《道德经》英译（第二十九章）

将欲取天下而为之，吾见其不得已。天下神器，不可为也，不可执也。为者败之，执者失之。是以圣人无为故无败，无执故无失。<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

故物或行或随，或嘘或吹。或强或羸，或载或隳。是以圣人去甚，去奢，去泰。

Chapter 29

Ruling a country must be based on the principle of nature. Governing in a way not according to nature will not work.

Ruling a country is a mysterious thing. It can not be done dogmatically. Nor can it be done stubbornly.

Doing it dogmatically will cause failure, and doing it stubbornly will cause failure too.

People’s characteristics are different. Some people are positive and some negative, some people prefer warm and some cool, some people are strong and some weak, some people are in peace and some in danger.

Therefore, when a sage rules a country, he handles things based on people’s unique characteristics in the most natural way, deleting the extreme and superfluous, letting no talent to be neglected and no material to be wasted.