从今天开始，我将陆续抽时间把老子《道德经》和我手头的三个英文译文转载出来，供大家对比欣赏；如果时间更多一些，我会做一些个人点评，与大家探讨。目前我想采用“逆译法”（即把从中文翻译成英文的作品再从英文倒着翻译成中文）检验译文与中文原文之间的距离。希望得到博友的支持。
我所依据的三个英文译本的作者是：林语堂、Victor Mair 和Stephen Mitchell.

一章（４５）
　　道，可道，非恒道。名，可名，非恒名。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。

林语堂的译文

The Tao that can be told of
Is not the Absolute Tao;
The Names that can be given
Are not Absolute Names.

The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth;
The Named is the Mother of All Things.

Therefore:
Oftentimes, one strips oneself of passion
In order to see the Secret of Life;
Oftentimes, one regards life with passion,
In order to see its manifest forms.

These two (the Secret and its manifestations)
Are (in their nature) the same;
They are given different names
When they become manifest.

They may both be called the Cosmic Mystery:
Reaching from the Mystery into the Deeper Mystery
Is the Gate to the Secret of All Life.

Victor Mair 的译文

The ways that can be walked are not the eternal Way;
The names that can be names are not the eternal names.
The nameless is the origin of the myriad creatures;
The named is the mother of myriad creatures.

Therefore,
Always be without desire
in order to observe its wondrous subtleties;
Always have desire
so that you may observe manifestations.

Both of these derive from the same source;
They have different names but the same designation.

Mystery of mysteries,
The game of all wonders!

Stephen Mitchell 的译文

The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.

The unnamable is the eternally real.
Naming is the origin
of all particular things.

Free from desire, you realize the mystery.
Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.

Yet mystery and manifestations
arise from the same source.
This source is called darkness.

Darkness within darkness.
The gateway to all understanding.