第六十八章
不争之德
原文
英译The Virtue of Non-contention
Generals who are good at leading troops
do not show their courage easily;
those who are good at fighting
do not get angry easily;
those who are good at defeating the enemy
do not give them any chance;
and those who are good at employing people
show humility to them.
This is called the virtue of non-contention,
or the ability of employing others,
which is in accordance with nature,
and it is the best way for ancient sages to settle conflicts.
说明1.“善为士者，不武”的英译
许渊冲将“善为士者，不武”译作“A good warrior is not violent”，即“一个好的武士不好暴力”。辜正坤译作“He who is good at being a commander does not display his bravery.”，即“一个擅长做将领的人不逞勇。”。Arthur Waley译作“The best charioteers do not rush ahead”，即“最好的战车驾驭者并不冲在前头”。我们将该句译作“Generals who are good at leading troops do not show their courage easily;”即“善于带兵打仗的将帅，不逞其勇武”。由以上译本可见，译者对这句话的理解不同，英语译文遣词造句也大不相同。
2.“善胜敌者，不与”的英译
许渊冲将“善胜敌者，不与”译作“a good victor will not yield.”，即“胜利者不屈服”。辜正坤译作“He who is good at defeating his enemy does not brace himself for a tough battle.”，即“擅长制敌的人不打无胜算之战”。Arthur Waley译作“The greatest conqueror wins without joining issue”，即“伟大的征服者未动刀剑即能取胜”。本书译作“those who are good at defeating the enemy do not give them any chance;”，即“善于胜敌的人，不给敌人任何机会”。由此可见，不同译本最大的分歧在于对“不与”意义的不同理解
