the　tree　that　cannot　bend　will　snap！
  The　unyielding　and　mighty　will　be　brought　low；
  the　soft；　supple　and　delicate　will　rise　above　them。
  77
  The　Path　of　Heaven　is　like　bending　a　bow…
  the　upper　part　is　pressed　down；
  the　lower　part　is　raised　up；
  the　part　which　has　much　is　reduced；
  the　part　that　has　little　is　increased。
  Therefore；　the　Path　of　Heaven
  reduced　surplus　to　make　up　for　scarcity；
  the　way　of　mankind's　Ego
  reduces　scarcity　and　pays　tribute　to　surplus！
  Who　is　there　who　can　have　a　surplus
  and　take　from　it　to　pay　tribute　to　Heaven？
  Surely；　only　one　who　is　on　the　Path。
  For　this　reason；　Sages　transact；　but　do　not　hoard；
  complete　their　work　but　do　not　dwell　upon　it。
  In　this　way；　they　have　no　desire　to　display　their　'worth。'
  78
  Nothing　under　heaven　is　gentler　or　weaker　than　water；
  and　yet　nothing　is　better　at　cutting…through　what　is　hard　and　strong；
  because　it　is　relentless。
  This　defeat　of　the　hard　by　the　soft；　the　strong　by　the　weak…
  this　is　known　to　everyone　in　the　world；
  yet　nobody　actually　practices　it。
  Therefore　Sages　say：
  〃One　who　bears　abuse　directed　against　the　state
  is　called　'Lord　of　the　altars　of　the　gods　of　soil　and　grain；'
  One　who　bears　the　misfortunes　of　the　state
  is　called　the　'King　of　all　under　Heaven。'
  True　words　SEEM　contradictory！
  79
  Compromise　with　great　resentment
  will　surely　yield　resentment　that　lingers。
  How　can　that　be　called　'good？'
  Thus；　Sages　hold　the　debtor's　side　of　contracts
  and　do　not　make　claims　upon　others。
  Thus　the　person　of　DEI　attends　to　their　debts；
  the　person　without　DEI…ty　attends　to　their　interest…ledgers。
  The　way　of　Heaven　IS　impartial；
  yet　is　ALWAYS　on　the　side　of　the　well…meaning。
  80
  Let　there　be　a　small　state　with　few　people　in　it；
  where　military　weapons　get　no　use；
  let　the　people　view　solemnly　the　idea　of　death
  and　they　will　banish　the　thought　of　ever　moving　away：
  They　may　have　carts　and　boats
  but　there　will　be　no　NEED　to　ride　in　them；
  they　may　have　armor　and　weapons
  but　they　will　never　NEED　to　display　them。
  Let　the　people　go　back　to　tying　knots　for　record…keeping；
  let　their　food　be　savory；
  their　clothing　beautiful；
  their　customs　pleasurable；
  their　homes　secure。
  Though　they　may　gaze　across　at　a　neighbor's　holdings
  and　hear　the　sounds　of　it's　dogs　and　chickens；
  they　will　not　bother　them；　coming　and　going。
  They　will　die　of　happy　old　age。
  81
  Sincere　words　are　not　'elegant。'？Elegance　of　speech　is　insincere。
  One　who　knows　is　not　'learned；'　Learnedness　is　not　knowledge。
  One　who　is　'good'　does　not　have　much；？Possessions　are　not　virtue。
  Sages　do　not　hoard。
  The　more　they　do　for　others；
  the　more　they　have；　themselves；
  the　more　they　give　to　others；
  the　more　their　own　bounty　is　increased。
  Thus　the　Path　of　DEI…ty　benefits　without　harming；
  the　way　of　ego　'acts'　but　without　effect。
  English_Wieger_TTK
  Das　Tao　Te　King　von　Lao　Tse
  French　（　Wieger；　1913）　…　English　by
  Derek　Bryce；　1999
  1
  The　principle　that　can　be　enunciated　is　not　the　one　that　always　was。　The　being　that　can　be　named　is　not　the　one　that　was　at　all　times。
  Before　time　there　was　an　ineffable；　unnameable　being。　When　it　was　still　unnameable；　it　conceived　heaven　and　earth。　When　it　had　thus　become　nameable；　it　gave　birth　to　the　multitude　of　beings。
  These　two　acts　are　but　one；　under　two　different　denominations。
  The　unique　act　of　generation；　that　is　the　mystery　of　the　beginning；　the　effects。
  2
  Everyone　has　the　idea　of　beauty；　and　from　that　by　opposition　that　of　not　beautiful　（ugly）。
  All　men　have　the　idea　of　good；　and　from　that　by　contrast　that　of　not　good　（bad）。
  Thus；　being　and　nothingness；　difficult　and　easy；　long　and　short；
  high　and　low；　sound　and　tone；　before　and　after；　are　correlative　ideas；　one　of　which；　in　being　known；　reveals　the　other。
  That　being　so；　the　Sage　serves　without　acting　and　teaches　without　speaking。
  He　lets　all　beings　become；　without　thwarting　them；　he　lets　them　live；　without　monopolizing　them；　and　lets　them　act；　without　exploiting　them。
  He　does　not　attribute　to　himself　the　effects　produced；　and　in　consequence　these　effects　last。
  3
  Not　making　any　special　case　of　cleverness；　of　ability；　will　have　the　result　that　people　will　no　longer　push　themselves。
  Not　to　prize　rare　objects　will　have　the　result　that　no　one　will　continue　to　steal。
