Inner Chapters:

Zhuangzi’s “Free and Easy Wandering”: tells how Zhuangzi achieved spiritual freedom by transcending worldly constraints through the state of free and easy wandering.

“The Discussion on Making All Things Equal”: expounds on the philosophical concept of “making all things equal,” which means that all things are equal without distinction between high or low, noble or humble, but only exist in different forms. It also discusses the idea of “great unity,” believing that everything is interdependent and interconnected.

“The Art of Health Preservation”: advocates for maintaining inner peace and harmony with nature to pursue physical and mental health rather than power and wealth.

“Human Worldly Concerns”: describes the absurdities and contradictions in human society, explores the essence of human nature, exposes flaws in social systems, and advocates for achieving spiritual freedom by transcending societal limitations.

“The De Chong Fu”: emphasizes the importance of morality as a core element of human spirituality that enables harmonious coexistence between humans, heaven, earth, and all living beings.

“The Great Master”: tells a story about a carpenter to illustrate how pursuing excellence can lead one to become a great master in any field using metaphorical language.

“In Response to Emperor Yao’s Request for an Audience”: introduces a story about a prime minister who was denied an audience with his ruler. This expresses Zhuangzi’s belief that people should pursue freedom, equality, and self-realization instead of just seeking status or power.

Outer Chapters:

Pian Mu”: Through repairing a damaged bird, Zhuangzi expresses his thoughts on nature, life, freedom and beauty. He also explores the relationship between individuals and collectives, change and constancy.

“Ma Ti”: In this article, Zhuangzi uses the form and characteristics of horse hooves to explore the changes and fluctuations of things as well as the human condition and meaning of life.

“Qiu Qie”: Through describing and metaphorizing Qiu Qie (a type of box), Zhuangzi expounds on the essence of life and matter while exploring the relationship between humans and the universe.

“In You”: Using a wanderer in nature as an example, Zhuangzi discusses the relationship between humans, nature, body and mind. He emphasizes the importance of relaxation, pursuit of freedom, balance.

“Heaven & Earth”: With Tai Chi diagram as an analogy in this article,Zhuangzi expresses his thoughts on cosmic essence while exploring origin of all things existence vs non-existence; Daoism vs morality

“Tian Dao”: In this article,Zhuangzi discusses conceptually about Tian Dao (Heavenly Way)and explores fate/destiny,human free will,and how to find balance between freedom & inevitability

“Tian Yun”: This article is about discussing cosmic operation/law,ruling out human’s position&meaning in universe,stressing awe&respect for cosmos

“Ke Yi”: This article is about exploring relationships among individual&collective subjective&objective thought&action,nature,wuwei(non-action)&freedom

“Shan Xing “: By using mountain trees as metaphors,this articles delves into essentiality & variabilityof things,promoting wuwei(non-action),letting go attachment/stubbornness,to achieve inner peace/harmony

“Tian Zi Fang “:Through description/metaphorizationof Tian Zi Fang(a person’s behavior/mindset), Zhuangzi emphasizes the importance of nature, wuwei(non-action) and freedom.

“Zhi Bei You”: Using Zhi Bei You as a metaphor, Zhuangzi explores human pursuit and development. He advocates letting go of attachment/stubbornness, maintaining an attitude of freedom, openness and exploration.

“Autumn Water”: Through describing autumn water,Zhuangzi expresses his awe&respect for nature while exploring the relationship between individuals & universe

“Zhi Le”: In this article,Zhuangzi discusses human pursuit of happiness,stressing inner peace/relaxation,promoting wuwei(non-action),pursuing freedom to reach ultimate joy

“Da Sheng “: This article is about exploring essence&meaningof life,promoting natural,wuwei(non-action)attitude,taking away fear of life/death,to pursue true meaning of life.

Mountains and Trees”: In this article, Zhuangzi uses mountains and trees as metaphors to explore the essence and changes of things. He advocates governing by inaction, letting go of attachments and stubbornness, in order to achieve inner peace and harmony.

“Tian Zifang”: In this article, Zhuangzi explores human behavior and mentality through his description and metaphor of Tian Zifang. He emphasizes the importance of nature, inaction, and freedom.

“Knowledge Northward Journey”: In this article, Zhuangzi uses Knowledge Northward Journey as a metaphor to explore human pursuit and development. He advocates letting go of attachments and stubbornness while maintaining a free, open-minded attitude towards exploration.

Miscellaneous Chapters:

Geng Sang Chu: In this article, Zhuangzi explores human attitudes towards death and life, explaining that life and death are not opposing extremes but a unified whole.

Xu Wu Gui: In this article, Zhuangzi tells the story of Xu Wu Gui to explore the relationship between humans and nature, life and death. He advocates for pursuing freedom, peace, and harmony.

Ze Yang: In this article, Zhuangzi discusses human understanding of reality versus illusion. He promotes going beyond surface appearances to seek essential truths.

Wai Wu: In this article, Zhuangzi explains how external things affect human life. He advocates for seeking true freedom and happiness by maintaining inner balance while transcending material constraints.

Yu Yan: Using fables in this article, Zhuangzi explores moral and ethical issues in human society. He emphasizes the importance of governing through non-action (wu wei) while pursuing freedom and harmony.

Rang Wang: Through telling the story of Qi Xuanwang in this article, Zhuangzi examines the essence as well as limitations of politics and power. He stresses on governing through non-action (wu wei) while maintaining freedom and balance.

Dao Zhi: By telling the story of Daozhi in this chapter，Zhuang Zi explored injustice & contradiction within human society，and advocated governance through non-action(wuwei)，maintaining freedom & harmony。

Shuo Jian：In Shuo Jian，Zhuangi discussed competition & struggle within human lives，advocating governance through non-action(wuwei)，maintaining freedom & harmony。

Yu Fu：Through Yu Fu’s story,Zhuangi explored pursuit&experience of meaning in one’s own life,stressing on maintaining inner balance,pursuing freedom&harmony。

Lie Yukou：By telling Lie Yukou’s story,Zhuangi examined war&violence within human society,and advocated governance through non-action(wuwei),pursuing freedom&harmony。

Tian Xia：In this article, Zhuangzi explores the order and morality in human society. He advocates for governing through non-action (wu wei) while maintaining freedom and harmony, seeking true balance and harmony.

内篇：

《齐物论》：阐述了“齐物”的哲学思想，即万物皆平等，没有高低贵贱之分，只有不同的存在形式。同时也讲述了“大一统”的思想，认为一切万物都是相互依存、相互联系的。

《养生主》：主张人应该保持内心的平和与自然，追求身心的健康，而不是追求权力和金钱。

《人间世》：讲述了人类社会的种种荒谬和矛盾，探究人性的本质和社会制度的缺陷，主张要达到精神自由，必须要超越社会的限制。

《德充符》：强调道德的重要性，认为道德是人类精神的核心，是人与天地万物和谐相处的根本。

《大宗师》：讲述了一个关于一位木匠的故事，通过比喻的手法阐述了在任何领域中，如果追求极致，就能达到“大宗师”的地步。

《应帝王》：介绍了一位宰相求见国君，但却被拒绝的故事，表达了庄子主张人应该追求自由、平等、自我实现的思想，而非仅仅追求地位和权力的崇高。

外篇：

《骈拇》：通过对一只残缺的鸟进行修复，庄子表达了对自然、生命、自由和美的思考，同时也探讨了个体与集体、变化与恒定之间的关系。

《马蹄》：庄子在此篇中通过马蹄的形态和特征来探讨事物的变化和流变，以及人类的处境和生命的意义。

《胠箧》：通过对于胠箧的描述和比喻，庄子阐述了生命和物质的本质，探讨了人类和宇宙之间的关系。

《在宥》：庄子借助一位游荡在野外的隐者，讨论了人类与自然、身心之间的关系，强调了放松心态、追求自由、保持平衡的重要性。

《天地》：庄子在此篇中借助太极图，表达了对宇宙本质的思考，探讨了万物之源、存在与非存在、道与德的关系。

《天道》：庄子在此篇中论述了天道的概念，探讨了天命、命运、人类自由意志与天道的关系，以及人类如何在自由与必然之间寻找平衡。 《天运》：庄子在此篇中探讨了宇宙的运行和规律，讨论了人类在宇宙中的位置和意义，强调了对于宇宙的敬畏和尊重。

《刻意》：庄子在此篇中探讨了个体与集体、主观与客观、思想与行动之间的关系，强调了自然、无为和自由的重要性。

《缮性》：庄子在此篇中探讨了人类本性的问题，提倡保持本性，摆脱社会和文化的束缚，寻求自由、平衡和和谐。

《秋水》：庄子在此篇中通过对秋水的描绘，表达了对于自然的敬畏和尊重，探讨了个体和宇宙之间。

《至乐》：庄子在此篇中探讨了人类追求快乐和幸福的问题，强调了内心的平静和放松，提倡无为而治，追求自由和达到至乐的境界。

《达生》：庄子在此篇中探讨了生命的本质和意义，提倡保持自然、无为的态度，放下对于生死的恐惧，追求生命的真正意义。

《山木》：庄子在此篇中以山木为比喻，探讨了事物的本质和变化，提倡无为而治，放下执着和固执，以达到内心的平静和和谐。

《田子方》：庄子在此篇中通过对于田子方的叙述和比喻，探讨了人类的行为和心态，强调了自然、无为和自由的重要性。

《知北游》：庄子在此篇中以知北游为比喻，探讨了人类的追求和发展，提倡放下执着和固执，保持自由、开放和探索的态度。

杂篇：

《庚桑楚》：庄子在此篇中探讨了人类对于死亡和生命的态度，阐述了生死并不是对立的两个极端，而是统一的整体。

《徐无鬼》：庄子在此篇中通过讲述徐无鬼的故事，探讨了人类与自然、生命和死亡之间的关系，提倡追求自由、平静和和谐。

《则阳》：庄子在此篇中探讨了人类对于真实和虚幻的认知和理解，提倡超越表面现象、寻求本质真相。

《外物》：庄子在此篇中阐述了外物对于人类生活的影响，提倡通过保持内心平衡、自由和超越物质的束缚，寻求真正的自由和幸福。

《寓言》：庄子在此篇中使用寓言的形式，探讨了人类社会中的道德和伦理问题，强调了以无为而治、追求自由和和谐的重要性。

《让王》：庄子在此篇中通过讲述齐宣王的故事，探讨了政治和权力的本质、限制和局限，强调了以无为而治、保持自由和平衡的重要性。

《盗跖》：庄子在此篇中通过讲述盗跖的故事，探讨了人类社会中的不公正和矛盾，提倡以无为而治、保持自由和和谐。

《说剑》：庄子在此篇中通过讲述剑的故事，探讨了人类生活中的竞争和斗争，提倡以无为而治、保持自由和和谐。

《渔父》：庄子在此篇中通过讲述渔父的故事，探讨了人类对于生活意义的追求和体验，强调了保持内心平衡、追求自由和和谐的重要性。

《列御寇》：庄子在此篇中通过讲述列御寇的故事，探讨了人类社会中的战争和暴力，提倡以无为而治、追求自由和和谐。

《天下》：庄子在此篇中探讨了人类社会中的秩序和道德，提倡以无为而治、保持自由和和谐，寻求真正的平衡和和谐。

“Xiao Yao” is also written as “Xiao Yao”, meaning a leisurely and carefree appearance. “Free and easy wandering” means to move around without any constraints, freely.

The entire text can be divided into three parts. The first part until “the sage has no name” is the main body of this article. It explains through contrasting many examples that cannot achieve the state of being free and easy, that in order to truly reach the realm of freedom, one must be “selfless,” and have no accomplishments or reputation. The second part “Losing all under heaven in seclusion,” further elaborates on the previous section by explaining that being selfless is the only way to break free from various restraints and dependencies. Only by truly forgetting oneself and everything else can one reach the state of being free and easy; only those who are selfless are spiritually superior individuals. The remaining third part discusses what is truly useful or useless, emphasizing not getting stuck on material things but treating uselessness as usefulness instead, expressing opposition towards actively engaging in social activities while pursuing a life goal of leisurely enjoyment without any restrictions.

This article is one of the representative works in Zhuangzi’s philosophy filled with unique imagination and romantic colors, conveying reasoning through fables and vivid metaphors forming a distinctive style. “Free and Easy Wandering” is also an important aspect of Zhuangzi’s philosophical thought which repeatedly emphasizes its advocacy for having nothing to rely on while pursuing absolute spiritual freedom. In Zhuangzi’s view, everything in objective reality including human beings themselves is interdependent yet opposing; there exists no absolute freedom unless one becomes selfless by having nothing to rely on whatsoever. Therefore he hopes everything will follow nature naturally detached from reality denying humanity’s role within society and merging human life with all living things advocating non-attachment towards material things while seeking unconditional spiritual freedom.

