老子道德经汉译选

1).知人者智，
    自知者明。
    胜人者有力，
    自胜者强。
    知足者富，
    强行者有志，
    不失其所者久，
    死而不亡者寿。
He show knows others in wise;
He who knows himself is clever;
He who conquers others is forceful;
He who knows contentment is rich;
He who perseveres¹ is a man of will;
He who does not lose his root can endure;
He whose Tao survives him is long-lived.

2).知不知，
    尚矣；
    不知知，
    病也。
    夫惟病病，
    是以不病。
    圣人不病，
    以其病病，
    是以不病。 
Knowing one's ignorance of certain knowledge
is the best attitude;
Not knowing certain knowledge yet pretending to know
is a bad attitude.
The sage² is of no shortcoming,
Because he considers shortcoming as shortcoming.
He considers shortcoming as shortcoming,
Thus he has no shortcoming.

3).信言不美，
    美言不信。
    善者不辩，
    辩者不善。
    知者不博，
    博者不知。
    圣人不积，
    既以为人己愈有，
    既以与人己愈多。
True words are not embellished³,
The embellished words are not true.
A good man does not quibble;
He who quibbles is not good.
A man of true learning does not show off his learning.
He who shows off his learning does not have true learning.
The sage does not store up.
Helping⁴ others as best as he can.
He is helped even more.
Giving others as much as he can,
He becomes richer and richer still.