Tao Te Ching - Preface - character-to-character translation

Preface

There are well over two hundred English translations of the Tao Te Ching. Most of them are exceptional works that serve as a gateway to Taoism. The reason why I think it is necessary to make another translation is because most of these existing translations work more like a paraphrase of the original text. The Tao Te Ching is written in a very loose manner where each verse is open to interpretation. Combined with the fact that most of the Western translators did not understand Classical Chinese—so they translated directly from a modern Chinese translation—they used paraphrases that sound meaningful and beautiful but stray away from the original text.

Mainstream translations, both English and Chinese, usually translate the first verse as, "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao." After years of studying and practicing Taoism, I find the paradox ever unbearable that the very purpose of the scripture is telling about Tao, yet the first verse immediately attacks this purpose. Also, from my years of observation, followers of Taoism oftentimes fall into heated arguments about linguistic nuances, which might be essential in studying literature, but is completely counterproductive if one's purpose is to understand Tao.

Therefore, in this translation, I aim to provide readers with a character-to-character translation where interested ones can take the time to digest and appreciate the original intent of the author. For example, in the first chapter:

道 (Tao/Dao) 可 (can) 道 (speak/tell) 也 (particle: assertive)，非 (not) 恆/常 (eternal/unchanged) 道 (way/words) 也 (particle: assertive)。

Tao can be told, (but) not (with) the unchanged way (of words)*.

Translator’s Note: A thing called 道 (Tao or Dao) can not be described directly; therefore, whatever is taught in this scripture serves only as an aid to understanding it. The first rule in understanding Tao is not to pertain to certain words, but to seek what the words are trying to depict but oftentimes fail.

*This verse is normally translated as "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao" by mainstream translators, into either English or modern Chinese. After years of studying and practicing Taoism, I find the paradox ever unbearable that the very purpose of the scripture is telling about Tao, yet the first verse immediately attacks this purpose. Also, from my years of observation, followers of Taoism oftentimes fall into heated arguments about linguistic nuances, which might be essential in studying literature, but is completely counterproductive if one's purpose is to understand Tao.

A second reason that makes me believe my translation carries a similar chance of being what the

author truly meant is how Classical Chinese works. In 道可道, the first 道 means Tao, and the second 道 means tell/describe; these have no ambiguity. However, in 非常道, the 道 here can mean either Tao following the first 道, or tell/describe following the second 道. In this translation of mine, I settled with the latter, while the mainstream versions settled with the former, resulting in the different translation you see here.

Each Chinese character or phrase with independent meaning is followed by its English translation, which is bracketed.

And of course, I will still provide the full English translation, which is in bold font following right next to the original text and character-to-character translation. Immediately after the English translation, I will write down the translator’s note of each verse, which is in italic font. This is my understanding of the scripture in writing; many of them are up for debate, of course. At the bottom of each chapter, explanations or extensions in italic font for the part marked by an asterisk (*) will be provided.

Part 2: Classical Chinese vs. Modern English

As a native Chinese speaker who later became a CEFR C2 English speaker—for those who don't know, CEFR C2 is a mastery level of English a non-native speaker can reach which presents a proficiency very much close to a native speaker—I oftentimes describe Chinese, especially Classical Chinese, to be rather romantic, which encourages wild imagination, whereas English conducts a much more logical command with precision. For instance, Chinese does not have any tense like English does, and you can normally switch characters around in a sentence and it will form a new one, which is basically impossible to do with English with its rigid tenses and particles.

Modern English is highly structural and technical in its precision. It relies on fixed word orders, tense markers, and strict definitions to eliminate ambiguity. Each word is usually assigned a concrete part of speech—a noun stays a noun, a verb stays a verb—to build a single, linear thought.

Classical Chinese is technical in its extreme minimalism. Because Classical Chinese was originally written on bamboo slips, it was designed entirely around physical efficiency, forcing the writer to use as few characters as possible. It completely strips away punctuation, tenses, and plural forms. A single character can simultaneously act as a noun, a verb, or an adjective depending on the reader's perspective and the context of the verse. It does not look to narrow down a single, static definition. Instead, it operates like a fluid formula, intentionally leaving the phrasing open to hold multiple dimensions of meaning at the same time.

Because Classical Chinese does not have a rigid grammar or tense, I intend to keep the original vibe as much as possible. As a result, some of the English translation might sound bizarre or grammatically incorrect to an English speaker. To mitigate this disorientation, I fill in the missing English components in a translation with brackets whenever possible.

Because of this, an English reader cannot treat this scripture like a standard textbook. You have to stop looking for a rigid, linear sentence structure and learn to read the characters as dynamic forces that point toward an underlying pattern.

Part 3: How to Approach the Scripture (Non-Linear Approach)

This is the most important note in order for one to understand and embed the Tao Te Ching into their living: the chapters are not linear. This is the most common mistake made by even Chinese readers; from ancient times to now, they try to put chapters in a sequence in order to find some mystical meaning, as if these chapters would mean something different if read in a certain order.

The truth is, all chapters are equal. They all try to tell the same thing: Tao. A way to understand this is that each chapter serves as a pillar that together forms the big structure called Tao. For those with a business background, it is actually very much like a business model canvas. In a business model canvas, each element is equally important to describe the whole business model. They are not telling a linear story; instead, they depict a multi-dimensional structure.

So the truth is that you can read the chapters in any order and it would not make any difference. This would be something only understandable once you start to understand what Tao is.

Therefore, a healthy and useful way to study is to slow down, grinding each character at a casual pace. Especially if there are verses resonating with you more than the others, it is perfectly fine to just read them daily as a routine. This way, the subconscious would automatically absorb it without forcing.

Turn the page, pick a chapter that speaks to you, and begin grinding.