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.
其政悶悶，其民淳淳；其政察察，其民缺缺。禍兮福之所倚，福兮禍之所伏。孰知其極？其無正。正復為奇，善復為妖。人之迷，其日固久。是以聖人方而不割，廉而不劌，直而不肆，光而不燿。When government is dull and muddled, the people are honest and simple; when government is sharp and prying, the people are wanting. Misfortune is what good fortune leans on; good fortune is where misfortune hides. Who knows where it ends? There is no fixed rule. The correct turns again into the strange, the good turns again into the uncanny. People have been confused about this for a very long time. Therefore the sage is square but does not cut, sharp-edged but does not wound, straight but does not overreach, bright but does not dazzle.
白Plain Chinese
政治宽厚无形，百姓就淳朴；政治苛察严明，百姓就残缺不全。灾祸啊，幸福依傍在它旁边；幸福啊，灾祸潜伏在它里面。谁知道它的终极呢？它没有一定的标准。正又变成奇，善又变成妖。人们的迷惑，由来已经很久了。所以圣人方正而不割伤人，清廉而不刺伤人，正直而不放肆，光亮而不刺眼。
Draft plain-Chinese rendering following Wang Bi; it will be checked when the chapter is taught.
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