謙德 · 大邦者下流
Qiān Dé
Classical Chinese Text
大邦者下流，天下之牝，天下之交也。牝常以静胜牡，以静为下。故大邦以下小邦，则取小邦；小邦以下大邦，则取大邦。故或下以取，或下而取。大邦不过欲兼畜人，小邦不过欲入事人。夫两者各得所欲，大者宜为下。
Translation & Meaning
真正恢弘的大國應當像居於江河下游的大海一樣，做天下百川交匯的柔順母體。柔順的雌性總是以寧靜包容贏得剛躁的雄性，正是因為她寧靜而又甘居謙下。 所以大國若能對小國保持謙下尊重，便能贏得小國的信服歸附；小國若能對大國保持謙遜得體，便能贏得大國的信任接納。因此，有的是藉謙下凝聚人心，有的是靠謙下獲得庇護。 大國無非希望包容團聚各方百姓，小國無非希望獲得和平安定的發展空間。要使大小雙方各遂其願，力量越強大的一方就越應當主動保持謙下。
Linguistic & Character Analysis
- 大 (dà): classical character (dà)
- 邦 (bāng): classical character (bāng)
- 者 (zhě): aspects / those who / things
- 下 (xià): under / earthly realm / humble
- 流 (liú): classical character (liú)
- 天 (tiān): heaven / nature / cosmos
- 之 (zhī): particle: of / possessive / it
- 牝 (pìn): classical character (pìn)
- 交 (jiāo): classical character (jiāo)
- 也 (yě): [modal particle of assertion]
- 常 (cháng): constant / dynamic invariable
- 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
- 静 (jìng): classical character (jìng)
- 胜 (shèng): classical character (shèng)
- 牡 (mǔ): classical character (mǔ)
- 为 (wèi): act / deem / become
- 故 (gù): therefore / thus / consequence
- 小 (xiǎo): classical character (xiǎo)
- 则 (zé): classical character (zé)
- 取 (qǔ): classical character (qǔ)
- 或 (huò): tangible / perhaps / presence
- 而 (ér): yet / and / but
- 不 (bù): not / un- / without
- 过 (guò): classical character (guò)
- 欲 (yù): intent / desire / craving
- 兼 (jiān): classical character (jiān)
- 畜 (chù): classical character (chù)
- 人 (rén): person / human
- 入 (rù): classical character (rù)
- 事 (shì): affairs / deeds
- 夫 (fū): for / indeed / now
- 两 (liǎng): two / duality / polarity
- 各 (gè): classical character (gè)
- 得 (dé): obtain / acquire / gain
- 所 (suǒ): place / frontier / that which
- 宜 (yí): classical character (yí)
Commentary
青禾散人評注：「大者宜為下」展現超凡的外交與人際格局：地位越高、實力越強者，越能主動放低身段包容弱小，百川自然歸海。