Daoism is the philosophy that there Dis a right way to live life, and it involves finding and following the "Dao",or path, to our life and also the universe.
道家思想是一种哲学，它认为有一种正确的生活方式，那就是找到并遵循“道”，即通往我们的生命乃至整个宇宙的“道路”。
2 Yin-Yang is the symbol that represents difference yet unity in life. When things in life feel wrong, or if you get that gut' feeling that you are on the wrong path, Daoism offers advice about how to get things straight.
2 “阴阳”是一种象征，代表了生命中的差异与统一。当事情感觉不太对劲，或者你有一种走错了路的直觉时，道家思想会为你提供让事情重回正轨的建议。
3 No person is one thing. The kindest person you know has a tiny recess of cruelty in them. The happiest person you have ever met will have their depressive moments. The gentlest person you can think of can be filled with rage by one particular thing. There is no purity of any kind; life is a messy cocktail of things.
3 没有人是完全单纯的。你所认识的最善良的人，内心深处也有一丝残忍。你见过的最快乐的人，也会有情绪低落的时刻。你能想到的最温和的人，也可能因为某件事而怒火中烧。没有什么是绝对纯粹的，生命就是一杯混杂万物的鸡尾酒。
4 This is the truth behind one of the most famous symbols (and tattoos) in the world: the Yin and Yang.
4 这就是世界上最著名的符号（以及纹样）之一——阴阳图背后的真谛。
Well en-Dao-ed wisdom
有道之智
5 For such a well known idea, the Yin and Yang only appears in one line of the central Daoist book, Daodejing. And yet, it is essential to Daoism and is, in many ways, interchangeable with the Dao itself. Lao Tzu is the semi-mythical founder of Daoism (or Taoism-the sound is halfway between a T and a D to the non-Chinese ear). His name means "Old Master," and it is unclear if he was a single historical person or a title given to a collection of sages and their works. But what matters is Lao Tzu's influence, not least for the 20 million Daoists worldwide.
5 阴阳是一个家喻户晓的概念，但在道家的核心典籍《道德经》中，它仅仅出现在一句话中。然而，它却是道家思想的精髓，并在许多方面可以与“道”本身互换。老子是道家（Daoism，或称Taoism——对于非中文使用者来说，其发音介于“T”和“D”之间）的半神化创始人。他的名字义为“贤明长者”，至于究竟是真实的历史人物，还是一群圣贤及其著作的总称，至今并不明确。但重要的是老子的影响力，尤其是对全世界两千万道家信徒的影响。
6 The Dao translates as "The Way"and is often compared to the flow of a river. Like a river, the Dao moves and directs all things, and we are like boats floating along its path. To be happy is to let the Dao carry us on. To row against the current is hard, and Daoism is the simple call to "go with the flow" of the universe.
6 “道”翻译为“道路、方法”，常被比作河流的流动。如同河流，“道”推动并引领着万物.我们则像是顺流而下的小舟快乐是让“道”带着我们前行逆流而上是艰难的，因此道家思想的核心无非是号召人们“顺应宇宙的潮流”。
7 Daoism is to find the harmony in life. This is to let the self mold to the world, like the way water fills a cup. It is to adapt, compromise, and take life as it comes, not as you want to force it. If your life is a forest, the Dao is the wide, paved, and easy path. This is not to say that there are not other paths (such as the"human way"), but why struggle through thorns" and thickets when life could be happy and easy? Daodejing is a dense wonder of proverbs, advice,wisdom, and fàbles to guide the Daoist in finding this path.
7 道家思想旨在寻求生命的和谐。这意味着让自我融入世界，就像水充满杯子一样。它教人适应、妥协，并随遇而安.而非强行改变。如果生命是一片森林，“道”就是那条宽阔、平坦、易行的大道。这并非是说没有别的路（比如“人之道”），但当生活可以快乐轻松时，又何必在荆棘丛中挣扎呢？《道德经》内涵丰富，充满了警句、建议、智慧和寓言，指引着道家信徒去寻找这条道路。
Life is like a battery
人生如电池
8 Yin-Yang, then, is a guide to that path. It is a hint and a signpost about what the Dao looks like. In fact, in much of Daoism, Yin-Yang and the Dao are interchangeable. The one line in the Daodejing that explicitly mentions the idea goes, "A yin (with) a yang is called dao."
