第76章 · 原文
现代白话译文
人活着的时候身体是柔软的，死后就变得僵硬。草木活着的时候是柔软脆弱的，死后就变得干枯坚硬。所以坚强的东西属于死亡的一类，柔弱的东西属于生存的一类。因此军队逞强就会被消灭，树木逞强就会被折断。强大的处于下位，柔弱的处于上位。
多版本对照
王弼注（魏晋）
强兵以暴于天下者物之所恶也．故必不得胜．物所加也．木之本也．枝条是也.
河上公注（汉）
人之生也柔弱者，人初生时，筋骨柔弱也。其死也坚强者，其死时，筋骨坚硬也。
王夫之《老子衍》（明末清初）
彊弱者，迹也。夫豈木之欲生，而故為柔脆哉？天液不至而糟粕存，於是而堅枯之形成矣。故堅彊者，有之積也；柔弱者，無之化也。無之化，而尚足以生，況其未有化者乎？不得已而用其化以為柔弱，以其去無之未遠也。夫無其強者，則柔者不凝，天下之所以厚樹其質也。而孰知凝之即為死之徒乎？質雖固其已有而不可無，而用天地之衝相升降，則豈唯處上者之柔弱也，即其處下者而與枯槁遠矣。
憨山德清《老子道德经解》（明）
此釋上章民不畏死之所以，教治天下者當以淡泊無欲為本也。凡厥有生，以食為命。故無君子莫治野人，無野人莫養君子，是則上下同一命根也。然在上之食，必取稅下民。一夫之耕，不足以養父母妻子。若取之有制，猶可免於飢寒。若取之太多，則奪民之食以自奉，使民不免於死亡。凡賊盜起於飢寒也。民既飢矣，求生不得，而必至於奸盜詐偽，無敢為之者。雖有大威，亦不畏之矣。是則民之為盜，由上有以驅之也。既驅民以致盜，然後用智術法以治之。故法令茲彰，盜賊多有，此民所以愈難治。雖有斧銳之誅，民將輕死而犯之矣。由是推之，民之輕死，良由在上求生之厚以致之，非別故也。厚，重也。此句影前當有一上字，方盡其妙。然重於求生，以但知生之可貴，而以養生為事，不知有生之主。苟知養生之主，則自不見有身之可愛，有生之可貴。欲自消而心自靜，天下治矣。所謂我無為而民自化，我好靜而民自正，我無事而民自富，我無欲而民自樸。故曰夫惟無以生為者，是賢於貴生。賢，猶勝也。此中妙處，難盡形容。當熟讀莊子養生主，馬蹄胠篋諸篇，便是注解。又當通前四章反復參玩，方見老子喫緊處。
马王堆帛书异文（西汉）
人之饥也，以其取食税之多也。民之轻死，以其求生之厚也，是以轻死。
郭店楚简异文（战国）
此章缺
English Translations / 英文译本
When people are born they are soft and weak. When they die they are hard and stiff. When plants are alive they are soft and fragile. When they die they are withered and dry. Therefore the hard and stiff are followers of death. The soft and weak are followers of life. Therefore if the army is strong, it will not win. If the tree is stiff, it will break. The strong and big are below, the soft and weak are above.
When people are born they are soft and weak. When they die they are hard and stiff. When plants are alive they are soft and fragile. When they die they are withered and dry. Therefore the hard and stiff are followers of death. The soft and weak are followers of life. Therefore if the army is strong, it will not win. If the tree is stiff, it will break. The strong and big are below, the soft and weak are above.
When people are born they are soft and weak. When they die they are hard and stiff. When plants are alive they are soft and fragile. When they die they are withered and dry. Therefore the hard and stiff are followers of death. The soft and weak are followers of life. Therefore if the army is strong, it will not win. If the tree is stiff, it will break. The strong and big are below, the soft and weak are above.