一章 Chapter 1
道可道，非常“道”；名可名，非常“名”。
“无”，名天地之始；“有”，名万物之母。
故常“无”，欲以观其妙；常“有”，欲以观其徼。
此两者，同出而异名，同谓之玄。玄之又玄，众妙之门。
译文
道是可以阐述解说的，但是并非完全等同于浑然一体、永恒存在、运动不息的大道；道也是可以命名的，但是并非完全等同于浑然一体、永恒存在、运动不息的道之名。
无，称天地的初始；有，称万物的本原。
因此，从常无中，将以观察道的微妙；从常有中，将以观察道的端倪。
这无、有二者，同出于道而名称不同，都可谓玄妙幽深。玄妙而又玄妙，正是天地万物变化的总源头。
Translation
Tao which can be expressed through words is not the eternal Tao, Name which can be addressed through words is not the eternal Name.
Nothingness can be used to indicate the very origin of the Heaven and Earth, Existence can be employed to designate the root of all things in the universe.
Thus one should observe the subtlety of Tao through the constant Nothingness And should observe the subtlety of Tao through the constant Existence.
The two things, Nothingness and Existence Are from the same origin but only named differently.
Both are extremely mysterious and profound, Which makes them the real door to the mysterious and secret things.