8 如此说来，阴阳便是通往那条道路的向导。它是关于“道”的提示和路标。事实上，在道家思想的许多论述中，阴阳与“道”是可以互换的。《道德经》中唯一明确提及这一概念的句子是：“一阴一阳之谓道。”
9 Yin-Yang is the idea that there is a duality" to everything. But rather than this being some kind of oppositional or destructive conflict between two rivals,the Yin-Yang argues that there is a great harmony to be found in the contrast between things. The symbol does not feature a fully black side set against a fully white side. The white has a bit of black,and the black a bit of white. Contrast,yet harmony.
9 阴阳的概念是万物皆有双重性。但这并非指两个对手之间相互对立、相互毁灭的冲突，阴阳论认为，在事物的对立中可以找到伟大的和谐。这个符号并非一边全黑，一边全白。白中有黑点，黑中有白点。两相对立而和谐共存。
10 Yin is associated with darkness,femininity, mystery, passivity, the night sky, or the old. Yang is associated with lightness, energy, activity, clarity, the sun, or youth. But neither Yin nor Yang is superior in any way. They are both utterly amoral', in that neither is "right"or "wrong." While the Yin is associated with the negative, this does not come attached with a value judgement but is better thought of as the negative terminal of a battery, perhaps. Right living comes not from being either one thing or another but in finding that balance the Dao not only to our life but to all existence. It is the feeling that we have found our right path.
10 “阴”与黑暗、女性、神秘、被动、夜空或年老相关联。“阳”与光明、能量、主动、清晰、太阳或年轻相关联。但阴阳并无优劣之分。它们完全与道德无关，无所谓“对”与“错”虽然“阴”与负面相关，但这并不带有价值判断，或许可以更好地理解为电池的负极。正确的生活方式，不在于执着于其中哪一面，而在于找到平衡——这不仅是我们生活的“道”，也是万物存在的“道”这是一种我们找到了正确道路的感觉。
11 And to do this, both Yin and Yang are essential. The symbol expresses the idea that balance and harmony are necessary for all things. In the martial arts, for instance, it is important that we be hard, strong, and fit (Yang), but these are nothing without being calm,focused, and adaptable (Yin). In a relationship, we can party and laugh (Yang),but we must also cry and share secrets(Yin).
11 为了做到这一点，阴阳缺一不可。这个符号表达了平衡与和谐对万物都很重要的思想。例如，在武术中，强壮、有力、健康（阳）固然重要.但若没有冷静、专注和适应能力（阴），这些都将毫无用处。在一段关系中，我们可以一起聚会欢笑（阳），但也必须能够共同哭泣、分享秘密（阴）。
The tightrope' of life
绷紧的生命之绳
12 Sometimes, things just feel wrong.It might be a relationship, a career, or even a new book or TV show. It is as if everything is a slog, where you have to put in an inordinate" amount of effort just to keep moving. It can feel almost as if obstacles constantly pop up to block you. It is precisely this feeling that Daoism takes on. This kind of struggle is a sure sign that you have fallen from The Way. Life ought not feel like this. It means something is wrong. Daoism generally, and the YinYang specifically, is about harmony and balance. Things go wrong when we tip the scales too far one way. Daoists are neither ascetics' nor bibulous'° gluttons", as both involve straying from the middle way. The wisdom of the YinYang is to see how a world without light would be hellish but so too would one of constant day. The symbol has proved so powerful because it is a constant reminder to us that life is all about finding that harmony out of opposition. When things feel wrong, we likely need to find our balance or center again.
12 有时候，事情就是感觉不对劲。可能是一段感情、一份事业，甚至是一本新书或一部新剧。感觉一切都很困难，需要你付出极大的努力才能继续前行。似乎总有障碍不断出现来阻挠你。道家思想所要解决的，正是这种感觉。这种挣扎是一个明确的信号，表明你已经偏离了“道”。生活本不应如此。这意味着有些地方出了问题。整体而言，道家思想，尤其是阴阳理论，其核心在于和谐与平衡。当我们把天平的一端压得太低，事情就会出错。道家信徒既非清心寡欲，也非嗜酒贪食，因为这两种极端都偏离了中庸之道。阴阳的智慧在于让我们看到，一个没有光明的世界是地狱，但一个只有白昼的世界同样如此。这个符号之所以如此强大，是因为它不断提醒我们，生活的要义就在于从对立中找到和谐。当我们感觉不对劲时，很可能就是我们需要重新找到平衡与中心的时候了。
(译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者）
