| Chinese Text Project |
| 天下是非果未可定也。 | The right and the wrong (on this point of enjoyment) cannot indeed be determined according to (the view of) the world; |
| 雖然， | nevertheless, |
| 無為可以定是非。 | this doing nothing (to obtain it) may determine the right and the wrong. |
| 至樂活身， | Since perfect enjoyment is (held to be) the keeping the body alive, |
| 唯無為幾存。 | it is only by this doing nothing that that end is likely to be secured. |
| 請嘗試言之。 | Allow me to try and explain this (more fully): |
| 天無為以之清， | Heaven does nothing, and thence comes its serenity; |
| 地無為以之寧， | Earth does nothing, and thence comes its rest. |
| 故兩無為相合， | By the union of these two inactivities, |
| 萬物皆化。 | all things are produced. |
| 芒乎芴乎， | How vast and imperceptible is the process! |
| 而無從出乎！ | -- they seem to come from nowhere! |
| 芴乎芒乎， | How imperceptible and vast! |
| 而無有象乎！ | -- there is no visible image of it! |
| 萬物職職，皆從無為殖。 | All things in all their variety grow from this Inaction. |
| 故曰： | Hence it is said, |
| 「天地無為也， | 'Heaven and Earth do nothing, |
| 而無不為也。」 | and yet there is nothing that they do not do.' |
| 人也，孰能得無為哉！ | But what man is there that can attain to this inaction? |
| Character | Composition | Variants | Reading | Meaning | Hanyu | Kangxi | Cihai |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 天下 | 大+1 一+2 | 𠀡 𠀘 𦴞 兲 靝 𠕹 丅 厥 𠄟 | tiān xià ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ | 世界。 "All under heaven", the world. | v1,p0522#01 v1,p0007#01 | p.248#04 p.76#10 | p.358r4c01 p.28r1c01 |
| 是 | 日+5 | 昰 𣆞 | shì ㄕˋ | Straight. / Right, correct. / Believe accurate, affirm. / Demonstrative pronoun: this. / Be (copula). / Auxiliary word, used after moving forward the object. | v2,p1497#05 | p.493#26 | p.639r1c01 |
| 非 | 非+0 | fēi ㄈㄟ | Violate, go against (a rule). / Wrong, bad. / Not real, untrue. / Oppose, object to. / Slander, condemn. / Sarcasm, irony. / Absence of, not have. / Adverb: not, is not. | v6,p4086#01 | p.1382#11 | p.1463r6c02 | |
| fěi ㄈㄟˇ | Same as 「誹(2)」 fěi ㄈㄟˇ: Slander. | ||||||
| 果 | 木+4 | 菓 | guǒ kè luǒ wǒ ㄍㄨㄛˇ ㄎㄜˋ ㄌㄨㄛˇ ㄨㄛˇ | fruit; result | v2,p1168#11 | p.516#11 | p.682r6c01 |
| 未 | 木+1 | wèi ㄨㄟˋ | not yet; 8th terrestrial branch | v2,p1150#01 | p.509#05 | p.665r4c01 | |
| 可 | 口+2 | 歌 厥 | kě kè ㄎㄜˇ ㄎㄜˋ | may, can, -able; possibly | v1,p0567#07 | p.172#12 | p.244r1c02 |
| 定 | 宀+5 | 㱏 | dìng ㄉㄧㄥˋ | decide, settle, fix | v2,p0918#02 | p.283#18 | p.414r5c01 |
| 也 | 乙+2 | 𠃟 匜 | yě ㄧㄝˇ | Modal particle used at the end of a sentence, expressing assertion and affirmation. / Modal particle used at the end of a question for emphasis. / Modal particle used at the end of a cause-effect sentence to express explanation. / Modal particle used in the middle of a sentence to express a pause. | v1,p0050#05 | p.84#04 | p.55r1c01 |
| 雖 | 隹+9 | 𨾡 虽 | suī ㄙㄨㄟ | (2) 連詞：表示假設或讓步關係，相當於「雖然」、「即使」。 Even, though, even if. | v6,p4103#05 | p.1368#22 | p.1440r6c01 |
