第三十章
物壮则老
原文以道佐人主者，不以兵强天下。其事好还。师之所处，荆棘生焉。大军之后，必有凶年。善者果而已，不敢以取强。果而勿矜，果而勿伐，果而勿骄。果而不得已，果而勿强。物壮则老，是谓不道，不道早已。
英译The Prime Is Followed by Decline
Those who assist the ruler
in accordance with the divine law
should not overexert themselves with their troops.
Militarism is bound to get paid back.
Where the army goes,
there are thorns,
and after a big war,
there is bound to be a year of famine.
For people who are good at using troops,
it is enough to achieve the goal,
and they will not be aggressive
in spite of their great strength.
When you have achieved your goal,
do not think that you are virtuous;
when you have achieved your goal,
do not boast about yourself;
when you have achieved your goal,
do not be proud of yourself.
Just think that war is but a necessity and do not show off.
even if you have succeeded.
If something is too powerful, it will decay,
which shows that it does not conform to the divine law.
Whatever goes against the divine law will die soon.
说明1、“果”的英译
“果”，成功、达到目的之意。各位译者理解基本一致。许渊冲把“果”看做名词，译成了“good results（结果）”；辜正坤理解为“取得战争的胜利”，译成“win the war”；Arthur Waley译成了“fulfill （达到）his purpose”，我们则译成了“achieve your goal”或“succeed”，更便于理解。
2、“果而不得已”的英译
对于此句，辜正坤的译文是“Win the war but do know it is out necessity ”； Arthur Waley的译文是“Fulfill his purpose, but only as a step that could not be avoided.”； 许渊冲则是和“果而勿强”合译成一句“Good results are something unavoidable, not achieved by force.”。
“不得已”意思是无可奈何，不能不如此。辜正坤把“不得已”译为“it is out of necessity”，同时还用了“do +v”强调句式，符合此意。许渊冲和Arthur Waley则分别译成了“something unavoidable”和“but only as a step that could not be avoided”；强调客观“不可避免（unavoidable）”。我们认为，老子的着重点在“即使违背本意也还必须去做”，所以，我们把此句和“果而勿强”合译成 “Just think that war is but a necessity and do not show off,even if you have succeeded. ”。
3、“勿强”的英译
对这个词的理解，我们与其他三位译者略有区别。辜正坤译成 “do not thereby bully and conquer other countries.”; Arthur Waley译成“but without violence”；许渊冲译成“not achieved by force”。我们的理解稍微不同，认为“强”在此处的意思是“逞强、显摆”，所以我们译成了“do not show off”。
4、“物壮则老”的英译
许渊冲直截了当，译成简单句式“The prime is followed by decline”;辜正坤译成“Whatever is in its prime is bound to decline”;Waley译成“What has a time of vigour also has a time of decay”。两者都用了“whatever”、“what”引导的主语从句；我们则用了“if”引导的条件状语从句，译成“If something is too powerful, it will decay”，各有千秋吧。
