Tao Te Ching: Bilingual Edition, English and Chinese: 道德經

This edition of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu features both English and Chinese side by side for easy reference and bilingual support. The Tao Te Ching is one of the most influential and profound Chinese texts in the world. Many scholars have attempted to translate the work. Lionel Giles’ translation of the book, titled The Sayings of Lao Tzu, is one of the most clear English translations in the world. However, he organized Lao Tzu’s sayings by category, thus losing the original order and flow of the book. Because of this, many editions utilize other translators, even though Giles translation is often more accurate and vastly superior.



I have attempted to place Giles’ translation into the traditional order and flow of the 81 chapters comprising the Tao Te Ching. Because the work is very difficult and profound, and Giles’ translation was completely rearranged, this was quite the feat. The Chinese and English are placed together in the 81 chapters for direct reference and study. I have noted places where the translation does not match the text.



After reading many editions of the Tao Te Ching that were poorly translated, I felt that matching Giles’ translation to the text would benefit others. Much of the matching works perfectly, though there are some errors you will discover. Enjoy.



老子的道德经。 这版包括中文和英文的翻译。道德经是世界上最古老的书上的东方哲学之一。这本书对历史上东方和西方思想的影响是无与伦比的。这个版本被翻译由 Lionel Giles。该文本分为81章，每章说明道的一个方面。