道也。中士闻道者，中德之人也。若存若亡者，似有似无也。
王夫之《老子衍》（明末清初）
有善貸者於此，則人將告貸焉，而彼非執物以賜之也。夫道，亦若是而已矣；然我未見物之告貸於道也。何也？物與道為體，而物即道也。物有來有往，有生有反，日飲於道，而究歸於未嘗或潤；日燭於道，而要反於未之有明。無潤無明，物之小成；不耀不流，道用自極。故欲勤，而莫致其力；欲行，而不見其功。蓋「昧」、「退」、「辱」、「偷」之名，非虛加之也。然而受之不辭者，且得不謂之上士乎？
憨山德清《老子道德经解》（明）
此言聖人不言之教，無心成化，故無不可教之人也。常者，一定不移之意。謂聖人之心，至虛無我。以至誠待物，曾無一定之心。但無百姓之心為心耳。以聖人復乎性善，而見人性皆善。故善者固已善之，即不善者亦以善遇之。彼雖不善，因我以善遇之。彼將因我之德所感，亦化之而為善矣。故曰德善。以聖人至誠待物，而見人性皆誠。故信者固已信之，即不信者亦以信待之。彼雖不信，因我以信遇之。彼將因我之德所感，亦化之而為信矣。故曰德信。以天下人心不古，日趨於澆薄。聖人處其厚而不處其薄，汲汲為天下渾厚其心。惵惵，猶汲汲也。百姓皆注其耳目者，謂注目而視，傾耳而聽，司其是非之昭昭。聖人示之以不識不知，無是無非，渾然不見有善惡之跡，一皆以淳厚之德而遇之，若嬰孩而已。故曰皆孩之。若以嬰孩待天下之人，則無一人可責其過者。聖人之心如此，所以不言而信，無為而化，則天下無不可教之人矣。
马王堆帛书异文（西汉）
上士闻道，勤能行之。中士闻道，若存若亡。下士闻道，大笑之。
郭店楚简异文（战国）
此章缺
English Translations / 英文译本
When a superior scholar hears the way, he diligently practices it. When a middling scholar hears the way, he seems to both keep and lose it. When an inferior scholar hears the way, he laughs at it. If he does not laugh, it is not the way. Therefore there are sayings: The illuminated way seems dark. The advancing way seems to retreat. The level way seems uneven. High virtue seems like a valley. Great purity seems shameful. Broad virtue seems insufficient. Established virtue seems deceitful. Great purity seems blemished. The great square has no corners. The great vessel is late in completion. The great sound is faint. The great image has no shape. The way is hidden and nameless. Only the way is good at lending and completing.
When a superior scholar hears the way, he diligently practices it. When a middling scholar hears the way, he seems to both keep and lose it. When an inferior scholar hears the way, he laughs at it. If he does not laugh, it is not the way. Therefore there are sayings: The illuminated way seems dark. The advancing way seems to retreat. The level way seems uneven. High virtue seems like a valley. Great purity seems shameful. Broad virtue seems insufficient. Established virtue seems deceitful. Great purity seems blemished. The great square has no corners. The great vessel is late in completion. The great sound is faint. The great image has no shape. The way is hidden and nameless. Only the way is good at lending and completing.
When a superior scholar hears the way, he diligently practices it. When a middling scholar hears the way, he seems to both keep and lose it. When an inferior scholar hears the way, he laughs at it. If he does not laugh, it is not the way. Therefore there are sayings: The illuminated way seems dark. The advancing way seems to retreat. The level way seems uneven. High virtue seems like a valley. Great purity seems shameful. Broad virtue seems insufficient. Established virtue seems deceitful. Great purity seems blemished. The great square has no corners. The great vessel is late in completion. The great sound is faint. The great image has no shape. The way is hidden and nameless. Only the way is good at lending and completing.