第二十八章
知雄守雌
原文知其雄，守其雌，为天下溪。为天下溪，常德不离。常德不离，复归于婴儿。知其白，守其黑，为天下式。为天下式，常德不忒。常德不忒，复归于无极。知其荣，守其辱，为天下谷。为天下谷，常德乃足。常德乃足，复归于朴。朴散则为器，圣人用之，则为官长，故大制不割。
英译Learn to Be a Stream in a Vale
As a man, he knows well what is strong,
but remains soft as a woman,
like a stream in the world.
Being a stream in the world,
he will not lose his eternal virtue.
If his eternal virtue is not lost,
it can restore to a state as simple as a baby.
He knows well what is bright,
but he is content with staying in the dark, and
he becomes a model in the world.
Being a model in the world,
he will not lose his eternal virtue
and can restore to the inexhaustible state.
He knows well what glory is,
but maintains a humiliating status,
like a vale in the world.
Being a vale in the world,
he has sufficient eternal virtue
and returns to the original state of simplicity.
The Simplicity is scattered
and turned into instruments,
while the one who follows the divine law makes use of them,
and becomes the ruler.
So a mature system will not quit those who are moral.
说明1、“知其雄，守其雌，为天下溪”的英译
四位译者对这句话的理解完全一致。Arthur Waley的译文是 He who knows the males, yet cleaves（stick fast） to what is female because like a ravine(deep, narrow valley), receiving all things under heaven. 可能是排版印刷问题，句子结构不完整。许渊冲的译文风格没有变化：Learn to be hard as man and remain soft as woman like a stream in the world.只是hard能否表达“雄”之意呢？我们译成了 As a man he knows well what is strong but remains soft as a woman, like a stream in the world.把strong与soft对应，比hard应该更合适。辜正坤的用词最男人（masculine）：Though knowing what is masculine, you are ready to play the role of female and content to be a stream in the world.
2、“朴散则为器，圣人用之，则为官长”的英译
“朴”，代表着抽象，“器”则反映了具体。我们对这句话的理解是：圣人善于把理论与实践相结合。所以，我们译成了The Simplicity is scattered and turned into instruments, while the one who follows the divine law makes use of them, and becomes the ruler. 辜正坤的解释与我们的理解一致：When Simplicity gets shattered and becomes materialized, the sage makes use of it to be the lord over other officials. 许渊冲的译文是Simplicity many be diversified into instruments. When a sage uses the instruments, he becomes the ruler. 说明英雄所见略同。然而，看看Arthur Waley的译文：Now when a block is sawed up it is made into implements; but when the Sage uses it, it becomes Chief of all Ministers. 姑且不论block这个词是否准确，it能变成chief of all ministers吗？