| 然 | 火+8 | 燃 𤓉 | rán ㄖㄢˊ | (2) 指示代詞：如此，這樣，那樣。 Demonstrative pronoun: like this, like that. | v3,p2213#05 | p.675#12 | p.852r5c01 |
| 無 | 火+8 | 𣟒 𣚨 𠘩 无 橆 | wú ㄨˊ | Not have. / Philosophical category referring to absence, non-existence, or vacuity. / Adverb expressing negation: not. / Adverb expressing questioning: or not. / Connective: regardless of. / Connective: even if. / Particle used at the beginning of a sentence, no meaning. / Do not. / Barren, uncultivated. | v3,p2211#15 | p.673#26 | p.848r2c04 |
| 為 | 火+5 | 爲 为 | wéi ㄨㄟˊ | Create, make. / Build, construct. / Do. / Plant, grow. / Govern. / Research, study. / Serve as. / Change into, become. / As, in the role of. / Count as, be considered as. / Called, named. / Expresses judgement: is. / Make, cause (to). / Have. / Take part in. / Write, author. / Connective: if. / Particle used in the middle of a sentence to move forward the object. / Modal particle used at the end of a sentence to express a rhetorical question. | v3,p2198#11 | p.669#10 | p.844r4c03 |
| wèi ㄨㄟˋ | Help, assist. / Preposition: for, on behalf of. / Preposition: by (passive). / Preposition: because of, due to. / Preposition: with, together with. / Connective: because. / Say. / False, fake. | ||||||
| 以 | 人+3 | 㠯 | yǐ ㄧˇ | Use. / Believe. / Command. / Lead. / Connect, implicate. / Have. / Cause, reason. / Preposition: because. / Preposition: from, in. / Preposition: at [some time]. / Preposition: using. / Preposition: in accordance with. / Preposition: relying upon. / Preposition: in the capacity of. / Preposition: with, together with. / Connective: indicates the following action is the objective of the preceding one. / Connective: used between adverbial clause and verb to express modification. / Connective: and. / Connective: but. / Connective: and so, thus. / Particle: used together with some words expressing direction and time. / Modal particle. / Same as 「已(1)」 yǐ ㄧˇ: Stop, discontinue. / Same as 「已(7.2)」 yǐ ㄧˇ: Adverb: already. / Same as 「已(7.3)」 yǐ ㄧˇ: Adverb: extremely. | v1,p0105#07 | p.94#01 | p.87r6c01 |
| 是 | 日+5 | 昰 𣆞 | shì ㄕˋ | (2) 正確。 Right, correct. | v2,p1497#05 | p.493#26 | p.639r1c01 |
| 非 | 非+0 | fēi ㄈㄟ | (2) 錯誤，邪惡。 Wrong, bad. | v6,p4086#01 | p.1382#11 | p.1463r6c02 | |
| 至 | 至+0 | 𦤳 𦤴 𦤵 𡊏 | zhì dié ㄓˋ ㄉㄧㄝˊ | reach, arrive; extremely, very | v4,p2814#01 | p.1001#11 | p.1111r3c04 |
| 樂 | 木+11 | 樂 乐 | yuè ㄩㄝˋ | Music. / Perform, play music. / Musical instrument. / The (now lost) classic of music. / Musician. / Yue, a surname. | v2,p1280#16 | p.548#20 | p.715r4c03 |
| lè ㄌㄜˋ | Happiness. / Make happy. / Fondness for, liking of. / Happy to, willing to. / Tranquil, contented. / Music and debauchery. / Le, a surname. | ||||||
| 活 | 水+6 | huó guō ㄏㄨㄛˊ ㄍㄨㄛ | live, exist, survive; lively | v3,p1609#02 | p.622#18 | p.790r2c04 | |
