Tao Te Ching Chapter 13
paulpengThe Original Chinese Text
宠辱若惊，贵大患若身。何谓宠辱若惊？宠为下，得之若惊，失之若惊，是谓宠辱若惊。何谓贵大患若身？吾所以有大患者，为吾有身，及吾无身，吾有何患？故贵以身为天下，若可寄天下；爱以身为天下，若可托天下。
Favour and disgrace would seem equally to be feared;honour and great calamity, to be regarded as personal conditions (of the same kind). What is meant by speaking thus of favour and disgrace? Disgrace is being in a low position (after the enjoyment of favour). The getting that(favour) leads to the apprehension (of losing it), and the losing it leads to the fear of (still greater calamity): - this is what is meant by saying that favour and disgrace would seem equally to be feared. And what is meant by saying that honour and great calamity are to be (similarly) regarded aspersonal conditions? What makes me liable to great calamityis my having the body (which I call myself); if I had not the body, what great calamity could come to me? Therefore he who would administer the kingdom, honouring it as he honours his own person, may be employed to govern it, andhe who would administer it with the love which he bears to his own person may be entrusted with it.
【译文】受宠和受辱都会惊慌失措，重视大的忧患就像重视自己身体。什么叫受宠和受辱都会惊慌失措？受宠的人身居下位，受到宠信就会惊喜，失去宠信就会惊恐，这就叫做宠辱若惊。什么叫重视大的忧患就像重视自己的身体？我之所以有大的忧患，就是因为我有身体，等到我没有身体的时候，我还有什么担忧的呢？所以，以重视己身的心态去治理天下的人，天下就能够寄托给他；以爱惜自身的心态去治理天下，天下才能够委托给他。
Translation: Both being favored and being humiliated can cause panic, and one should value great hardships as much as one's own body. What does it mean that both being favored and being humiliated can cause panic? The person being favored is in a lower position. He will be delighted when being favored and terrified when losing the favor. This is called being panicked by favor and humiliation. What does it mean to value great hardships as much as one's own body? The reason why I have great hardships is that I have a body. When I no longer have a body, what else do I have to worry about? Therefore, the one who governs the world with the attitude of valuing his own body can be entrusted with the world. The one who governs the world with the attitude of cherishing his own body can be given the responsibility of governing the world.
【解析】重视己身才会重视大患，圣人以重视已身的心态治理天下，才会重视天下的大患，天下的大患就是黎民的大患，因此这样的圣人是可以依靠可以将天下交付给他治理的。
Analysis: Only by valuing one's own body will one value great hardships. The sages govern the world with the attitude of valuing their own bodies, so they will value the great hardships of the world. The great hardships of the world are those of the people. Therefore, such sages can be relied on and the world can be entrusted to them for governance.
