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.
人之生也柔弱，其死也堅强。萬物草木之生也柔脆，其死也枯槁。故堅强者死之徒，柔弱者生之徒。是以兵强則不勝，木强則兵。强大處下，柔弱處上。When people are alive they are soft and weak; when they die they are hard and stiff. Plants and trees, when alive, are soft and tender; when they die, they are dry and withered. So the hard and stiff are followers of death; the soft and weak are followers of life. Therefore an army that is too strong will not win; a tree that is too strong will be cut down. The strong and great take the lower place; the soft and weak take the higher.
白Plain Chinese
人活着的时候身体柔弱，死了以后就变得僵硬。草木活着的时候柔软脆嫩，死了以后就变得干枯。所以坚强的属于死亡一类，柔弱的属于生存一类。所以兵力强大就不能取胜，树木强大就会遭到砍伐。强大的处于下位，柔弱的处于上位。
Draft plain-Chinese rendering following Wang Bi; it will be checked when the chapter is taught.
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