《道德经》第一章 中英对照

The divine law may be spoken of, but it is not the common law. Things may be named,but names are not the things. In the beginning heaven and earth are nameless; when named, all things become known. So we should be free from desires in order to understand the internal mystery of the divine law; and we should have desires in order to observe its external manifestations. Internal mystery and external manifestations come from the same origin, but have different names, They may be called essence. The essential of the essence is the key to the understanding of all mysteries.

道可道，非常道；名可名，非常名。无名，天地之始；有名，万物之母。

故常无欲，以观其妙；常有欲，以观其徼。此两者，同出而异名，同谓之玄。

玄之又玄，众妙之门。