  To　show　nothing　as　alluring　will　have　the　effect　of　putting　the　people's　hearts　at　rest。
  Therefore　the　politics　of　Sages　consists　in　emptying　the　minds　of　men　and　filling　their　stomachs；　in　weakening　their　initiative　and　strengthening　their　bones。
  Their　constant　care　is　to　hold　the　people　in　ignorance　and　apathy。　They　make　things　such　that　clever　people　dare　not　to　act；
  for　there　is　nothing　that　cannot　be　sorted　out　through　the　practice　of　non…action。
  4
  The　Principle　produces　in　abundance；　but　without　filling　itself　up。
  Empty　abyss；　it　seems　to　be　（is）　the　ancestor　（origin）　of　all　beings。
  It　is　peaceful；　simple；　modest；　amiable。
  Spilling　itself　out　in　waves；　it　seems　to　remain　（it　remains）　always　the　same。
  I　do　not　know　of　whom　it　is　the　son　（where　it　comes　from）。　It　seems　to　have　been　（it　was）　before　the　Sovereign。
  5
  Heaven　and　earth　are　not　good　to　the　things　that　they　produce；　but　treat　them　like　straw　dogs。
  Like　heaven　and　earth；　the　Sage　is　not　good　for　the　people　he　governs；　but　treats　them　like　straw　dogs。
  The　betwixt　of　heaven　and　earth；　seat　of　the　Principle；　the　place　from　where　its　virtue　acts；　is　like　a　bellows；　like　the　bag　of　a　bellows　of　which　heaven　and　earth　would　be　the　two　boards；　which　empties　itself　without　exhausting　itself；　which　moves　itself　externally　without　cease。
  This　is　all　that　we　can　understand　of　the　Principle　and　of　its　action　as　producer。　To　seek　to　detail　it　further　using　words　and　numbers　would　be　a　waste　of　time。　Let　us　hold　ourselves　to　this　grand　idea。
  6
  The　expansive　transcendent　power　which　resides　in　the　median　space；　the　virtue　of　the　Principle；　does　not　die。　It　is　always　the　same　and　acts　the　same；　without　diminution　or　cessation。　This　virtue　is　the　mysterious　mother　of　all　beings。
  The　doorway　of　this　mysterious　mother　is　the　root　of　heaven　and　earth；　the　Principle。
  Sprouting　forth；　she　does　not　expend　herself；　acting；　she　does　not　tire　herself。
  7
  If　heaven　and　earth　last　forever；
  it　is　because　they　do　not　live　for　themselves。
  Following　this　example；　the　Sage；　in　withdrawing；　advances；
  in　neglecting　himself；　he　conserves　himself。
  As　he　does　not　seek　his　own　advantage；　everything　turns　to　his　advantage。
  8
  Transcendent　goodness　is　like　water。　Water　likes　to　do　good　to　all　beings；　it　does　not　struggle　for　any　definite　form　or　position；　but　puts　itself　in　the　lowest　places　that　no　one　wants。　By　this；　it　is　the　reflection　of　the　Principle。
  From　its　example；　those　who　imitate　the　Principle；　lower　themselves；　sink　themselves。　They　are　benevolent；　sincere；　regulated；　efficacious；　and　they　conform　themselves　to　the　times。
  They　do　not　struggle　for　their　own　interest；　but　yield。　Therefore　they　do　not　suffer　and　contradiction。
  9
  To　hold　a　vase　filled　to　the　brim；　without　spilling　anything；　is　impossible；　better　not　to　fill　it　so。
  To　keep　an　over…sharpened　blade　without　its　edge　becoming　blunt；　is　impossible；　better　not　to　sharpen　it　to　this　extreme。
  To　keep　a　roomful　of　precious　stones；　without　any　of　it　becoming　misappropriated；　is　impossible；　better　not　to　amass　this　treasure。
  No　extreme　can　be　maintained　for　a　long　time。　Every　height　is　followed　by　a　decline。　Likewise　for　a　man。　Whomsoever；　having　become　rich　and　powerful；　takes　pride　in　himself；　prepares　thereby　his　own　ruin。
  To　retire　at　the　height　of　one's　own　merit　and　fame；　that　is　the　way　of　heaven。
  10
  Keep　your　body　and　spermatic　soul　closely　united；　and　ensure　that　they　do　not　become　separated。
  Apply　yourself　such　that　the　air　you　breath　in；　converted　into　the　aerial　soul；　animates　this　composite；　and　keeps　it　intact　as　in　a　new…born　baby。
  Withhold　yourself　from　considerations　which　are　too　profound；　in　order　not　to　wear　yourself　out。
  As　for　love　of　the　people　and　anxiety　for　the　state；　limit　yourself　to　non…action。
  Let　the　gates　of　heaven　open　and　close；　without　wishing　to　do　something；　without　interfering。
  Know　all；　be　informed　on　everything；　and　for　all　that　remain　indifferent；　as　if　you　knew　nothing。
  Produce；　breed；　without　taking　any　credit　for　what　has　been　produced；　without　exacting　a　return　for　your　actions；　without　imposing　yourself　on　those　you　govern。　There　you　have　the　formula　for　transcendent　action。
  11
  A　wheel　is　made　of　thirty　perceptible　spokes；　but　it　turns　due　to　the　imperceptible　central　axis　of　the　hub。
  Vessels　are　ma