逍遥”也写作“消摇”，意思是优游自得的样子；“逍遥游”就是没有任何束缚地、自由自在地活动。

全文可分为三个部分，第一部分至“圣人无名”，是本篇的主体，从对比许多不能“逍遥”的例子说明，要得真正达到自由自在的境界，必须“无己”、“无功”、“无名”。第二部分至“窅然丧其天下焉”，紧承上一部分进一步阐述，说明“无己”是摆脱各种束缚和依凭的唯一途径，只要真正做到忘掉自己、忘掉一切，就能达到逍遥的境界，也只有“无己”的人才是精神境界最高的人。余下为第三部分，论述什么是真正的有用和无用，说明不能为物所滞，要把无用当作有用，进一步表达了反对积极投身社会活动，志在不受任何拘束，追求优游自得的生活旨趣。

本篇是《庄子》的代表篇目之一，充满奇特的想象和浪漫的色彩，寓说理于寓言和生动的比喻中，形成独特的风格。“逍遥游”也是庄子哲学思想的一个重要方面。全篇一再阐述无所依凭的主张，追求精神世界的绝对自由。在庄子的眼里，客观现实中的一事一物，包括人类本身都是对立而又相互依存的，这就没有绝对的自由，要想无所依凭就得无己。因而他希望一切顺乎自然，超脱于现实，否定人在社会生活中的一切作用，把人类的生活与万物的生存混为一体；提倡不滞于物，追求无条件的精神自由。

This article is another representative work of “Zhuangzi”. “Qi Wu Lun” contains two meanings: Qi Wu and Qi Lun. Zhuangzi believed that all things in the world, including human nature and emotions, seem to be different but ultimately unified, which is called “Qi Wu”. He also believed that people’s various opinions and viewpoints may seem different, but since all things in the world are ultimately unified, speech should also be unified without distinctions or differences. This is called “Qi Lun”. The combination of “Qi Wu” and “Qi Lun” forms the main theme of this article.

The text can be roughly divided into seven parts. The first part of Zi Qi entering a state of egolessness vividly describes the different sounds of nature and points out that they all come from within themselves. The second part further describes various social phenomena and human mentalities as coming from emptiness. The third part explains that disputes over right or wrong have no value because everything has its opposite side as well as its unity; everything changes while transforming towards its opposite side. Therefore, since everything is ultimately unified, distinctions between right and wrong are unnecessary, and intelligence becomes worthless too.

The fourth part emphasizes that there was never any differentiation on the great path nor were there ever definitive statements made about speech; what people hold onto regarding right or wrong isn’t inherent to objects themselves but rather subjective prejudices against external objects – objectivity lies with subjectivity so there’s no difference between right or wrong when both are contained within one entity.

The fifth part starts by forgetting things before being able to unify them together; it explains how understanding something doesn’t necessarily require an absolute objective standard thus rendering language useless for distinguishing between right/wrong.

The sixth section uses allegorical characters to explain how forgetting life/death & good/evil allows oneself to transcend beyond dust particles thereby demonstrating how indivisible matter cannot be debated through words alone.

Finally, the seventh part uses two allegorical stories to illustrate the meaning of “no reliance” and how matter and self are intertwined, ultimately becoming one.

“Qi Wu” and “Qi Lun” are another important aspect of Zhuangzi’s philosophical thought, along with “Xiao Yao You”, they form the main body of his philosophical system. Zhuangzi saw that there were differences in objective things as well as oppositions between them. However, from a perspective that all things are unified, he believed that everything is also undifferentiated and constantly transforming towards its opposite side; therefore distinctions don’t exist. He also believed that various schools of thought and debates have no value since right or wrong doesn’t exist when viewed from an indivisible entity perspective. This article contains many dialectical viewpoints but can often fall into metaphysical traps which require careful analysis to understand fully.

本篇是《庄子》的又一代表篇目。“齐物论”包含齐物与齐论两个意思。庄子认为世界万物包括人的品性和感情，看起来是千差万别，归根结底却又是齐一的，这就是“齐物”。庄子还认为人们的各种看法和观点，看起来也是千差万别的，但世间万物既是齐一的，言论归根结底也应是齐一的，没有所谓是非和不同，这就是“齐论”。“齐物”和“齐论”合在一起便是本篇的主旨。

全文大体分成七个部分，第一部分至“怒者其谁邪”，从子綦进入无我境界开篇，生动地描写大自然的不同声响，并且指出它们全都出于自身。第二部分至“吾独且奈何哉”，推进一步描述社会各种现象和人的各种不同心态，并指出这些实实在在的东西又都是出自虚无。第三部分至“此之谓以明”，说明是非之争并没有价值。万物都有其对立的一面，也有其统一的一面；万物都在变化之中，而且都在向它自身对立的那一面转化。从这一意义说，万物既然是齐一的，那么区别是与非就没有必要，才智也就成了没有价值的东西。第四部分至“此之谓葆光”，进一步指出大道并不曾有过区分，言论也不曾有过定论，人们所持有的是非与区分并非物之本然，而是主观对外物的偏见，物、我一体，因而是非无别，容藏于一体。第五部分至“而况利害之端乎”，从忘物才能齐物入手，说明认识事物并没有什么绝对客观的尺度，因而人的言论也就没有确定是非区别的必要。第六部分至“故寓诸无竟”，借寓言人物之口阐述齐物与齐论的途径，即忘掉死生、忘掉是非，把自己寄托于无穷的境域，从而遨游于尘埃之外，这也就进一步说明物之不可分、言之不可辩。余下为第七部分，通过两个寓言故事表明“无所凭依”和物我交合、物我俱化的旨意。

“齐物”与“齐论”是庄子哲学思想的又一重要方面，与“逍遥游”一并构成庄子哲学思想体系的主体。庄子看到了客观事物存在这样那样的区别，看到了事物的对立。但出于万物一体的观点，他又认为这一切又都是统一的，浑然一体的，而且都在向其对立的一面不断转化，因而又都是没有区别的。庄子还认为各种各样的学派和论争都是没有价值的。是与非、正与误，从事物本于一体的观点看也是不存在的。这既有宇宙观方面的讨论，也涉及到认识论方面的许多问题，因而在我国古代哲学研究中具有重要地位。篇文充满辩证的观点，但也经常陷入形而上学的泥潭，须得细加体会和分析。

This is an article about the way of health preservation. “The Art of Health Preservation” means the essentials of health preservation. Zhuangzi believed that the key to health preservation lies in following nature, forgetting emotions, and not being hindered by external things.

The entire text is divided into three parts. The first part up until “one can live out their years” serves as an overview for the whole article, pointing out that the most important aspect of health preservation is to adhere to the principle of “following what comes naturally,” which means embracing emptiness in all things and adapting to natural changes and developments. The second part up until “attaining good health from it” uses butchering a cow as a metaphor for human health preservation, explaining how one should conduct themselves in life according to fixed principles and conforming with natural laws while also taking advantage of opportunities when they arise so as to avoid getting caught up in conflicts or contradictions. The remaining section comprises Part Three, which further elaborates on living life by listening to fate and following nature with an attitude that is both calm and harmonious.

Zhuangzi’s philosophy centers around two main ideas: freedom without dependence on anything else, and opposition towards forcing oneself into conformity with nature through artificial means. Although this text discusses health preservation throughout its lines, it actually reflects more upon the author’s philosophical thoughts and approach towards life.

这是一篇谈养生之道的文章。“养生主”意思就是养生的要领。庄子认为，养生之道重在顺应自然，忘却情感，不为外物所滞。

全文分成三个部分，第一部分至“可以尽年”，是全篇的总纲，指出养生最重要的是要做到“缘督以为经”，即秉承事物中虚之道，顺应自然的变化与发展。第二部分至“得养生焉”，以厨工分解牛体比喻人之养生，说明处世、生活都要“因其固然”、“依乎天理”，而且要取其中虚“有间”，方能“游刃有余”，从而避开是非和矛盾的纠缠。余下为第三部分，进一步说明听凭天命，顺应自然，“安时而处顺”的生活态度。

庄子思想的中心，一是无所依凭自由自在，一是反对人为顺其自然，本文字里行间虽是在谈论养生，实际上是在体现作者的哲学思想和生活旨趣。

The central theme of the book “Human Worldly Concerns” is to discuss the way of life, which not only expresses Zhuangzi’s attitude towards dealing with people and self-cultivation, but also reveals his philosophical views on how to deal with the world.

The whole text can be divided into two parts. The first part uses three stories as examples: Confucius’ conversation with Yan Hui when he planned to serve Wei State, Duke Ye Gongzi seeking advice from Confucius before going on a mission to Qi State, and Yan He asking for advice from Qu Boyu when he was appointed as the tutor of Prince Wei. These stories illustrate how difficult it is to deal with worldly affairs and how one must be cautious. How can we cope with difficult situations? “Zhuangzi” first proposes that we should “cleanse our minds”, that is, “be empty and wait for things”. Secondly, it suggests that we should “know what cannot be helped and accept it like fate”. Thirdly, it proposes that we should “cultivate ourselves properly” and “adapt ourselves according to circumstances”. Ultimately, all these points lead back to the idea of having no ego.

The second part focuses on expressing the usefulness of uselessness. It uses metaphors such as trees that do not become timber but still live long lives or broken branches that avoid many disasters despite their imperfect form. The final sentence – “People all know about using what is useful; nobody knows about using what is useless” – serves as a conclusion for this section. The two parts complement each other: difficulties in life lead us to understand the concept of usefulness in uselessness; this concept embodies Zhuangzi’s attitude towards life (“emptiness”), which is full of dialectics because usefulness and uselessness are objective yet relative concepts that may transform under specific circumstances.

《人间世》的中心是讨论处世之道，既表述了庄子所主张的处人与自处的人生态度，也揭示出庄子处世的哲学观点。

全文可分为前后两大部分，前一部分至“可不惧邪”，以下为后一部分。前一部分假托三个故事：孔子在颜回打算出仕卫国时对他的谈话，叶公子高将出使齐国时向孔子的求教，颜阖被请去做卫太子师傅时向蘧伯玉的讨教，以此来说明处世之难，不可不慎。怎样才能应付艰难的世事呢？《庄子》首先提出要“心斋”，即“虚以待物”。再则提出要“知其不可奈何而安之若命”，第三提出要“正女身”，并“形莫若就”，“心莫若和”。归结到一点仍旧是“无己”。第二部分着力表达“无用”之为有用，用树木不成材却终享天年和支离疏形体不全却避除了许多灾祸来比喻说明，最后一句“人皆知有用之用，而莫知无用之用”，便是整个第二部分的结语。前后两部分是互补的，世事艰难推出了“无用”之用的观点，“无用”之用正是“虚以待物”的体现。“无用”之用决定了庄子“虚无”的人生态度，但也充满了辩证法，有用和无用是客观的，但也是相对的，而且在特定环境里还会出现转化。

The focus of this article is on discussing how the human spiritual world should reflect the concept of universality and unity of all things in the universe. The “De” mentioned by Zhuangzi in this article does not refer to morality or virtue as commonly understood, but rather a state of mind. Zhuangzi believed that all things in the universe originate from the “Dao”, and although everything may be different, they ultimately return to one source. From these two points, it should be reflected in people’s conceptual forms as “forgetting oneself” and “forgetting emotions”. The so-called “forgetting oneself” means that there is no distinction between self and others, life and death are one; while “forgetting emotions” means there is no attachment to favor or disgrace, honor or shame, likes or dislikes. This state of mind of forgetting oneself and forgetting emotions is what Zhuangzi calls “De”.

The term “Chong” refers to enrichment while “Fu” means verification.

To illustrate the enrichment and verification of “De”, this article imagines a series of people who are physically deformed or have disabilities but possess extremely enriched “De”. These form five small stories: Confucius was convinced by Wang Tai’s argument; Shentu Jia felt ashamed when he met Zichan; Confucius’ inner ugliness surpassed that of Shushan Wuzhi; Confucius praised Aitai for his virtues before Duke Ai; Qiqi Zhiliwupin (a man with crooked legs) was loved by his ruler despite his physical deformities. After these five small stories comes Part Six which uses dialogue between Zhuangzi and Huizi as its conclusion – Huizi serves as an example where his lackluster character fails to measure up against those who are ugly yet possess great virtue.

