第五十八章
Chapter 58
其政闷闷，其民淳淳；其政察察，其民缺缺。祸兮福之所倚，福兮祸之所伏。孰知其极？其无正。正复为奇，善复为妖，人之迷，其日固久。是以圣人方而不割，廉而不刿，直而不肆，光而不耀。
When the government is muddled and dull, the people are honest and simple. When the government is sharp and exacting, the people are cunning and discontented. Misfortune is what fortune leans upon; fortune is where misfortune hides. Who knows their ultimate end? There is no norm. The normal turns into the abnormal; the good turns into the monstrous. People's confusion has lasted for a very long time. Therefore the sage is square but does not cut; sharp but does not pierce; straight but does not impose; bright but does not dazzle.
白话译文
政治宽厚，人民就淳朴；政治苛刻，人民就狡诈。灾祸啊，幸福依傍在它旁边；幸福啊，灾祸藏伏在它里面。谁能知道它的极限？它没有一个确定的标准。正常的会变为反常的，善良的会变为邪恶的，人们的迷惑已经很久了。因此圣人方正而不伤人，锐利而不割人，率直而不放肆，光明而不耀眼。
AI 解读
'祸兮福所倚，福兮祸所伏'是中国哲学最著名的辩证命题之一。福与祸相互转化、永无终点，这正是人类迷惑的根源。圣人的智慧在于：保持品质却不走极端——方而不割、直而不肆，在对立的张力中找到中道。