第63章 · 原文
现代白话译文
以无为的态度去作为，以不生事的态度去处事，以淡泊无味当作味。不管大怨小怨，都以德来报答。谋划困难的事情要从容易的地方入手，做大事要从细微的地方入手；天下的难事一定从容易的地方做起，天下的大事一定从细微的地方做起。所以圣人始终不自以为大，所以能成就大事。轻易许诺必然信用不足，把事情看得太容易必然困难重重。所以圣人总是把事情看得困难，所以始终没有困难。
多版本对照
王弼注（魏晋）
以无为为居．以不言为教．以恬淡为味．治之极也．小怨则不足以报．大怨则天下之所欲诛．顺天下之所同者徳也．以圣人之才犹尚难于细易．况非圣人之才而欲忽于此乎．故曰犹难之也.
河上公注（汉）
为无为者，为无为之道也。事无事者，事无事之功也。
王夫之《老子衍》（明末清初）
憤興長養者，人之所見「大」也。恩怨酬酢者，人之所見「難」也。秋脫之葉，春之所榮；重雲之屯，雨之所消；非果為「大」而為「難」，審矣。道其猶水乎！微出於險，昌流非盈。盈，循末而見其盈，不知其始之有以持之也。如是，則聖人勞矣乎！而能不勞者，託於無也。無「大」則若「細」，無「易」則若「難」，保其無而無往不得。所難者，保無而已矣。
憨山德清《老子道德经解》（明）
此言道之為貴，誡人當勉力求之也。道者，萬物之奧。奧者，室之西南隅。有室必有奧。但人雖居其室，而不知奧之深邃。以譬道在萬物，施之日用尋常之間，人日用而不知，故如奧也。然道既在萬物，足知人性皆同。雖有善惡之差，而性未嘗異，以其俗習之偏耳。故善人得之以為寶。惡人雖失，亦賴此道保之以有生。故曰所保。苟非其道以保之，則同無情瓦石矣。足見理本同也，所謂堯舜與人同耳。由此觀之，天下豈有可棄之人耶。且一言之美，則可以市。市，利也。一行之尊，則可以加於人之上。況大道之貴，豈止一言之美，一行之尊。且人之全具而不欠缺一毫者，斯則不善之人，又何棄之有耶。故立天子，置三公，雖有拱璧以先駟馬，不如坐進此道，此古語也。老子解之曰，然天子三公，不足為尊貴。拱璧駟馬，不足為榮觀。總不如坐進此道。所以貴此道者，何耶。豈不曰，求道以得之，縱有罪亦可以免之耶。是知桀紂，天子也，不免其誅。四凶，三公也，不免其戮。非無拱璧駟馬，而竟不能免其罪。故夷齊諫武王而不兵，巢許傲天子而不譴，豈非求以得有罪以免耶。況夫一念復真，諸罪頓滅。苟求而得，立地超凡。故為天下貴也。
马王堆帛书异文（西汉）
为无为，事无事，味无未。大小多少，报怨以德。
郭店楚简异文（战国）
此章缺
English Translations / 英文译本
Act without acting, work without working, taste without tasting. Whether big or small, many or few, repay resentment with virtue. Plan for the difficult while it is easy. Handle the big while it is small. The world's difficult things must be done while easy. The world's big things must be done while small. Therefore the sage never attempts to be great, and thus can achieve greatness. Light promises lead to little trust. Many easy things lead to many difficulties. Therefore the sage treats things as difficult, and thus has no difficulty.
Act without acting, work without working, taste without tasting. Whether big or small, many or few, repay resentment with virtue. Plan for the difficult while it is easy. Handle the big while it is small. The world's difficult things must be done while easy. The world's big things must be done while small. Therefore the sage never attempts to be great, and thus can achieve greatness. Light promises lead to little trust. Many easy things lead to many difficulties. Therefore the sage treats things as difficult, and thus has no difficulty.
Act without acting, work without working, taste without tasting. Whether big or small, many or few, repay resentment with virtue. Plan for the difficult while it is easy. Handle the big while it is small. The world's difficult things must be done while easy. The world's big things must be done while small. Therefore the sage never attempts to be great, and thus can achieve greatness. Light promises lead to little trust. Many easy things lead to many difficulties. Therefore the sage treats things as difficult, and thus has no difficulty.