本篇的中心在于讨论人的精神世界，应该怎样反映宇宙万物的本原观念和一体性观念。庄子在本篇里所说的“德”，并非通常理解的道德或者德行，而是指一种心态。庄子认为宇宙万物均源于“道”，而万事万物尽管千差万别，归根到底又都浑然为一，从这两点出发，体现在人的观念形态上便应是“忘形”与“忘情”。所谓“忘形”就是物我俱化，死生同一；所谓“忘情”就是不存在宠辱、贵贱、好恶、是非。这种“忘形”与“忘情”的精神状态就是庄子笔下的“德”。“充”指充实，“符”则是证验的意思。

为了说明“德”的充实与证验，文章想象出一系列外貌奇丑或形体残缺不全的人，但是他们的“德”又极为充实，这样就组成了自成部分的五个小故事：孔子为王骀所折服，申徒嘉使子产感到羞愧，孔子的内心比叔山无趾更为丑陋，孔子向鲁哀公称颂哀骀它，跂支离无脤和大瘿为国君所喜爱。五个小故事之后又用庄子和惠子的对话作为结尾，即第六部分，在庄子的眼里惠子恰是“德”充符的反证，还赶不上那些貌丑形残的人。

“Zong” refers to admiration and respect, and “Grand Master” means the most worthy of admiration and respect teacher. Who can be called such a teacher? That is the “Dao”. Zhuangzi believed that nature and humans are one, and there is no difference in the life and death changes of humans. Therefore, he advocated clear-mindedness, detachment from form, forgetting about life and death, and following nature. This is called “Dao”

The entire text can be divided into nine parts. The first part up to “this is what we call a true person”, imagines an idealized concept of a “true person”, who can achieve unity between heaven and man as well as selflessness. The spiritual realm of the “true person” embodies the image of “Dao”. The second part up to “compared with stars”, gradually shifts from describing the “true person” to discussing “Dao”. Only the “true person” can perceive “Dao”, which is both actionless yet eternal; therefore perceiving it requires being without ego or self-interest. These two sections are the main body of this text’s discussion.

The third part up to “doubts begin with hearing vague rumors,” discusses methods for perceiving Dao along with its process. The fourth part up until “suddenly awakened,” explains that human life cannot escape birth or death but should instead accept them calmly according to natural order.

The fifth section up until  “small people under heaven,” further discusses human life cycles by pointing out that both birth & death are transformations in energy (Qi), natural phenomena beyond our control; thus we must forget ourselves in order for our spirit/soul transcendence material existence.

In sixth section until entering Liao Tian Yi (a state where everything becomes empty), it describes how although our physical bodies change over time, our spirits will not die if we remain at peace with nature and forget about death, thus entering the realm of “Dao” and becoming one with nature.

The seventh section up until “this is where I wander,” criticizes Confucianism’s concepts of benevolence, righteousness, and morality as being harmful to human spirituality. The eighth part up until “Qiu requested that he follow him” discusses how detachment from form & knowledge leads to a state of great understanding (Da Tong) which is the method for entering into Daoist practice. The remaining text comprises the ninth section, explaining that everything is arranged by fate rather than human power.

“宗”指敬仰、尊崇，“大宗师”意思是最值得敬仰、尊崇的老师。谁够得上称作这样的老师呢？那就是“道”。庄子认为自然和人是浑一的，人的生死变化是没有什么区别的，因而他主张清心寂神，离形去智，忘却生死，顺应自然。这就叫做“道”。

全文可以分为九个部分。第一部分至“是之谓真人”，虚拟一理想中的“真人”，“真人”能做到“天”、“人”不分，因而“真人”能做到“无人”、“无我”。“真人”的精神境界就是“道”的形象化。第二部分至“而比于列星”，从描写“真人”逐步转为述说“道”，只有“真人”才能体察“道”，而“道”是“无为无形”而又永存的，因而体察“道”就必须“无人”、“无我”。这两段是全文论述的主体。第三部分至“参寥闻之疑始”，讨论体察“道”的方法和进程。第四部分至“蘧然觉”，说明人的死生存亡实为一体，无法逃避，因而应“安时而处顺”。第五部分至“天之小人也”，进一步讨论人的死和生，指出死和生都是“气”的变化，是自然的现象，因而应“相忘以生，无所终穷”，只有这样精神才会超脱物外。第六部分至“乃入于寥天一”，说明人的躯体有了变化而人的精神却不会死，安于自然、忘却死亡，便进入“道”的境界而与自然合成一体。第七部分至“此所游已”，批判儒家的仁义和是非观念，指出儒家的观念是对人的精神摧残。第八部分至“丘也请从而后也”，论述“离形去知，同于大通”是进入“道”的境界的方法。余下为第九部分，说明一切都由“命”所安排，即非人为之力所安排。

Political ideology. Zhuangzi’s understanding of the universe is based on the concept of “Dao”. He believes that everything in the universe is interconnected and therefore there is no distinction or difference. All changes in the world are natural, and human factors are external and additional. Based on this, Zhuangzi’s political proposal is to govern by not governing, which means that governance should be achieved through non-action. What kind of person should become an emperor? It is someone who can follow nature, understands people’s feelings, and act without words.

The article can be roughly divided into seven parts. The first part up until “but has never entered into non-human”, describes an ideal ruler who allows people to do as they please without falling into a dilemma between self-interest and public interest. The second part up until “and ignorant like two insects” points out that setting various behavioral norms is a form of deception; rulers need not bother with such matters but rather focus on overcoming difficulties like crossing seas or digging rivers or making mosquitoes carry mountains. The third part up until “and thus the world will be governed”, further advocates for governance through non-action by following nature naturally without any personal bias involved. The fourth part up until “and wandering where there was nothing”, proposes what he calls the rule of a ‘wise king’, which involves governing through non-action by allowing things to take their own course while transforming all things around them at once. The fifth part up until “thus it ends here,” tells a story about how Shenwu saw his fate from a pot given to him by Daoist master Laozi, emphasizing that only emptiness and concealment can avoid being measured by others – implying that rulers must also empty themselves before ruling according to circumstances. The sixth section emphasizes clear-mindedness in governance: one should reflect reality like a mirror reflecting visitors’ images while letting go of those who leave so as to overcome obstacles without causing harm. The remaining part is the seventh section, which tells a story about how Hun Dun lost his true self and died due to human harm.

The entire article uses these seven stories as allegories to express Zhuangzi’s political proposal of governance through non-action.

《应帝王》是《庄子》内篇中的最后一篇，它表达了庄子的为政思想。庄子对宇宙万物的认识基于“道”，他认为整个宇宙万物是浑一的，因此也就无所谓分别和不同，世间的一切变化也都出于自然，人为的因素都是外在的、附加的。基于此，庄子的政治主张就是以不治为治，无为而治便是本篇的中心。什么样的人“应”成为“帝王”呢？那就是能够听任自然、顺乎民情、行不言之教的人。

全篇大体分为七个部分。第一部分至“而未始入于非人”，借蒲衣子之口说出理想的为政者，听任人之所为，从不堕入物我两分的困境。第二部分至“而曾二虫之无知”，指出制定各种行为规范乃是一种欺骗，为政者无须多事，倘要强人所难就像“涉海凿河”，“使蚊负山”一样。第三部分至“而天下治矣”，进一步倡导无为而治，即“顺物自然而无容私焉”的主张。第四部分至“而游于无有者也”，提出所谓“明王”之治，即“使物自喜”、“化贷万物”的无为之治。第五部分至“一以是终”，叙述神巫给得道的壶子看相的故事，说明只有“虚”而“藏”才能不为人所测，含蓄地指出为政也得虚己而顺应。第六部分至“故能胜物而不伤”，强调为政清明，应像镜子那样，来者就照，去者不留，“胜物”而又“不伤”。余下为第七部分，叙述浑沌受人为伤害失去本真而死去的故事，

寓指有为之政祸害无穷。全篇以这七个故事，寓托了他无为而治的政治主张。

The “Pian Mu” refers to the toes that are fused together, just like the divergent fingers and attached warts on the body, they are all superfluous things in the human body. What is inherent in things? That is something that conforms to nature and complies with human emotions. The central idea of this article advocates letting nature take its course and complying with human emotions.

The whole article can be roughly divided into four parts. The first part up until “not the most righteous under heaven”, explains how wisdom, benevolence, and eloquence are like “paired thumbs,” “branching fingers,” and “attached warts” on the human body – all superfluous things that do not conform to naturalness. The second part up until “causing confusion throughout the world,” focuses on criticizing benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and music (the Confucian virtues), pointing out that there is no better way than maintaining one’s true feelings by not losing one’s innate character; whereas benevolence and righteousness cause confusion throughout society. The third part up until “How could it distinguish between gentlemen or petty men?” further points out that advocating for benevolence causes chaos in society; from a perspective of sacrificing oneself for external objects both gentlemen and petty men damage their lives’ essence equally so, there is no difference between them. The remaining section constitutes Part Four which states everything done cannot compare to doing anything at all thus expounding upon social views where neither benevolence nor depravity should be pursued.

This article along with its sister piece ‘Horse Hooves’ can be seen as an introduction reflecting Zhuangzi’s view of governing through non-action while returning to nature as well as his political views directly criticizing Confucianism’s virtues of Benevolence/Righteousness/Propriety/Music but also negating certain aspects of societal progressivism. Its writing style is straightforward and its viewpoints are expressed clearly.

“骈拇”指并合的脚趾，跟旁出的歧指和附着的赘瘤一样，都是人体上多余的东西。什么才是事物所固有的呢？那就是合乎自然，顺应人情的东西。倡导听任自然，顺应人情的思想，就是本篇的中心。

全篇大体分为四个部分。第一部分至“非天下之至正也”，说明智慧、仁义和辩言犹如人体上的“骈拇”、“枝指”和“附赘县疣”，都是不符合本然的多余的东西。第二部分至“使天下惑也”，着力批评仁义和礼乐，指出天下的至理正道，莫如“不失其性命之情”，即保持本然之真情，而“仁义”和“礼乐”却使“天下惑”。第三部分至“又恶取君子小人于其间哉”，进一步指出标榜仁义是乱天下的祸根，从为外物而殉身这一角度看，君子和小人都“残生损性”，因而是没有区别的。余下为第四部分，指出一切有为都不如不为，从而阐明了不为仁义也不为淫僻的社会观。

本篇和下篇《马蹄》可说是姊妹篇，也可把本篇看作《马蹄》的前奏，反映了庄子无为而治，返归自然的社会观和政治观，对儒家的仁义和礼乐作了直接的批判，但对某些社会的进步也作了否定。文辞直陈，观点跃于言表。

This article expresses Zhuangzi’s opposition to constraints and restraints, advocating for political proposals that return everything to its natural state.

The entire text can be divided into three parts. The first part, up until “This is also a mistake in governing the world,” uses the examples of “Bo Le’s skillful management of horses” and “the pottery maker and carpenter’s skillful handling of clay and wood” to metaphorically illustrate how all rules and methods used by those in power to govern the world directly harm the natural essence of things. The second part, up until “This is also a mistake made by sages,” compares ancient times when everything had a common nature generated from nature itself with later generations’ implementation of so-called benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and music which have damaged human nature as well as the true feelings of things. It directly points out that this is also a mistake made by sages. The remaining section constitutes the third part which continues using horses as an example to further explain how all restraints are harmful to natural essence; what sages implement as benevolence or righteousness can only encourage people to pursue their own interests.

In Zhuangzi’s view, all social conflicts stem from so-called sage governance; therefore he advocates abandoning benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and music along with any other constraints or restraints imposed on society or things themselves in order for them both to return back to their natural states. This article deeply exposes the hypocrisy and deception behind benevolence, righteousness, and propriety but it is not advisable to idealize primitive societies like those in ancient times nor adopt passive political proposals such as “self-cultivation through non-action.

本篇表现了庄子反对束缚和羁绊，提倡一切返归自然的政治主张。

全文可分成三个部分。第一部分至“此亦治天下者之过也”，以“伯乐善治马”和“陶、匠善治埴、木”为例，寄喻一切从政者治理天下的规矩和办法，都直接残害了事物的自然和本性。第二部分至“圣人之过也”，对比上古时代一切都具有共同的本性，一切都生成于自然，谴责后代推行所谓仁、义、礼、乐，摧残了人的本性和事物的真情，并直接指出这就是“圣人之过”。余下为第三部分，继续以马为喻，进一步说明一切羁绊都是对自然本性的摧残，圣人推行的所谓仁义，只能是鼓励人们“争归于利”。

在庄子的眼里，当世社会的纷争动乱都源于所谓圣人的“治”，因而他主张摒弃仁义和礼乐，取消一切束缚和羁绊，让社会和事物都回到它的自然和本性上去。文章对于仁义、礼乐的虚伪性、蒙蔽性揭露是深刻的，但追慕上古社会的原始状态则极不可取，“无为自化”的政治主张也是消极的，回避现实的。

The meaning of ‘opening the box’ is to open a box. The main theme of this article is the same as that of the ‘Horse’s Hooves’, but it is deeper and more direct in its language. On one hand, it vigorously criticizes the so-called “benevolence and righteousness” of sages, on the other hand, advocates abandoning all culture and wisdom, and returning society to its primitive state. The central idea of ​​this article is to promote the concept of “abandoning knowledge for ignorance” and advocating a return to primitive political ideas. The entire article can be roughly divided into three parts. The first part starts by discussing various anti-theft measures that will eventually be used by thieves, pointing out that at that time, all proposals and methods for governing the world were tools for rulers and conspirators, focusing on criticizing “benevolence” and “rituals”. The second part goes further by proposing to abandon all social culture in order to link together with the idea of ​​”abandoning knowledge for ignorance”. The remaining part constitutes the third part which expresses political views by comparing periods where there was good governance versus those with chaos such as during ancient times before the Three Dynasties period. This article deeply exposes the hypocrisy behind benevolence & righteousness while also revealing societal darkness; bluntly stating: “Those who steal hooks are executed; those who steal countries become princes.” However, it does not provide any solution or way forward for society but instead proposes an approach called “abandoning knowledge for ignorance” which seeks regression back towards humanity’s primitive state. This represents a negative aspect of Zhuangzi’s social view and political perspectives.