| 身 | 身+0 | shēn ㄕㄣ | Pregnant. / The body (of a person or animal). / Itself. / I, myself. / Personally, directly. / Personally experience or carry out. / Life. / One's own moral character, ability, etc. / A world in buddhist doctrine. | v6,p3807#01 | p.1237#01 | p.1295r6c01 | |
| yuān ㄩㄢ | Same as 「身毒」 yuān dú ㄩㄢ ㄉㄨˊ: India. | ||||||
| 唯 | 口+8 | wéi ㄨㄟˊ | Only, exclusively. / Connective: although, even though. / Connective: because. / Particle used at the beginning of a sentence to express hope or desire. / Particle used at the beginning of a sentence to express confirmation. / Particle, no meaning. | v1,p0642#05 | p.193#17 | p.277r1c02 | |
| wěi ㄨㄟˇ | Sound of affirmation. / Affirm. | ||||||
| 幾 | 幺+9 | 𢆻 𢆼 几 | jǐ jī ㄐㄧˇ ㄐㄧ | how many? how much?; a few, some | v2,p1095#08 | p.342#14 | p.486r2c02 |
| 存 | 子+3 | 𠩯 | cún ㄘㄨㄣˊ | exist, live, be; survive; remain | v2,p1009#07 | p.278#02 | p.398r3c01 |
| 請 | 言+8 | 请 | qǐng ㄑㄧㄥˇ | Request, ask for. / Respectful term used to make a request. / Visit (a superior). / Ask, inquire. / Ask after (someone). / Tell, say to. / Invite. / Employ, hire. | v6,p3981#03 | p.1167#18 | p.1248r6c02 |
| qìng ㄑㄧㄥˋ | Autumn audience. | ||||||
| qíng ㄑㄧㄥˊ | Reality, actual state of affairs. / In reality, actually. | ||||||
| 嘗 | 口+11 | 甞 𨡔 𠹉 尝 | cháng ㄔㄤˊ | taste; experience, experiment | v2,p1529#09 | p.206#09 | p.289r3c03 |
| 試 | 言+6 | 试 | shì ㄕˋ | test, try, experiment | v6,p3960#12 | p.1157#03 | p.1242r3c03 |
| 言 | 言+0 | 訁 𢍗 𢍬 | yán ㄧㄢˊ | Speak, say. / Discuss, debate. / Tell. / Doctrine, theory, words. / One word. / Sentence. / Particle, no meaning. | v6,p3936#01 | p.1146#01 | p.1236r5c03 |
| 之 | 丿+3 | 㞢 | zhī ㄓ | Towards; go to. / Demonstrative pronoun: this, these. / Third person pronoun: him, her, it. / Auxiliary word: of. / Auxiliary word: used between subject and predicate, cancels independence of a clause. / Auxiliary word: used in a sentence for aesthetic purpose only, no meaning. | v1,p0043#01 | p.82#04 | p.47r2c02 |
| 天 | 大+1 | 𠀡 𠀘 𦴞 兲 靝 𠕹 | tiān ㄊㄧㄢ | sky, heaven; god, celestial | v1,p0522#01 | p.248#04 | p.358r4c01 |
| 清 | 水+8 | 淸 | qīng qìng ㄑㄧㄥ ㄑㄧㄥˋ | clear, pure, clean; peaceful | v3,p1637#11 | p.633#37 | |
| 地 | 土+3 | 埊 𨻐 埅 𠏂 嶳 | dì de ㄉㄧˋ ㄉㄜ· | earth; soil, ground; region | v1,p0420#12 | p.224#06 | p.312r6c01 |
| 寧 | 宀+11 | 寍 𡨴 宁 | níng nìng zhù ㄋㄧㄥˊ ㄋㄧㄥˋ ㄓㄨˋ | repose, serenity, peace; peaceful | v2,p0949#05 | p.291#08 | p.428r6c01 |
| 故 | 攴+5 | gù ㄍㄨˋ | Cause. / State of affairs. / Event, incident. / Plot. / Old. / Past, original. / Death. / On purpose. / Originally. / Hence, thus. | v2,p1453#05 | p.469#25 | p.601r5c01 | |
| 兩 | 入+6 | 両 㒳 两 | liǎng liàng ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄌㄧㄤˋ | two, both, pair, couple; ounce | v1,p0024#02 | p.126#13 | p.145r6c02 |
| 相 | 目+4 | xiāng ㄒㄧㄤ | Mutual. / In succession. / Together. | v4,p2470#13 | p.800#18 | p.945r1c01 | |
| xiàng ㄒㄧㄤˋ | Watch. / Appearance. / Fortune-telling by appearance. / Help, assist. / Guide for the blind. / Prime minister, most senior minister. / Ceremonial officer. | ||||||
