一孔录The video for this chapter is still in production. For now this page gives the original text, the facsimile page, a working translation and the commentary; the full reading follows when the video is out.
道常無名。樸雖小，天下莫能臣也。侯王若能守之，萬物將自賓。天地相合，以降甘露，民莫之令而自均。始制有名，名亦既有，夫亦將知止，知止可以不殆。譬道之在天下，猶川谷之於江海。The Way is constant and nameless. The uncarved block, though small, no one in the world can make a subject of it. If lords and kings could keep to it, the ten thousand things would come as guests of their own accord. Heaven and earth unite and send down sweet dew; with no one ordering them, the people share it evenly by themselves. Once the uncarved is cut, there are names; once there are names, one should know when to stop; knowing when to stop, one can avoid danger. The Way in the world is like rivers and streams flowing to the rivers and the sea.
白Plain Chinese
道永远没有名字。它质朴，虽然微小，天下没有谁能让它臣服。侯王如果能守住它，万物将会自然归从。天地阴阳相合，降下甘露，没有谁命令它，却自然均匀。开始建立制度就有了名分，名分既然有了，也就要懂得适可而止，懂得止步就可以没有危险。道存在于天下，就像江海为川谷所归。
Draft plain-Chinese rendering following Wang Bi; it will be checked when the chapter is taught.
⇢Reading routes through this chapter
看Watch this chapter
The video for this chapter is in production and will appear here. Follow Yikonglu to see it first:YouTubeBilibili
Found an error in this chapter? Email us; once checked, it goes on the errata page under your username: 