“胠箧”的意思是打开箱子。本篇的主旨跟《马蹄》篇相同，但比《马蹄》更深刻，言辞也直接，一方面竭力抨击所谓圣人的“仁义”，一方面倡导抛弃一切文化和智慧，使社会回到原始状态中去。宣扬“绝圣弃知”的思想和返归原始的政治主张，就是本篇的中心。全篇大体分成三个部分。第一部分至“而天下始治矣”，从讨论各种防盗的手段最终都会被盗贼所利用入手，指出当时治天下的主张和办法，都是统治者、阴谋家的工具，着力批判了“仁义”和“礼法”。第二部分至“法之所无用也”，进一步提出摒弃一切社会文化的观点，使“绝圣”的主张和“弃知”的思想联系在一起。余下为第三部分，通过对比“至德之世”与“三代以下”的治乱，表达缅怀原始社会的政治主张。本篇深刻揭露了仁义的虚伪和社会的黑暗，一针见血地指出“窃钩者诛，窃国者为诸侯。”但看不到社会的出路，于是提出“绝圣弃知”的主张，要摒弃社会文明与进步，倒退到人类的原始状态。这是庄子社会观和政治观的消极面。

‘Zai’ means being at ease, and ‘You’ means tolerance. Opposing artificiality and advocating nature, expounding the principle of governing by doing nothing is the main theme of this article. The whole text is roughly divided into six parts. The first part until ‘How can I have time to govern the world?’ points out that all governance with intention will make people in the world indulge their nature and abandon their virtue, so when a gentleman has no choice but to rule over the world, he should do nothing; thus proposing the principle of governing by doing nothing from the beginning, and the first two sentences set forth an overall summary for this article.

The second part until ‘Therefore it is said: “Abandon wisdom and knowledge, And great governance will prevail throughout the land.”‘ uses Laozi’s conversation with Cui Zhu to illustrate that promoting benevolence and righteousness disturbs people’s minds which leads to worse governance in society; therefore strongly advocating abandoning wisdom and knowledge.

The third part until ‘But I alone remain inactive.’ explains through Guangchengzi’s conversation with Huangdi that those who want to govern society must first govern themselves, detailing methods and ways of self-cultivation.

The fourth part until ‘He began his speech:’ uses Hongjun (the creator) talking with Yunjiang (a cloud general) to further explain how doing nothing relates to nurturing one’s heart/mind (Xin Yang), pointing out that Xin Yang is key for governing by doing nothing.

The fifth part ‘Friends of Heaven & Earth’ emphasizes that rulers who are solely interested in seeking personal gain from owning land will inevitably leave behind troubles/harmful consequences; thereby further explaining how Xin Yang relates to forgetting material things – achieving Wu Ji (no-self).

The remaining section constitutes Part Six which summarizes ten situations encountered when ruling over society/government affairs. It points out that these situations can only be listened to and followed, and proposes the principle of doing nothing for the ruler while having initiative for subordinates. However, the Taoist philosophy reflected in this article seems to deviate from Zhuangzi’s criticism of benevolence and righteousness as well as abandoning wisdom and knowledge in previous articles.

“在”是自在的意思，“宥”是宽容的意思。反对人为，提倡自然，阐述无为而治的主张就是本篇的主旨。全篇大体分为六个部分。第一部分至“吾又何暇治天下哉”，指出一切有为之治都会使天下之人“淫其性”而“迁其德”，因此“君子不得已而临莅天下”就应当“莫若无为”；一开始就推出了“无为”而治的主张，而开篇的两句话便是提挈全文的总纲。第二部分至“故曰‘绝圣弃知而天下大治’”，借老聃对崔瞿的谈话说明推行仁义扰乱人心是天下越治越坏的原因，极力主张“绝圣去知”。第三部分至“而我独存乎”，通过广成子对黄帝的谈话，阐明治天下者必须先治身的道理，并详细说明了治身、体道的方法和途径。第四部分至“起辞而行”，用鸿蒙与云将的对话，进一步阐明无为与养心的关系，指出无为的要害就在于“心养”。第五部分至“天地之友”，着力说明拥有土地的统治者一心贪求私利必定留下祸患，从而进一步阐明了“养心”和“忘物”的关系，做到了“无己”也就能忘形、忘物。余下为第六部分，概括了治理天下时遇到的十种情况，指出对待这些情况都只能听之任之，随顺应合，并就此提出了君主无为，臣下有为的主张。不过，本篇所反映的庄子思想与庄子在前几篇中抨击仁义，绝圣弃智的思想似有偏离之嫌。

In the philosophy of Zhuangzi, “Heaven” and “Earth” are the birthplace of vitality and the ancestor of all things. One is high and far above, while the other is murky and heavy below. Therefore, they are used to open this chapter with “Heaven and Earth”. The main theme of this article is still to expound on the proposition of governing by inaction. It has a similar theme as “In You”, expressing Zhuangzi’s political thoughts.

The entire text can be roughly divided into fourteen parts. The first part until “Without intention but ghosts and gods obey,” explains that governing by inaction is based on the concept of Taoism. Things are one entity, their development changes naturally; therefore, governance should be done through inaction. This section is at the center of the whole article. The second part until “Size, length, shortness or distance,” explains through Confucius’ words about profound meanings behind Taoism which indicates that those who hold positions must understand Taoism if they want to govern by inaction successfully.

The third part until “Can you get it without resembling it?” tells a fable story explaining how only through governing by inaction can one obtain Taoism successfully. The fourth part until “the thief facing south” uses hermit Xu You’s words to explain that wisdom and intelligence along with any human-made methods cannot govern everything properly; instead directly pointing out that governance leads to chaos.

The fifth part until “retreats,” explains how rulers should adapt themselves according to circumstances without leaving any traces behind them. The sixth part till “plowing without looking back” compares action versus inaction indicating that taking action will inevitably lead to disaster while governing by inaction avoids such consequences.

The seventh part till “in harmony with great order” discusses creation theory for all things within universe implying returning back towards originality via governing by inaction.The eighth part till “this is called entering into heaven” indicates that rulers must forget themselves to govern properly. The ninth part until “desire to be virtuous and stay in the heart,” explains that governing by allowing people’s hearts to follow their own desires while promoting self-cultivation is the key, whereas governance through action only leads to danger.

The tenth part until “What can you and I know about it?” opposes cunningness and promotes simplicity via Old Man Jie planting vegetables’ words, rejecting social progress, advocating for simplicity and returning back towards originality. The eleventh part till “This is called chaos” describes separately “saintly rule,” “virtuous person,” and “divine person.”

The twelfth part till “doing without transmitting” further praises governing by inaction during a prosperous era known as Shengde period.The thirteenth part till “anxious lest they should resemble themselves” laments on human ignorance and confusion using loyal ministers or filial sons as examples. The remaining section is the fourteenth part which points out chasing after fame, fortune, power or pleasure may seem like gains but actually sets up one’s own noose; regardless of gain or loss both lead to losing one’s true nature.

“天”和“地”在庄子哲学体系中乃是元气之所生，万物之所祖，一高远在上，一浊重在下，故而以“天地”开篇。本篇的主旨仍在于阐述无为而治的主张，跟《在宥》的主旨大体相同，表述的是庄子的政治思想。

全文可以大体分成十四个部分。第一部分至“无心得而鬼神服”，阐述无为而治的思想基于“道”。事物是同一的，事物的发展变化是自然的，因此治理天下就应当是无为的。这一部分是全篇的中心所在。第二部分至“大小，长短，脩远”，通过“夫子”之口，阐明大道深奥玄妙的含义，并借此指出居于统治地位的人要得无为而治就得通晓大道。第三部分至“象罔乃可以得之乎”，写一寓言小故事，说明无为才能求得大道。第四部分至“南面之贼也”，通过隐士许由之口，说明聪慧和才智以及一切人为的作法都不足以治天下，并直接指出“治”的危害就是乱的先导。第五部分至“退已”，说明统治者也要随遇而安，不要留下什么踪迹。第六部分至“俋俋乎耕而不顾”，对比无为和有为，说明有为而治必然留下祸患。第七部分至“同乎大顺”，论述宇宙万物的产生，寓指无为而治就是返归本真。第八部分至“是之谓入于天”，指出治世者必当“忘己”。第九部分至“欲同乎德而心居矣”，指出从政的要领是纵任民心，促进自我教化，而有为之治不过是螳臂挡车，自处高危。第十部分至“予与汝何足以识之哉”，jiè种菜老人之口反对机巧之事和机巧之心，拒绝社会的进步，提倡素朴和返归本真。第十一部分至“此之谓混冥”，分别描述了“圣治”、“德人”和“神人”。第十二部分至“事而无传”，进一步称誉所谓盛德时代的无为而治。第十三部分至“汲汲然唯恐其似己也”，借“忠臣”、“孝子”作譬，哀叹世人的愚昧和迷惑。余下为第十四部分，指出追逐功名利禄和声色，貌似有所得，其实是为自己设下了绳索，无论“得”和“失”都丧失了人的真性。

Like the “Heaven and Earth” chapter, the central theme is still advocating for “Wu Wei,” or non-action. The so-called “Tian Dao,” or natural law, is irresistible and unchangeable.

The text can be roughly divided into eight parts. The first part up to “called Tian Le” points out that natural laws are constantly in motion, and all things move on their own. Therefore, the way of sagehood can only be peaceful and non-active. The second part up to “to raise all under heaven” continues from the previous section discussing Tian Le, pointing out that one should follow nature’s movements and blend with all things while changing oneself accordingly.

The third part up to “not what raises all under heaven” proposes a doctrine of emperor Wu Wei (non-action) and minister You Wei (action), explaining that all political activities should follow inherent rules emphasizing order in everything including hierarchy between people as well as gender roles which not only contradicts Zhuangzi’s idea of equality among things but also gives rulers an excuse for their rule over subjects based on philosophical grounds.

The fourth part up to “heaven earth alone suffice it” uses Yao’s dialogue with Shun to illustrate how governing a country should emulate nature itself.

The fifth part up to “Confucius confused human nature” writes about Confucius’ conversation with Lao Dan (Laozi) indicating that everything should follow natural laws where Renyi (benevolence) is precisely what confuses human nature.

In the sixth part until “it’s called stealing,” Laozi advocates following external objects while criticizing those who are clever yet arrogant.

In the seventh section until “the heart of a superior man rests in tranquility,” it suggests withdrawing from benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, music etc., thus achieving both preserving one’s true self while leaving behind worldly affairs promoting Wu Wei attitude.

The remaining part is the eighth section, which explains that the true nature of things cannot be expressed in words. The so-called words of sages are just remnants left by ancient people.

This chapter has been criticized for its content, especially the third part, which deviates too far from Zhuangzi’s philosophy and is therefore considered to have been written by later scholars influenced by Confucianism.

跟《天地》篇一样，中心还是倡导“无为”；所谓“天道”，也就是自然的规律，不可抗拒，也不可改变。

全文大体分成八个部分。第一部分至“谓之天乐”，指出自然规律不停地运行，万事万物全都自我运动，因而圣明之道只能是宁寂而又无为。第二部分至“以畜天下也”，紧承上段讨论“天乐”，指出要顺应自然而运动，混同万物而变化。第三部分至“非上之所以畜天下也”，提出帝王无为、臣下有为的主张，阐明一切政治活动都应遵从固有的规律，强调事事皆有顺序，而尊卑、男女也都是自然的顺序，这不仅违背了庄子“齐物”的思想，而且还给统治者统治臣民披上了合乎哲理的外衣。第四部分至“天地而已矣”，借尧与舜的对话，说明治理天下应当效法天地的自然。第五部分至“夫子乱人之性也”，写孔子与老聃的对话，指出事事皆应遵循自然规律，指出“仁义”正是“乱人之性”。第六部分至“其名为窃”，写老子顺应外物的态度，同时抨击智巧骄恣之人。第七部分至“至人之心有所定矣”，指出要“退仁义”、“宾礼乐”，从而做到“守其本”而又“遗万物”，即提倡无为的态度。余下为第八部分，说明事物的真情本不可以言传，所谓圣人之言，乃是古人留下的糟粕。

本篇内容历来非议者颇多，特别是第三部分，背离庄子的思想太远，因而被认为是庄派后学者受儒家思想影响而作。

The content of ‘Tian Yun’ is similar to ‘Tiandi’ and ‘Tiandao’, mainly discussing the concept of governing by inaction. The so-called ‘Tianyun’ refers to various natural phenomena that operate automatically without any intention.