| 合 | 口+3 | 閤 | hé gě ㄏㄜˊ ㄍㄜˇ | combine, unite, join; gather | v1,p0581#01 | p.174#24 | p.249r1c02 |
| 萬 | 禸+8 | 万 卍 㸘 𤍚 𢁭 | wàn ㄨㄢˋ | ten thousand; innumerable | v5,p3247#08 | p.1042#33 | p.1149r4c02 |
| 物 | 牛+4 | wù ㄨˋ | thing, substance, creature | v3,p1805#03 | p.699#09 | p.869r5c01 | |
| 皆 | 白+4 | jiē ㄐㄧㄝ | all, every, everybody | v4,p2647#01 | p.786#12 | p.735r5c01 | |
| 化 | 匕+2 | 𠤎 𠯒 𠏁 | huà huā ㄏㄨㄚˋ ㄏㄨㄚ | change, convert, reform; -ize | v1,p0109#04 | p.152#20 | p.201r6c02 |
| 芒 | 艸+3 | 杧 𪌁 | máng wáng huǎng huāng ㄇㄤˊ ㄨㄤˊ ㄏㄨㄤˇ ㄏㄨㄤ | Miscanthus sinensis | v5,p3176#03 | p.1018#20 | p.1123r5c04 |
| 乎 | 丿+4 | 虖 | hū ㄏㄨ | Modal particle expressing questioning or a rhetorical question. / Modal particle expressing admiration or exclamation. / Modal particle expressing estimation. / Modal particle expressing request or order. / Modal particle expressing calling. / Modal particle expressing consideration. / Modal particle expressing affirmation. / Particle used after adjectives. / Particle used in the middle of a sentence to express a pause. / Preposition: in, from, to. | v1,p0036#08 | p.82#07 | p.47r3c03 |
| 芴 | 艸+4 | wù hū ㄨˋ ㄏㄨ | v5,p3183#08 | p.1021#03 | p.1127r4c01 | ||
| 而 | 而+0 | ér ㄦˊ | Whiskers. / Like, similar to. / Pronoun: you. / Pronoun: this, like this. / Connective: and, with. / Connective: and, then. / Connective: if, supposing. / Connective: yet, however. / Connective: therefore, hence. / Connective: expresses method or state. / Particle: of. / Expressive particle. | v4,p2810#01 | p.961#18 | p.1080r2c03 | |
| néng ㄋㄥˊ | Same as 「能(3)」 néng ㄋㄥˊ: Able to, competent. / Same as 「能(2.1)」 néng ㄋㄥˊ: Ability, talent. | ||||||
| 從 | 彳+8 | 従 从 | cóng ㄘㄨㄥˊ | Follow, accompany. / Cause to follow, make go along with. / Pursue, chase after. / Die with, bury along with the dead. / Listen to, do as required. / Eloquent. / Obedient, submissive. / Route to peaceful society, correct order. / Perform, participate in. / Blood relation through the male line. / Secondary, sub- (of official titles). / Preposition: from. / Preposition: towards. / Preposition: because of, due to. / Addition, also. | v2,p0829#12 | p.368#18 | p.514r5c01 |
| zòng ㄗㄨㄥˋ | North-south. / Alliance of states opposed to the Qin alliance. / Straight, upright. / Indulge, allow to. / Connective: even if. | ||||||
| zōng ㄗㄨㄥ | Trace, vestige. | ||||||
| sǒng ㄙㄨㄥˇ | See 從容。 | ||||||
| 出 | 凵+3 | 岀 | chū ㄔㄨ | Go out, exit. / Outside, without. / Take up a post. / Exile, banish. / Abandon (one's wife). / Free, release. / Give out, hand over. / Give, offer. / Send out, distribute. / Exceed. / Appear, emerge. / Create, make. / Produce, cause to grow. / Bear, give birth. / Origin, place of birth. / Part of an object which extends outwards. / Measure word: times, occurrences. / Measure word: section. | v1,p0307#08 | p.135#11 | p.172r1c01 |
