第三十九章

下为高基

昔之得一者，天得一以清；地得一以宁；神得一以灵；谷得一以盈，万物得一以生；侯王得一以为天下正。其致之也，谓天无以清，将恐裂；地无以宁，将恐废；神无以灵，将恐歇；谷无以盈，将恐竭；万物无以生，将恐灭；侯王无以正，将恐蹶。故贵以贱为本，高以下为基。是以候王自称孤、寡、不谷。此非以贱为本邪？非乎？故至誉无誉。是故不欲琭琭如玉，珞珞如石。

The High Is Based on the Low

Some creatures used to get the divine law:

heaven has got the divine law,

so it’s clear;

earth has got the divine law,

so it’s quiet;

God has got the divine law and it works;

the valley has got the divine law and it is full;

all things have got the divine law and they grow;

the ruler has got the divine law and he becomes the leader of the world.

In other words,

if heaven is not clear, it will break apart;

if earth is not tranquil, it will be destroyed;

if people cannot maintain their spirituality, they will be wiped out;

if the valleys cannot keep running water, they will dry up;

if all things cannot keep growing, they will perish;

if the ruler cannot maintain his position as the leader of the world,

he will probably be overthrown.

Therefore, the noble depends on the humble,

and the high is based on the low,

so the rulers call themselves "the sole", "the few" and "the barren".

They regard the humble as their base, don’t they?

So the highest honor has no need for praise.

I do not want my reputation to be as beautiful as a glittering jade,

nor as humble as a stone.

1、“孤、寡、不谷”的英译

“孤”、“寡”、“不谷”是先秦君王的自谦之词，含义十分接近。“孤”的本意是“失去父亲的孤儿”。君王自称为“孤”，即意味着自己是失去父亲，无人庇护的孤儿。“寡”也有类似的含义。“不谷”即为“无人养育的孩子”。为何无人养育？自然是因为失去了父母。四位译者的理解基本一致，但表达各不相同。辜正坤译成“the solitary（孤独的）”、“the few”、“the unkind”；许渊冲则把这三个词合译成 “sole(唯一的) and unworthy”；Arthur Waley 译成 “the Orphan”、“the Needy”、 “the Ill-provided”；我们译成了“ the sole” 、“the few” 、“the barren”。自汉代以来，学者们多从伦理角度解释这三个谦称，以为“孤”、“寡”都是“少”的意思，意味着君王“少德”，又以“谷”为“善”，以“不谷”为“不善”。这可以从各位译者的译词中窥见一斑。

2、“故至誉无誉”的英译

此句的意思是“所以，最高的荣誉是无须去夸赞称誉的”。许渊冲译成 “Therefore, too much honor amounts to(相当于) no honor.”;辜正坤译成“Hence the highest honor does not need honoring.”；两者的意思基本和此句相吻合。只是Arthur Waley译成“ True indeed are the sayings: Enumerate the parts of a carriage, and you still have not explained what a carriage is”，令人费解，不得其意。我们译成 “So the highest honor has no need for praise.”，通俗易懂。

3、“不欲琭琭如玉，珞珞如石”的英译

对于此句的含义，各位译者存在不同的理解。Arthur Waley译成“They did not want themselves to tinkle like jade-bells(玉铃), while others resounded like stone chimes（石钟）”, 看来对“琭琭如玉，珞珞如石”的理解有偏差。辜正坤译成“It is better, therefore, to be a hard stone than a beautiful piece of jade”，其意应该是“不应追求美玉般的尊贵华丽，而应像石头那样朴质坚忍、不张扬”。许渊冲译成 “We should have no desire for glittering jade nor for tinkling stone.”, 把“欲”翻译为“desire”。我们赞同许渊冲的翻译，但我们把此句理解为“既不愿意自己的声誉美好得像宝玉，也不愿意声誉鄙陋得像顽石”，所以，我们译成了“I do not want my reputation to be as beautiful as a glittering jade, nor as humble as a stone”。