The entire text can be roughly divided into seven parts. In the first part until “this is called Shanghuang”, questions are raised about natural phenomena such as the sun, moon, clouds, and rain. All of these are results of their own movements, therefore “following them leads to order” while going against them leads to disaster. The second part until “thus the Dao remains constant” describes Tai Zai’s request for advice from Zhuangzi and explains the principle that benevolence has no partiality. The third part until “the Dao may be carried along with it” discusses Huangdi’s views on music where he believes that true music cannot be heard but rather fills up heaven and earth, giving people a sense of confusion; however this ignorance approaches the great Dao and maintains its authenticity.

The fourth part until “but alas! Master Confucius was at his wits’ end.” evaluates Shijin’s opinion on Confucius traveling around different states promoting ritual systems, pointing out that ancient laws cannot be followed due to changes over time and must adapt accordingly. The fifth part until “the gate of Heaven does not open,” uses Lao Dan’s conversation with Confucius to discuss Taoism which emphasizes that fame and righteousness are external objects like buildings or furniture which one can stay overnight but not permanently reside in; what is truly needed is inaction (Wu Wei).

The sixth part until “Zigong stood there looking uneasy,” criticizes Lao Dan’s view on righteousness as well as criticizing Sanhuang Wudi’s governance stating they were more harmful than poisonous snakes because they disturbed human nature causing confusion leading people astray. The remaining part is the seventh section which describes Confucius’ enlightenment and further criticizes the governance of ancient kings, pointing out that only by following natural changes can one educate others.

“天运”的内容跟《天地》、《天道》差不多，仍是主要讨论无为而治。所谓“天运”，即各种自然现象无心运行而自动。

全文大体可以分为七个部分，第一部分至“此谓上皇”，就日、月、云、雨等自然现象提出疑问，这一切都是自身运动的结果，因而“顺之则治”、“逆之则凶”。第二部分至“是以道不渝”，写太宰荡向庄子请教，说明“至仁无亲”的道理。第三部分至“道可载而与之俱也”，写黄帝对音乐的谈论，“至乐”“听之不闻其声”，但却能“充满天地，苞裹六极”，因而给人以迷惑之感，但正是这种无知无识的浑厚心态接近于大道，保持了本真。第四部分至“而夫子其穷哉”，写师金对孔子周游列国推行礼制的评价，指出古今变异因而古法不可效法，必须“应时而变”。第五部分至“天门弗开矣”，借老聃对孔子的谈话来谈论道，指出名声和仁义都是身外的器物与馆舍，可以止宿而不可以久处，真正需要的则是“无为”。第六部分至“子贡蹴蹴然立不安”，写老聃对仁义和三皇五帝之治的批判，指出仁义对人的本性和真情的扰乱毒害至深，以至使人昏愦糊涂，而三皇五帝之治天下，实则是“乱莫甚焉”，其毒害胜于蛇蝎之尾。余下为第七部分，写孔子得道，进一步批判先王之治，指出唯有顺应自然变化方才能够教化他人。

Using the first two characters of the article as its title, “Ke Yi” means to sharpen one’s willpower. This article discusses cultivation, and different people have different requirements for cultivation. Only by being “Xv Wu Shi Dan” can one be in line with “Tian De”, and therefore reach the highest realm of cultivation.

The entire text is relatively short and can be divided into three parts. The first part analyzes six different attitudes towards cultivation until “Sheng Ren Zhi De Ye”. Only the sixth attitude is worthy of praise, where being calm and without limits is the way of heaven and earth, as well as that of sages. The second part discusses methods for cultivating until “Ci Yang Shen Zhi Dao Ye”, with a focus on non-action or Wu Wei. The remaining section is the third part which proposes advocating for purity; those who do not lose their simplicity are called true individuals or “Zheng Ren”。

以篇首两字作为篇名，“刻意”的意思就是磨砺自己的心志。本篇内容是讨论修养的，不同的人有不同的修养要求，只有“虚无恬淡”才合于“天德”，因而也才是修养的最高境域。

全文较短，大体分成三个部分，第一部分至“圣人之德也”，分析了六种不同的修养态度，唯有第六种才值得称道，“澹然无极”才是“天地之道”、“圣人之德”。第二部分至“此养神之道也”，讨论修养的方法，中心就是“无为”。余下为第三部分，提出“贵精”的主张，所谓“贵精”即不丧“纯”、“素”，这样的人就可叫做“真人”。

The focus of this article is still on discussing how to cultivate one’s nature. The so-called “repairing one’s nature” means to cultivate and rectify one’s innate character.

The entire article is roughly divided into three parts. The first part, up until “if you are impetuous, you will surely lose your nature,” proposes the idea of “cultivating knowledge through tranquility.” It believes that following societal norms will inevitably prevent a return to one’s original state, and only by cultivating oneself while also restraining oneself can one avoid losing their innate character.

The second part, up until “its virtue remains hidden,” reminisces about the ancient chaotic era before civilization and pure virtues were lost. It points out that as time passes, moral standards gradually decline and people cannot return to their true selves due to an emphasis on superficiality over substance and indulgence in desires.

The remaining section is the third part which highlights that the key to cultivating one’s innate character lies in both self-correction (“rectifying oneself”) and achieving personal goals (“achieving aspirations”). By being able to correct oneself while also adapting appropriately, external factors won’t cause someone to lose themselves or confuse priorities.

本篇的中心仍是讨论如何养性。所谓“缮性”就是修治生性。

全篇大体分为三个部分。第一部分至“冒则物必失其性也”，提出“以恬养知”的主张，认为遵从世俗必定不能“复其初”，只有自养而又敛藏，方才不“失其性”。第二部分至“其德隐矣”，缅怀远古混沌鸿蒙、淳风未散的时代，并指出随着时代的推移德行逐渐衰退，以致不能返归本真，这都因为“文灭质”、“博溺心”。余下为第三部分，指出修治生性的要领是“正己”和“得志”，既能正己，又能自适，外物就不会使自己丧身失性，因而也就不会倒置本末。

Autumn Waters” is another long piece in “Zhuangzi”, named after the first two characters of the text. The central theme is about how people should understand external things.

The entire text consists of two main parts. The first part describes a conversation between the North Sea God and River God, which flows smoothly with questions and answers, forming the backbone of this piece. This lengthy dialogue can be divided into seven segments based on their content. From “Is it not like your attitude towards water?” to the end of segment one, it discusses relative viewpoints on understanding things by contrasting River God’s small but thinking he is big with North Sea God’s big but thinking he is small. From “How do you know that heaven and earth are sufficient to exhaust all within their boundaries?” to the end of segment two, it explains that knowing things accurately and judging their size are extremely difficult due to factors such as uncertainty inherent in objects themselves and infinity as a whole. Segment three ends with “the limit reached by division,” which further elaborates on how difficult it is to understand things; often words cannot express them nor thoughts comprehend them fully. Segment four concludes with “the family of great and small,” pointing out from a relative perspective that neither size nor value are absolute concepts, so they should not be distinguished ultimately. In segment five ending with “things will transform themselves,” starting from an idea that everything comes together under one principle without beginning or end, it suggests people can only wait for external objects’ natural transformation since they cannot control them actively themselves. Segment six ends with “reversing what was said at its extreme point.” Through discussing why we should focus on Tao (道), this section points out if we understand Tao well enough, we can comprehend principles behind changes in nature better than before.

Segment seven concludes this conversation between River God and North Sea God by proposing returning to our true selves instead of destroying nature by human intervention, which further develops the idea of “things will transform themselves” from segment five.

The second part consists of six fables that are not related to each other or the conversation between River God and North Sea God. Although they do not contribute much to expressing the main theme of this piece, each fable stands alone as a complete story.

This text emphasizes how complex it is to understand things due to their relative nature and variations in cognitive processes. It points out difficulties in accurate judgment and understanding but overemphasizes uncertainty inherent in objects’ changes without revealing dialectical relationships between relative and absolute concepts during cognition. This can easily lead people towards agnosticism, resulting ultimately in passivity by letting things take their natural course.

《秋水》是《庄子》中的又一长篇，用篇首的两个字作为篇名，中心是讨论人应怎样去认识外物。

全篇由两大部分组成。前一部分写北海海神跟河神的谈话，一问一答一气呵成，构成本篇的主体。这个长长的对话根据所问所答的内容，又可分成七个片断，至“不似尔向之自多于水乎”是第一个片断，写河神的小却自以为大，对比海神的大却自以为小，说明了认识事物的相对性观点。至“又何以知天地之足以穷至大之域”是第二个片断，以确知事物和判定其大小极其不易，说明认知常受事物自身的不定性和事物总体的无穷性所影响。至“约分之至也”是第三个片断，紧承前一对话，进一步说明认知事物之不易，常常是“言”不能“论”，“意”不能“察”。至“小大之家”是第四个片断，从事物的相对性出发，更深一步地指出大小贵贱都不是绝对的，因而最终是不应加以辨知的。至“夫固将自化”是第五个片断，从“万物一齐”、“道无终始”的观点出发，指出人们认知外物必将无所作为，只能等待它们的“自化”。至“反要而语极”是第六个片断，透过为什么要看重“道”的谈话，指出懂得了“道”就能通晓事理，就能认识事物的变化规律。至“是谓反其真”是第七个片断，即河神与海神谈话的最后一部分，提出了返归本真的主张，即不以人为毁灭天然，把“自化”的观点又推进了一步。

后一部分分别写了六个寓言故事，每个寓言故事自成一体，各不关联，跟前一部分海神与河神的对话也没有任何结构关系上的联系，对全篇主题的表达帮助也不甚大，似有游离之嫌。

篇之强调了认识事物的复杂性，即事物本身的相对性和认知过程的变异性，指出了认知之不易和准确判断的困难。但篇文过分强调了事物变化的不定因素，未能揭示出认知过程中相对与绝对间的辩证关系，很容易导向不可知论，因而最终仍只能顺物自化，返归无为，这当然又是消极的了。

“Zhi Le” are the first two characters in the sentence, meaning the greatest happiness. What is the greatest happiness in life? How should one treat life and death? The content of this article discusses and answers these questions.

The entire text is naturally divided into seven parts. The first part, up to “Who can achieve nothingness?”, after five consecutive questions, lists and critiques people’s views on pain and pleasure, pointing out that there has never been any real happiness, and that so-called “Zhi Le” is actually “no joy”.

The second part goes up to “So it stops”, telling the story of Zhuangzi’s wife drumming while singing when she died. Through Zhuangzi’s words, it points out that human life and death are like the gathering and dispersal of qi, just like the changing seasons.

The third part goes up to “Why should I hate it?” It points out that “life and death are like day and night,” humans can only adapt to this natural change.

The fourth part goes up to “Is it laborious for humanity again?” Using a skull as an example, it describes the constraints and hardships of human life.

The fifth part goes up to “This is called Tao Da Er Fu Chi”, using Confucius’ words to tell a fable story which indicates that man-made demands can only bring disasters; everything must be left alone with nature.

The sixth part goes up to “I am happy about this”, indicating that neither birth nor death can cause sorrow or joy for humans.

Finally, in Part Seven, evolution of species is described. This process of evolution may not be scientific or based on evidence but its purpose is to illustrate how all things come from mechanism (ji)and return back into mechanism(ji), including humans; thus corresponding with what was said at beginning: there’s no such thing as ultimate happiness in human existence, and human life and death are just a natural change.

“至乐”是首句中的两个字，意思是最大的快乐。人生在世什么是最大的快乐呢？人应怎样对待生和死呢？篇文的内容就在于讨论、回答这样的问题。

全文自然分成七个部分。第一部分至“人也孰能得无为哉”，连续五句提问后，列举并逐一批评了世人对苦和乐的看法，指出从来就没有什么真正的快乐，所谓“至乐”也就是“无乐”。第二部分至“故止也”，写庄子妻子死时鼓盆而歌的故事，借庄子的口指出人的死生乃是气的聚合与流散，犹如四季的更替。第三部分至“我又何恶焉”，指出“死生如昼夜”，人只能顺应这一自然变化。第四部分至“复为人间之劳乎”，借髑髅之口写出人生在世的拘累和劳苦。第五部分至“是之谓条达而福持”，借孔子之口讲述一个寓言故事，指出人为的强求只能造下灾祸，一切都得任其自然。第六部分至“予果欢乎”，指出人的死生都不足以忧愁与欢乐。余下为第七部分，写物种的演变，这一演变的过程当然是不科学的，没有根据的，其目的在于说明万物从“机”产生，又回到“机”，人也不例外；从而照应了首段，人生在世无所谓“至乐”，人的死与生也只是一种自然的变化。

‘Da’ refers to understanding and comprehending, while ‘sheng’ refers to survival and life. ‘Dasheng’ means understanding the meaning of life. How can one achieve this? The article clearly states that one must eliminate all external desires and maintain a calm mind in order to achieve inner peace. It is evident that the purpose of this article is to discuss how to nourish the spirit.

