第55章 · 原文
现代白话译文
含德深厚的人，就像初生的婴儿。毒虫不刺他，猛兽不伤害他，凶鸟不搏击他。筋骨柔弱而拳头握得牢固。不懂男女交合而生殖器勃起，这是精气充沛的极致。整天啼哭而嗓子不哑，这是元气和谐的极致。懂得和谐叫作常，懂得常叫作明。贪生纵欲就叫作妖祥。欲望支配精气叫作逞强。事物过于强壮就会走向衰老，这叫作不合乎道，不合乎道就会很快灭亡。
多版本对照
王弼注（魏晋）
赤子无求无欲不犯众物．故毒螫之物无犯于人也．含徳之厚者不犯于物．故无物以损其全也．以柔弱之故故握能周固．作长也．无物以损其身故能全长也．言含徳之厚者无物可以损其徳渝其眞．柔弱不争而不摧折．皆若此也．无争欲之心．故终日出声而不嗄也．物以和为常．故知和则得常也．不皦不昧不温不凉此常也．无形不可得而见．故曰知常曰明也．生不可益．益之则夭也．心宜无有使气则强.
河上公注（汉）
含德之厚者，谓含德深厚之人也。比于赤子者，比若初生赤子也。
王夫之《老子衍》（明末清初）
以一己受天下之無涯，不給矣。憂其不給，將奔心馳氣，內爭而外渝。然且立德以為德，吐為外景，而不知中之未有明也。含而比於赤子者，德不立德；德不立德，而取舍無跡；無跡則「和」。不立德以為德，則陰陽歸一，陰陽歸一則「精」。如是者，大富不資，大勁不折，而猶有「使氣」「益生」之患乎？故閉之戶牖，無有六合；守之酣寢，無有風雷；至人無涯之化，赤子無情之效也。
憨山德清《老子道德经解》（明）
此章教人遺形去欲，為入道之工夫，以造聖人無知之地也。凜然赫然而可畏者，謂之威。如云寒威，炎威，是也。是則凡可畏者，皆謂威。唯國之大罰，與天地之肅殺，乃大威也。此借以為戕生傷性者之喻。世人以為小惡不足戒，而不知畏，必致殺身而後已。此民不畏威，大威至矣。喻世人祇知嗜欲養生，而不知養生者，皆足以害生而可畏也。且若嗜酒色，必死於酒色。嗜利欲，必死於利欲。嗜飲食，必死於飲食。是則但有所嗜，而不知畏，必至於戕生傷性而後已。此不畏威，故大威至矣。然人但知嗜而不知畏者，以其止知有身之可愛，有生之可貴，以此為足。而不知大有過於此者，性也。且吾性之廣大，與太虛同體，乃吾之真宅也。苟以性視身，則若大海之一涵，太虛之一塵耳，至微小而不足貴者。人不知此，而但以蕞爾之身。以為所居之地。將為至足，而貴愛之，則狹陋甚矣。故戒之曰，無狹其所居。狹其居者，將以此身此生為至足也。故又戒之曰，無厭其所生。厭，足也。若知此身此生之不足貴，則彼物欲固能傷生，亦不足以害我矣，以其無死地也。故曰夫惟不厭，是以不厭。厭，棄也。故聖人自知尊性，而不見生之可養。自愛遺形，而不見身之可貴。此聖人之所獨知，世人之所不知也。故去彼眾人之所知，取彼所不知，以為道之要妙耳。以此足見世人之所知者，皆病也。聖人病之而不取，故不病也。後三章互相發明此章之旨。
马王堆帛书异文（西汉）
含德之厚者，比于赤子。蜂虿虺蛇不螫，攫鸟猛兽不搏。
郭店楚简异文（战国）
此章缺
English Translations / 英文译本
He who is rich in virtue is like a newborn. Poisonous insects do not sting him, wild beasts do not claw him, birds of prey do not strike him. His bones are weak, his tendons soft, but his grip is firm. He does not know the union of male and female, but his organ is aroused - this is the peak of essence. He can cry all day without becoming hoarse - this is the peak of harmony. Knowing harmony is called constant. Knowing constant is called enlightenment. To increase life is called auspicious. The mind controlling the qi is called strong. Things prosper then grow old - this is called not following the way. What does not follow the way will perish early.
He who is rich in virtue is like a newborn. Poisonous insects do not sting him, wild beasts do not claw him, birds of prey do not strike him. His bones are weak, his tendons soft, but his grip is firm. He does not know the union of male and female, but his organ is aroused - this is the peak of essence. He can cry all day without becoming hoarse - this is the peak of harmony. Knowing harmony is called constant. Knowing constant is called enlightenment. To increase life is called auspicious. The mind controlling the qi is called strong. Things prosper then grow old - this is called not following the way. What does not follow the way will perish early.
He who is rich in virtue is like a newborn. Poisonous insects do not sting him, wild beasts do not claw him, birds of prey do not strike him. His bones are weak, his tendons soft, but his grip is firm. He does not know the union of male and female, but his organ is aroused - this is the peak of essence. He can cry all day without becoming hoarse - this is the peak of harmony. Knowing harmony is called constant. Knowing constant is called enlightenment. To increase life is called auspicious. The mind controlling the qi is called strong. Things prosper then grow old - this is called not following the way. What does not follow the way will perish early.