| 有 | 月+2 | | yǒu ㄧㄡˇ | Have, possess. / Store, collect. / Occupy. / Hold on to, retain. / Have in abundance. / Good harvest. / Obtain. / Only. / Be, exist. / Occur, happen. / Make. / Particle used before a noun with no meaning. / Particle used before a monosyllabic adjective with no meaning. / Particle used before a verb with no meaning. / Still, yet. / Some people. / Region. | v3,p2041#05 | p.504#20 | p.656r5c01 |
| yòu ㄧㄡˋ | Help, assist. / Same as 「又(3)」 yòu ㄧㄡˋ: Moreover. | ||||||
| 象 | 豕+5 | 𤉢 𧰼 | xiàng ㄒㄧㄤˋ | elephant; ivory; figure, image | v6,p3611#09 | p.1195#21 | p.1262r5c04 |
| 職 | 耳+12 | 軄 职 | zhí zhì tè ㄓˊ ㄓˋ ㄊㄜˋ | duty, profession; office, post | v4,p2797#14 | p.970#04 | p.1086r4c01 |
| 殖 | 歹+8 | zhí shì ㄓˊ ㄕˋ | breed, spawn; increase; prosper | v2,p1388#10 | p.581#33 | p.741r6c08 | |
| 故 | 攴+5 | gù ㄍㄨˋ | (8) 連詞：所以，因此。 Hence, thus. | v2,p1453#05 | p.469#25 | p.601r5c01 | |
| 曰 | 曰+0 | yuē ㄩㄝ | (1) 說。 Say, speak. | v2,p1482#02 | p.502#01 | p.648r3c03 | |
| 不 | 一+3 | 不 𠀚 𠙐 | bù ㄅㄨˋ | Not have. / To not be. / Negational adverb, used before verbs, adjectives, etc. to indicate negation. / Negational adverb expressing prohibition: do not. / Negational adverb expressing rhetorical question: is not...? | v1,p0011#06 | p.76#15 | p.30r1c01 |
| fǒu ㄈㄡˇ | Same as 「否(1.2)」 fǒu ㄈㄡˇ: Adverb used together with an affirmative word, expressing its negative or opposite. / Same as 「否(1.3)」 fǒu ㄈㄡˇ: Adverb used at the end of a question to form a yes-no question. | ||||||
| fū ㄈㄨ | Sepal of a flower. | ||||||
| pī ㄆㄧ | Same as 「丕(1)」 pī ㄆㄧ: Large. | ||||||
| bǐ ㄅㄧˇ | Show disdain for. | ||||||
| 人 | 人+0 | 𠔽 亻 | rén ㄖㄣˊ | Man, person. / Others, other people. / The people, ordinary men. / Talent, material. / [A man's] character. / Affairs of men, world of man. / Benevolence. | v1,p0101#10 | p.91#01 | p.80r2c01 |
| 孰 | 子+8 | 塾 | shú ㄕㄨˊ | who? which? what? which one? | v2,p1016#14 | p.280#05 | p.403r1c03 |
| 能 | 肉+6 | néng ㄋㄥˊ | A type of bear. / Ability, talent. / Man of ability, man of talent. / Able to, competent. / Comply with, be friendly towards. / Encompass, obtain. / To, arrive at. / Then, thus. / Same as 「而(4.3)」 ér ㄦˊ: Connective: if, supposing. / Only, merely. / Even if. / Thus, in this way. / Three-legged turtle. | v3,p2074#01 | p.981#16 | p.1095r5c02 | |
| nài ㄋㄞˋ | Withstand, endure. | ||||||
| tái ㄊㄞˊ | Same as 「台(1.1)」 tái ㄊㄞˊ: Name of a celestial body. | ||||||
| tài ㄊㄞˋ | State, form. | ||||||
| 得 | 彳+8 | 𢔶 䙷 𢔨 | dé ㄉㄜˊ | Get, obtain. / Plunder. / Covet. / Success. / Fitting, appropriate. / Compatible. / Satisfied, pleased. / Possible, can. / Same as 「德(1)」 dé ㄉㄜˊ: Morals, morality. / Same as 「德(3)」 dé ㄉㄜˊ: Reward kindness, thank. | v2,p0828#03 | p.367#31 | p.513r6c02 |
| 哉 | 口+6 | 才 | zāi ㄗㄞ | Begin, start. / Modal particle expressing exclamation. / Modal particle expressing questioning or a rhetorical question. | v1,p0611#07 | p.189#08 | p.270r2c01 |
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