The entire article is naturally divided into thirteen parts. The first part up until “rejecting worldly affairs” is where the main theme lies – by abandoning worldly affairs, one can be free from burdens, which leads to complete physical and mental health as well as unity with nature; this is the essence of spiritual cultivation. The following twelve small stories are written around this central idea.

The second part up until “the people almost know his true character” describes Guan Yin’s conversation with Liezi, emphasizing that holding onto pure vital energy is crucial for spiritual concentration. The third part up until “is it what they call a hunchback?” uses stories about Gou Lu and Cheng Yao to explain basic methods for cultivating spirituality: highly concentrated thoughts on a single object or idea.

The fourth part up until “those who focus too much on external things will become dull inside” uses Shanyou’s story about forgetting water as an example of how forgetting external objects allows for true spiritual concentration. In the fifth part up until “overdoing it,” Tian Kaizhi’s conversation with Zhou Chenggong and Confucius emphasizes balancing internal (mental) cultivation with external (physical) cultivation by adapting appropriately without going overboard.

In the sixth section titled “What makes pigs different?” sacrificial people talk about pigs, satirizing behavior driven by fame-seeking competition.The seventh section titled “Not knowing when illness has left” uses Duke Huan’s sickness as an example showing that peacefulness in mind leads towards healthy spirit. The eighth section titled “Walking backwards” uses the story of raising fighting cocks as a metaphor for cultivating spirit and energy through concentration.

The ninth part up until “fate” describes Confucius observing people swimming, realizing that adapting to one’s environment and habits is key to spiritual cultivation. The tenth part up until “it was so” tells the story of Ziqing, a skilled craftsman who carved wood into tools, emphasizing the importance of collective thinking and concentration in order to achieve unity between oneself and the external world.

The eleventh part up until “thus it is said that failure comes from overconfidence” explains how relying too much on oneself or exhausting one’s spirit will ultimately lead to failure – which goes against what spiritual cultivation requires. The twelfth part up until “forgetting about fitting in with others’ expectations” directly states that forgetting oneself (internally) and external objects leads towards true spiritual cultivation where everything feels natural.

The remaining thirteenth section describes Sun Xiu’s conversation with Bianzi; although lengthy and complex compared to previous sections, its purpose remains focused on explaining ‘forgetfulness’. By forgetting oneself, one can act naturally without effort – this is truly the essence of spiritual cultivation.

“达”指通晓、通达，“生”指生存、生命，“达生”，就是通达生命的意思。怎样才能“达生”呢？篇文明确提出要摒除各种外欲，要心神宁寂事事释然，可知本篇的宗旨在于讨论如何养神。

全篇自然分为十三个部分。第一部分至“反以相天”，是全篇主旨所在，“弃世”就能“无累”，“无累”就能“形全精复”、“与天为一”，这就是养神的要领。以下分别写了十二个小故事，寓意都是围绕这一中心来展开的。

第二部分至“民几乎以其真”，写关尹对列子的谈话，说明持守纯和元气是至关重要的，进一步才是使精神凝聚。第三部分至“其痀偻丈人之谓乎”，借“痀偻”“承蜩”的故事，说明养神的基本方法，这就是使神思高度凝聚专一。第四部分至“凡外重者内拙”，借善游者“忘水”来说明，忘却外物才能真正凝神。第五部分至“过也”，写田开之与周成公的对话和孔子的谈话，指出养神还得“养其内”与“养其外”并重，即处处顺应适宜而不过，取其折中。第六部分至“所异彘者何也”借祭祀人对猪的说话，讽喻争名逐利的行为。第七部分至“不终日而不知病之去也”，以桓公生病为例，说明心神宁静释然才是养神的基础。第八部分至“反走矣”，借养斗鸡的故事比喻说明凝神养气的方法。第九部分至“命也”，写孔子观人游水，体察安于环境、习以性成的道理。第十部分至“其是与”，写能工巧匠梓庆削木为鐻的故事，借以说明集思凝神的重要，把自我与外界高度融为一体，也就会有鬼使神工之妙。第十一部分至“故曰败”，说明自恃轻用、耗神竭劳，终究要失败的，而这与养神的要求也正好相反。第十二部分至“忘适之适也”，直接指出养神须得“不内变”，“不外从”，忘却自我，也忘却外物，从而达到无所不适的境界。

余下为第十三部分，写孙休与扁子对话，篇幅较长，内容也有繁复之处，不像前面各段那么紧凑，但目的仍在于说明“忘”，忘身便能无为而自适，而无为自适才是养神的真谛。

This article still mainly discusses the way of dealing with the world. Many stories about difficult situations and troubles in life are written in this article, hoping to find the best way, and its main spirit is still selflessness and non-action.

The whole text is divided into nine parts. The first part until “Is it a moral place?” describes how it is difficult to find a foolproof path, and the best way is to use external things without being used by them, floating between “the ancestor of all things” and “the land of morality”. This part is most important for revealing the theme of the article. The second part until “Who can harm him” points out that greed for power will inevitably cause disputes and disasters, only by “selflessness” can we eliminate troubles and avoid disasters. The third part until “Moreover there are great terrors”, through the story of levying taxes to make clocks as a metaphor for not being confined to material objects, what we really need is to follow nature. The fourth part until “Moreover people”, describes Confucius being surrounded between Chen and Cai, indicating that life’s journey is full of difficulties; only by cutting off one’s desires for fame can one deal with life properly. The fifth part until “It does not wait for anything,” further proposes advocating causality-forms based on natural instincts – following nature when taking action while indulging oneself according to one’s own nature.

The sixth section up till “This Bi Gan’s view was an incision made into his heart,” writes about Zhuangzi’s poverty which was caused due to living among corrupt officials who were incompetent rulers at that time.

The seventh section up till “And so died peacefully” explains how even during adversity saints remain calm like Confucius did when he was surrounded.

The eighth section up till “Why I do not go back home” uses a series of observations from Zhuangzi to illustrate how the world is always in a constant state of conflict. The remaining section is the ninth part, which uses an interesting little story to explain the importance of forgetting oneself.

本篇仍主要是讨论处世之道。篇内写了许多处世不易和世事多患的故事，希望找到一条最佳途径，而其主要精神仍是虚己、无为。

全文分为九个部分。第一部分至“其为道德之乡乎”，写山木无用却能保全和雁不能鸣因而被杀，说明很难找到一条万全的路，最好的办法也只能是役使外物而不被外物所役使，浮游于“万物之祖”和“道德之乡”。这一部分对于揭示篇文题旨最为重要。第二部分至“其孰能害之”，指出贪图权位必然引起争端，必然带来祸患，唯有“虚己”才能除患避祸。第三部分至“而况有大塗者乎”，通过赋敛以造钟的故事讽喻不应拘滞于物，真正需要的是顺任自然。第四部分至“而况人乎”，写孔子在陈、蔡之间被围，说明世途多艰，“削迹捐势”、“不为功名”才是处世之道。第五部分至“固不待物”，通过孔子和桑雽的对话，进一步提出缘形、率情的主张，即顺应自然去行动，遵从本性去纵情。第六部分至“此比干之见剖心征也夫”，写庄子的贫困，原因却在于“今处昏上乱相之间”。第七部分至“圣人晏然体逝而终矣，”通过孔子被围时的态度，说明圣人身处逆境也能安然顺应。第八部分至“吾所以不庭也”，借庄子一系列所见喻指人世间总是在不停地争斗中。余下为第九部分，通过一个有趣的小故事，说明忘形的重要。

Tian Zifang is the name of the first article. The content of the whole article is relatively miscellaneous, with characteristics of essays and miscellaneous notes. However, from some important chapters, it mainly expresses the idea of being unambitious, natural and not bound by external things.

The entire text naturally divides into eleven parts of varying lengths and disconnected from each other. The first part to “Wei Zhen is a burden for me” praises Dongguo Shunzi’s attitude towards life everywhere through Tian Zifang’s dialogue with Wei Wenhou. The second part to “It cannot tolerate sound” criticizes the practice of being “clear about etiquette but narrow-minded about understanding people”, advocating an attitude of inaction without words. The third part to “I have something unforgettable” writes about Confucius’ conversation with Yanyuan, pointing out that “nothing is more sorrowful than a dead heart, but death comes next.” To avoid having a dead heart one must be like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west every day; this means following changes every day.

The fourth part to “I do not know everything under heaven,” expresses Lao Dan’s proposition that those who can achieve ultimate beauty and happiness are called ‘ultimate men’. How can one achieve ultimate beauty and happiness? One must let go of emotions such as joy or anger so they don’t enter their mind while keeping their mind free when observing things around them at first glance.

The fifth part to “it can be said that there are many,” tells a small fable which explains that just because something has form does not necessarily mean it has truth; if it has truth then it may not necessarily be restricted by its form.

The sixth section up until “so much so as to move people” points out that titles or even life-and-death should not affect one’s inner peace.

In Part Seven up until “this is the true painter,” it is written that painting does not necessarily have to be done in a certain way.

Part Eight up until “he follows this moment” writes about Zang Zhangren’s proposition of governing by doing nothing.

The ninth part to “you are almost there,” uses Bo Hun as an example, who shoots arrows with concentration and shows how important it is to concentrate one’s mind.

The tenth part to “I am more than enough” writes about Sun Shuao’s indifference towards official positions; the remaining section is Part Eleven, which describes how the ruler of Fan Guo remains indifferent towards his country’s survival or demise. Both stories illustrate that one should not be moved by any external factors and should learn self-restraint in order to be unambitious.

田子方是篇首的人名。全篇内容比较杂，具有随笔、杂记的特点，不过从一些重要章节看，主要还是表现虚怀无为、随应自然、不受外物束缚的思想。

全文自然分成长短不一、各不相连的十一个部分，第一部分至“夫魏真为我累耳”，通过田子方与魏文侯的对话，称赞东郭顺子处处循“真”的处世态度。第二部分至“亦不可以容声矣”，批评“明乎礼而陋乎知人心”的作法，提倡体道无言的无为态度。第三部分至“吾有不忘者存”，写孔子对颜渊的谈话，指出“哀莫大于心死，而人死亦次之”，要得不至于“心死”，就得像“日出于东方而入于西极”那样地“日徂”；所谓“日徂”即每日都随着变化而推移。第四部分至“吾不知天地之大全也”，借老聃的口表达“至美至乐”的主张，能够“至美至乐”的人就是“至人”；怎样才能“至美至乐”呢？那就得“喜怒哀乐不入胸次”而“游心于物之初”。第五部分至“可谓多乎”，写了一个小寓言，说明有其形不一定有其真，有其真也就不一定拘其形。第六部分至“故足以动人”，指出应当爵禄和死生都“不入于心”。第七部分至“是真画者也”，写画画并非一定要有画画的架势。第八部分至“彼直以循斯须也”，写臧丈人无为而治的主张。第九部分至“尔于中也殆矣夫”，以伯昏无人凝神而射作比喻，说明寂志凝神的重要。第十部分至“己愈有”，写孙叔敖对官爵的得失无动于衷；余下为第十一部分，写凡国国君对国之存亡无动于衷；两个故事都说明，不能为任何外物所动，善于自持便能虚怀无己。

This article is the last one of the “outer chapters”, with the first three characters as its title. “Zhi” is a person’s name in allegory, and “Bei You” refers to traveling northward. In traditional philosophical systems, the north is called “xuan”, which means dim and remote, so it is considered an unknowable place. The article believes that the Tao cannot be known, so it foreshadows this theme at the beginning. The content mainly discusses the Tao, pointing out both the origin and nature of the universe on one hand, and also discussing human understanding and attitude towards the universe and external things.

The entire text naturally divides into eleven parts. The first part until “using Huangdi as an example,” mainly explains that Dao cannot be known because everything in the universe originally comes from Qi; when Qi gathers there is life, when it disperses there is death; all things return to their roots which are a unified whole. The second part until “can be observed in heaven,” based on understanding from Part One further proposes that a sage does nothing while a great saint does not act against nature; everything should follow its natural course according to observing heaven and earth.

Part Three until “who was he?” describes Nie Que asking about Dao through describing Jizhi Shoushen’s method of practicing Dao using his clothes as metaphorical language for his spiritual practice.Part Four until “how can you have anything else” writes about Shun’s dialogue with Cheng where they point out that life and offspring do not belong to oneself but rather are changes caused by natural Qi.Part Five until “this is what we call great attainment,” through Lao Dan’s conversation with Confucius describes how Dao exists uniquely thereby explaining its characteristics.This section holds significant importance throughout this chapter.

Part Six till “it accumulates yet doesn’t accumulate” explains further about how although Dao cannot be known it still exists everywhere, and discusses the nature of Dao. Part Seven until “not wandering in the void” uses allegorical characters to further point out that Dao is not audible or visible but can be spoken about. Since Dao does not have a concrete form, it cannot be named nor transmitted through language.

Part Eight until “how did we arrive here?” writes about the relationship between “existence” and “non-existence,” where their relative nature still depends on existence; only when there is “no non-existence” can one truly rely on non-existence.Part Nine until “what doesn’t benefit from things” describes an old man who makes hooks with great concentration. Part Ten till “also taking this as its beginning,” through Confucius’ words after being transformed by Dao, discusses the beginning of the universe and puts forth the view that there was no past or present, no beginning or end.

The remaining part is Part Eleven which writes about Confucius’ conversation with Yan Hui discussing change and accepting change while pointing out that one should be ignorant, powerless, refrain from speaking and acting.

“Zhi Bei You” holds an important position in the “outer chapters”, providing insight into Zhuangzi’s philosophical system. The article refers to Tao as basic knowledge regarding both origin and nature of all things in the universe. It believes everything originates from Qi including life and death for humans are also caused by Qi gathering or dispersing.The article also believes that Tao has unity throughout all things yet lacks any specific image; it runs through every aspect of changes within all things.The article recognizes relativity among opposites such as life/death,longevity/short-livedness,brightness/darkness etc., which undoubtedly reflects a simple materialistic dialectical perspective.However based on understanding universal whole-ness,the article argues that Tao cannot be known,and instead advocates Wu Wei (doing nothing)and following natural laws without changing them.This shows idealistic tendencies.

本篇是“外篇”的最后一篇，以篇首的三个字作为篇名。“知”是一寓托的人名，“北游”指向北方游历。在传统的哲学体系中，北方被叫做“玄”，“玄”指昏暗、幽远，因此北方就是所谓不可知的地方。篇文认为“道”是不可知的，因此开篇便预示了主题。本篇内容主要是在讨论“道”，一方面指出了宇宙的本原和本性，另一方面也论述了人对于宇宙和外在事物应取的认识与态度。

全文自然分成十一个部分，第一部分至“以黄帝为知言”，主要说明大道本不可知，“知者不言，言者不知”，因为宇宙万物原来都是“气”，“气”聚则生，“气”散则死，万物归根结蒂乃是混一的整体。第二部分至“可以观于天矣”，基于第一部分的认识，进一步提出“至人无为，大圣不作”，一切“观于天地”的主张，即一切顺其自然。第三部分至“彼何人哉”，写齧缺问道，借被衣之口描述寂志守神的体道之法。第四部分至“又胡可得而有邪”，写舜与丞的对话，指出生命与子孙均不属于自身，一切都是自然之气的变化。第五部分至“此之谓大得”，通过老聃跟孔子的谈话，描述大道存在的独特方式，借以说明大道的特点。这一部分在全篇中处于重要地位。第六部分至“彼为积散非积散也”，说明大道虽不可知却“无所不在”，对道的性质作了进一步的论述。第七部分至“不游乎太虚”，借寓言人物的话，进一步指出道“不可闻”、“不可见”、“可言”的特点。既然大道不具有形象性，当然也就“不当名”，不可言传。第八部分至“何从至此哉”，写“有”与“无”的关系，“有”与“无”的相对性仍是基于“有”，只有“无无”才是真正基于“无”。第九部分至“物孰不资焉”，写捶制带钩的老人用心专一。第十部分至“亦乃取于是者也”，通过道化了的孔子之口，讨论宇宙的开始，提出“无古无今，无始无终”的观点。余下为第十一部分，写孔子对颜渊的谈话，讨论变化与安于变化，指出要“无知”、“无能”、“去言”、“去为”。

《知北游》在“外篇”中具有重要地位，对于了解《庄子》的哲学思想体系也较为重要。篇文所说的“道”，是指对于宇宙万物的本原和本性的基本认识。篇文认为宇宙万物源于“气”，包括人的生死也是出于气的聚散。篇文还认为“道”具有整体性，无处不在但又不存在具体形象，贯穿于万物变化的始终。篇文看到了生与死、长寿与短命、光明与幽暗……都具有相对性，既是对立的，又是相生、相互转化的，这无疑具有朴素的唯物辩证观。但基于宇宙万物的整体性和同一性认识，篇文又认为“道”是不可知的，“知”反而不成其为“道”，于是又滑向了不可知论，主张无为，顺其自然，一切都有其自身的规律，不可改变，也不必去加以改变，这显然又是唯心的了。

Geng Sang Chu” is a person’s name in the first sentence, which serves as the title of this piece. The entire article covers many aspects, discussing advocating for natural compliance and non-action, discussing cognitive difficulties and moral ambiguity that are difficult to determine, but most paragraphs still focus on health preservation.

The whole text can be roughly divided into five parts. The first part until “there must be people who eat each other”, describes Geng Sang Chu’s conversation with his disciples, pointing out that everything has its own natural laws. Those in power can only follow the “way of heaven”. As for Yao and Shun’s methods, they can only cause social unrest and conflict among people. The second part until “evil disasters caused by humans”, explains the way of health preservation through Lao Dan’s speech: it is to “yield to things like snakes coiling around them,” have a body like withered wood but a mind like dead ashes,” and adopt an attitude of living according to nature without striving or forcing anything.

The third part until “the heart controls it,” discusses maintaining peace of mind and points out that one should not let external factors disturb their inner world. The fourth part until “this cicada is no different from studying doves,” shifts towards discussing the generation and transformation of all things while also exploring limitations in human cognition; it explains how right or wrong are not always fixed concepts but rather ones that can shift or change over time. Finally, the fifth section returns back to discuss self-cultivation through health preservation again by summarizing basic requirements such as being calm-minded (“平气”)and following one’s heart (“顺心”).

“庚桑楚”是首句里的一个人名，这里以人名为篇名。全篇涉及许多方面的内容，有讨论顺应自然倡导无为的，有讨论认知的困难和是非难以认定的，但多数段落还是在讨论养生。

全文大体可以分为五个部分。第一部分至“其必有人与人相食者也”，写庚桑楚与弟子的谈话，指出一切都有其自然的规律，为政者只能顺“天道”而行，至于尧舜的作法，只能使民“相轧”，社会的动乱也就因此而起。第二部分至“恶有人灾也”，通过老聃的谈话说明养生之道，这就是“与物委蛇，而同其波”，“身若槁木而心若死灰”，“即随物而应、处之无为的生活态度。第三部分至“心则使之也”，写保持心境安泰，指出不能让外物扰乱自己的“灵台”。第四部分至“是蜩与学鸠同于同也”，转而讨论万物的生成与变化，讨论人的认识的局限，说明是与非不是永远不变的，可以转移和变化。余下为第五部分，又转回来讨论修身养性，指出扰乱人心的诸多情况，把养生之道归纳到“平气”、“顺心”的基本要求上来。

“Xu Wu Gui” is the name of the protagonist at the beginning, and also serves as the title of this chapter. This chapter is another long piece in “Zhuangzi”, consisting of more than ten unrelated stories with a small amount of commentary interspersed throughout. The content is diverse and lacks a clear central theme, with little connection between each story, but most advocate for the philosophy of Wu Wei.

The entire chapter can be roughly divided into fourteen parts. The first part up to “Do not let the words of true men slander my lord’s side,” describes Xu Wu Gui meeting Wei Wuhou and using horse training techniques to impress him while mocking poetry, books, rituals, and music as useless. The second part up to “How will you use those soldiers lying down?” continues their conversation by pointing out that current rulers are actually harming their people through their actions; only following natural laws would truly benefit society. The third part up to “He called himself Tian Shi and left,” tells about Huangdi traveling in Xiangcheng wilderness asking a young shepherd boy for directions which symbolizes confusion among leaders.

The fourth part up to “Never turning back in sorrow,” criticizes those who are trapped by material things in life. The fifth part up to “Not yet separated from Cen but enough reason for resentment,” depicts Zhuangzi’s dialogue with Huizi on how there isn’t any universally accepted standard for right or wrong which criticizes different schools’ attitudes towards what they believe is correct.

The sixth section until “I have nothing else I can say,” expresses Zhuangzi’s nostalgia for Huizi.The seventh section until “Ze Xi Peng Ke” writes about Guan Zhong’s conversation with Duke Huan recommending Xi Peng expound upon his views on governing through non-action.

The eighth section until “Three years later he was known throughout his country,” warns against being too self-confident through the story of King Wu shooting a monkey. The ninth section until “Afterwards, it became more and more distant,” expresses Nangong Ziqi’s lament for people’s confusion.

The tenth part up to “The sincerity of great men,” proposes the idea of “no seeking, no losing, no abandoning” and emphasizes the effectiveness of returning to wu wei without using words. The eleventh part up to “But he ate meat until his death,” describes Ziqi living in harmony with nature without conflicting with external things.

The twelfth part up to “Only those who are wise know this externally,” criticizes Tang Yao and denounces benevolence as a tool for greed. The thirteenth part up to “Yu Yang abandons intention” criticizes three different attitudes towards life while advocating an attitude that is neither too close nor too distant from anything.

The remaining section is the fourteenth part which consists mainly of miscellaneous discussions that explain the philosophy of following natural laws.

“徐无鬼”是开篇的人名，以人名作为篇名。本篇是《庄子》中的又一长篇，由十余个各不相关的故事组成，并夹带少量的议论。全篇内容很杂，中心不明朗，故事之间也缺乏关联，但多数是倡导无为思想的。

全篇大体可分为十四个部分。第一部分至“莫以真人之言謦吾君之侧乎”，写徐无鬼拜见魏武侯，用相马之术引发魏武侯的喜悦，借此讥讽诗、书、礼、乐的无用。第二部分至“君将恶乎用夫偃兵哉”，继续写徐无鬼跟魏武侯的对话，指出当世国君的作法实质上是在害民，只有“应天地之情”，才真正是“社稷之福”。第三部分至“称天师而退”，写黄帝出游于襄城之野，特向牧马小童问路，喻指为政者的迷乱。第四部分至“终身不反悲夫”，批评事事“皆囿于物”的人。第五部分至“未始离于岑而足以造于怨也”，写庄子和惠子的对话，指出天下并没有共同认可的是非标准，从而批评了各家“各是其所是”的态度。第六部分至“吾无与言之矣”，写庄子对惠子的怀念。第七部分至“则隰朋可”，写管仲和桓公的对话，借推荐隰朋阐述无为而治的主张。第八部分至“三年而国人称之”，借吴王射杀猴子的故事，告诫人们不应有所自恃。第九部分至“其后而日远矣”，写南伯子綦对世人迷误的哀叹。第十部分至“大人之诚”，提出“无求，无失，无弃”和“不以物易己”的观点，强调不用言语、返归无为的功效。第十一部分至“然身食肉而终”，表述子綦游于天地不跟外物相违逆的生活旨趣。第十二部分至“夫唯外乎贤者知之矣”，批判唐尧，指斥仁义是贪婪者的工具。第十三部分至“于羊弃意”，批判三种不同的心态，提倡“无所甚亲”、“无所甚疏”的态度。余下为第十四部分，为杂论，主要是阐明顺任自适的思想。

“Ze Yang” is the name of the first article. The content of this article is still quite extensive and can be roughly divided into two parts. The first part describes the first ten short stories, using dialogue between characters to illustrate a simple, pure, and accommodating attitude towards life and living, while also criticizing those who are stuck in worldly affairs or obsessed with power. The second part discusses the basic laws of the universe, including its origin and our understanding of external things.

The first part can be further divided into nine sections. The first section describes Gong Yuanxiu’s simple and peaceful way of life and his attitude toward society. The second section depicts how sages view Taoism with respect and admiration from people. In the third section “no inside no outside”, it emphasizes that one should learn to adapt to their surroundings well. In the fourth section “Like a gust of wind,” it cleverly points out how small humans are in this world while advocating for peace instead of war among different states fighting for power. In the fifth section, “his room was empty,” Confucius praises Shinan Yiliu’s humble attitude towards life without any desire for fame or fortune. In the sixth section “Internal heat urination ointment,” it highlights how harmful it is when leaders govern recklessly or treat citizens harshly . In the seventh section “who will take responsibility?” Bajv Yuqi’s observation,it criticizes contemporary rulers’ hypocrisy toward their people.In the eighth Section “is that so?” It explains that people’s sense of right or wrong isn’t eternal, and knowledge has limits.In the ninth Section “how could these two recognize each other?”,it condemns Duke Ling’s absurdity.

The second part consists mainly on a conversation between Shaoyi (少知)and Dagongdiao(大公调), which explores various issues related to cosmology and epistemology such as the relationship between individual objects and the universe as a whole, and how everything has its own laws of change that eventually lead to their opposite. It also discusses the origin of all things in the universe, ultimately concluding with the concept of unity in Taoism.

The first part can be considered miscellaneous essays with shallow content, while the second part delves into many valuable issues related to cosmology and epistemology.

“则阳”是篇首的人名。本篇内容仍很庞杂，全篇大体可以分成两大部分，前一部分写了头十个小故事，用人物的对话来说明恬淡、清虚、顺任的旨趣和生活态度，同时也对滞留人事、迷恋权势的人给予抨击。后一部分则讨论宇宙万物的基本规律，讨论宇宙的起源，讨论对外在事物的主体认识。

前一部分大体分作九小段，至“故曰待公阅休”为第一段，写公阅休清虚恬适的生活旨趣和处世态度。至“以十仞之台县众閒者也”为第二段，写圣人的心态和人们对于道的尊崇与爱慕。至“无内无外”为第三段，写一个人要善于自处，善于应物。至“譬犹一吷也”为第四段，通过巧妙的比喻指出人在世间的渺小，倡导与世无争的态度，同时讽刺和嘲弄了诸侯国之间的争夺战争。至“其室虚矣”为第五段，通过孔子之口盛赞市南宜僚“声销”而“志无穷”的潜身态度。至“内热溲膏是也”为第六段，指出为政“卤莽”、治民“灭裂”的严重危害。至“于谁责而可乎”为第七段，通过柏矩游齐之所见，批评当世君主为政的虚伪和对人民的愚弄。至“然乎”为第八段，说明人们的是非观念不是永恒的，认识也是有限的。至“之二人何足以识之”为第九段，谴责卫灵公的荒唐无道。

后一部分写少知与大公调的对话，借大公调之口从讨论宇宙整体与万物之个体间“合异”、“散同”的关系入手，指出各种事物都有其自身的规律，各种变化也都会向自己的反面转化，同时还讨论了宇宙万物的产生，又最终归结为浑一的道。

前一部分可以说是杂论，内容并不深厚，后一部分涉及宇宙观和认识论上的许多问题，也就较有价值。

The two characters “外物” are used as the title of the article. The content is still quite miscellaneous, but most of it discusses health preservation and living in harmony with nature, advocating for naturalness and opposing artificiality and manipulation, so as to achieve selflessness.

The entire text is divided into nine parts. The first part until “于是乎有僓然而道尽” explains that external things cannot have a fixed standard, pointing out that people who pursue profit and loss will eventually suffer mental breakdowns and lose their spiritual beliefs. The second part until “曾不如早索我枯鱼之肆” tells the story of Zhuang Zhou borrowing money when his family was poor, using it to illustrate the necessity of following nature and one’s own instincts. The third part until “其不可与经于世亦远矣” uses the story of Ren Gongzi fishing for big fish to satirize shallow-minded people who are quick to judge without foresight, metaphorically suggesting that those who govern worldly affairs must aspire towards greatness. The fourth part until “无伤口中珠” ridicules Confucianism’s surface advocacy for poetry and ritual while secretly engaging in unsavory activities behind closed doors. The fifth part until “奈何哉其载焉终矜尔” describes Lao Lai Zi’s advice to Kong Qiu (Confucius), stating that it is better to forget about praising Yao instead of condemning Jie than vice versa; advocating for success through natural conformity rather than forced effort or praise-seeking behavior. In the sixth part until “与能言者处也”, using the story of a divine turtle being killed illustrates how knowledge has its limits while divinity does not; therefore everything should be allowed to follow its natural course. In the seventh part until “然则无用之为用也亦明矣”, through the dialogue between Zhuangzi and Hui Shi, it is pointed out that there is a principle of “using what is useless”. The eighth part until “亦神者不胜” discusses cultivating life and character, criticizing the worldly attitude of chasing after material things while advocating for a lifestyle that flows with society without losing oneself. However, to truly achieve this state one must have an empty mind because emptiness can accommodate everything and conform naturally. The remaining ninth part further elaborates on the concept of following nature, opposing artificiality and manipulation in hopes of achieving selflessness; ultimately entering into a state where one forgets about their own achievements.

“外物”是篇首的两个字，用来作为篇名。全文内容依旧很杂，但多数文字在于讨论养生处世，倡导顺应，反对矫饰，反对有所操持，从而做到虚己而忘言。

全文大体分为九个部分。第一部分至“于是乎有僓然而道尽”，说明外在事物不可能有个定准，指出世俗人追逐于利害得失之间，到头来只会精神崩溃玄理丧尽。第二部分至“曾不如早索我枯鱼之肆”，写庄周家贫前往借贷的故事，借以说明顺应自然、依其本性的必要。第三部分至“其不可与经于世亦远矣”，借任公子钓大鱼的故事，讽刺眼光短浅好发议论的浅薄之士，比喻治理世事的人必须立志有所大成。第四部分至“无伤口中珠”，讽刺儒家表面倡导诗、礼，暗里却干着见不得人的勾当。第五部分至“奈何哉其载焉终矜尔”，写老莱子对孔丘的训示，指出“与其誉尧而非桀，不如两忘而闭其誉”，倡导顺应便能每事成功的主张。第六部分至“与能言者处也”，借神龟被杀的故事，说明“知有所困，神有所不及”的道理，因而只得一切顺其自然。第七部分至“然则无用之为用也亦明矣”，通过庄子和惠子的对话，指出“无用之为用”的道理。第八部分至“亦神者不胜”，讨论修生养性，批评了驰世逐物的处世态度，提倡“游于世而不僻”、“顺人而不失己”的生活旨趣，而真正要做到这一点中心又在于内心要“空虚”，因为“空虚”就能容物，“空虚”就能顺应。余下为第九部分，进一步阐明顺应自然的观点，反对矫饰，反对有所操持，希望能做到遗物而忘我，最终进入到“得意而忘言”的境界。

The word “fable” is the first two characters of this article, but it is also one of the main topics discussed in this article. The so-called fable refers to a statement that contains an allegory. Zhuangzi often uses stories and characters to explain his reasoning and beliefs, making the use of fables a major characteristic of his language expression.

The entire text can be roughly divided into six parts. The first part, up until “Heaven’s equality is like Heaven’s mold,” discusses “fables,” “weighty words,” and “insignificant words.” It points out that all things in the universe are fundamentally equal and indistinguishable from each other. Various statements about things ultimately do not conform to objective reality; either they should be forgotten or spoken without prejudice, changing day by day with updates. This first part constitutes the main body of the entire text.

The second part, up until “I cannot even approach him,” criticizes Confucius through Zhuangzi’s voice for no longer inspiring people with ambition and dedication, pointing out that even good speeches cannot make people sincerely convinced.

The third part, up until “As if watching birds flit past before us,” describes how Zengzi had different feelings when he held office twice but still could not let go of external attachments.

The fourth part, up until “How then can there be ghosts?” expresses the process of realizing great Dao (the Way), emphasizing that forgetting life and death is most important during this process.

The fifth part, up until “What question could there possibly be for someone who has mastered strength?” tells a story about Yin asking Yang about changes in shadows outside while pointing out that only by having nothing to rely on can one move freely according to their heart’s desire.

Finally, in the sixth section which concludes the article as a whole: Lao Tzu criticizes Yang Zi Ju’s arrogance while praising his repentance, using this to illustrate that only by removing arrogance and accommodating others can one truly cultivate oneself.

“寓言”本是篇首二字，但也是本文讨论的主要内容之一。所谓寓言，就是寄寓的言论。《庄子》阐述道理和主张，常假托于故事人物，寓言的方法正是《庄子》语言表达上的一大特色。

全文大体分成六个部分，第一部分至“天均者天倪也”，讨论了“寓言”、“重言”和“卮言”，指出宇宙万物从根本上说是齐一的、等同的，辨析事物的各种言论说到底是不符合客观事理的，要么不如忘言，要么随顺而言不留成见，日日变化更新。第一部分是全文的主体。第二部分至“吾且不得及彼乎”，借庄子之口评说孔子不再励志用心，指出再好的言论也不能使人心悦诚服。第三部分至“如观雀蚊虻相过乎前也”，写曾参两次作官心情不一样，但都不能做到心无牵挂，所以还是不能摆脱外物的拘系。第四部分至“若之何其有鬼邪”，表述体悟大道的过程，指出这其间最为重要的是忘却死生。第五部分至“强阳者又何以有问乎”，写影外微阴问影子变化不定的故事，指出无所依待才能随心而动。余下为第六部分，写老子对阳子居的批评以及阳子居的悔改，借此说明去除骄矜、容于众人，方才能真正做到修身养性。

Rang Wang” means abdication of the throne. The main theme of the article is to expound on rebirth and advocate for the idea that life should not be hindered by external things. Wealth cannot be taken, but the throne can be relinquished if one values life and seeks to preserve it. The viewpoint of “light objects, heavy life” has often been criticized as being inconsistent with Zhuangzi’s philosophy, but there are also similarities between them. Moreover, the thoughts of pre-Qin philosophers often permeated and influenced each other, which can be seen as a later work by Zhuangzi.

The entire text consists of sixteen or seventeen short stories that can generally be divided into ten parts. The first part up until “never turning back in his lifetime” tells stories about Xu You, Zizhou Zhifu, Shan Juan and Shihu farmers who refuse to accept abdication; this clearly explains the importance placed on valuing life – although all under heaven may hold great value, it should not come at the cost of harming lives. This section plays an important role in clarifying the theme.

The second part up until “this is what Yue people want when they become rulers,” tells stories about King Wen’s grandfather Duke Yin Fu moving from Bin to Yin and Prince Souchou refusing to become king; building upon Part One’s foundation further emphasizes valuing life.

The third part up until “not just following Hou’s weight,” through Hua Zi’s conversation with Zhao Xi Hou and Lu Jun Li Ping Yan Ke refusing gifts from him shows how we must distinguish between lightness and heaviness: Life is important while wealth such as land etc., are not worth cherishing; using precious lives chasing after useless material possessions would be like shooting sparrows with pearls.

Part Four up until “the people rebelled against killing Ziyang” writes about Liezi who was poor yet refused to accept gifts from the government. Part Five up until “he still refused” writes about Tuyang who refused rewards for his achievements, expressing the idea of disregarding wealth and pursuing righteousness.

Part Six up until “this is what Qiu obtained” tells stories about Yuan Xian, Zengzi, and Yan Hui living in poverty but refusing to become officials or pursue wealth; this expresses the idea of being content with a simple life.

Part Seven up until “it can be said that they have their own intentions,” through Wei Mou’s conversation with Zhan Zi puts forth the viewpoint of valuing rebirth over material gain.

Part Eight up until “Therefore Xu You enjoyed himself in Yingyang while Gong Bo De was at Gong Shou” writes about Confucius’ ability to adapt during difficult times, showing how those who attain enlightenment are happy whether poor or rich.

Part Nine up until “then he carried a stone and sank himself into Lushui,” writes about Beiren Wuzhe, Bian Sui and Mao Guang who were hermits that despised official positions and did not want to become rulers; similar to Part One’s content. The remaining part is Part Ten which talks about Boyi and Shuqi’s evaluation of Zhou Dynasty’s seizure of power as “exchanging chaos for tyranny”; rather than becoming corrupted by joining them they would rather starve on Mount Shouyang.

“让王”，意思是禅让王位。篇文的主旨在于阐述重生，提倡不因外物妨碍生命的思想。利禄不可取，王位可以让，全在于看重生命，保全生命。“轻物重生”的观点历来多有指斥，认为与庄子思想不合，但其间亦有相通之处；且先秦诸子思想也常互相渗透与影响，尽可看作庄子后学所撰。

全文写了十六七个小故事，大体可以划分为十个部分。第一部分至“终身不反也”，写许由、子州支父、善卷和石户之农不愿接受禅让的故事，明确阐述了重视生命的思想，天下固然“至重”，但却不能以此害生。本部分在阐明题旨上处于重要地位。第二部分至“此固越人之所欲得为君也”，写周文王的祖父大王亶父迁邠和王子搜不愿为君的故事，在前一部分的基础上进一步阐述重视生命的思想。第三部分至“岂特随侯之重哉”，通过华子与昭僖侯的对话和鲁君礼聘颜阖而颜阖不愿接受的故事，进一步指出要分清事物的轻与重，生命是重要的，利禄、土地等身外之物是不值得看重的，用宝贵的生命去追逐无用的外物，就好像用随侯之珠弹打高飞的麻雀。第四部分至“民果作难而杀子阳”，写列子贫穷却不愿接受官府的赠予。第五部分至“遂不受也”，写屠羊说有功也不受禄，表达了轻视利禄、追求高义的思想。第六部分至“是丘之得也”，写原宪、曾子、颜回身处卑微、生活贫困，却不愿为官，不愿追求利禄，表达了安贫乐道的思想。第七部分至“可谓有其意矣”，通过魏牟和瞻子的对话，提出“重生”、轻利的观点。第八部分至“故许由娱于颍阳而共伯得乎共首”，写孔子身处厄境也随遇而安，说明得道之人方能“穷亦乐”、“通亦乐”。第九部分至“乃负石而自沈于庐水”，写北人无择、卞随和瞀光诸隐士鄙薄禄位不愿为君的故事，内容跟第一部分相似。余下为第十部分，写伯夷、叔齐对周王朝夺取天下的评价，斥之为“推乱以易暴”，宁可饿死于首阳山，也不愿“并乎周”而玷污自身。

‘Dao Zhi’ is a name that refers to a notorious thief named Zhi, and this article takes the character’s name as its title. The central theme of ‘Dao Zhi’ is to criticize Confucianism, denouncing the hypocrisy and deceitfulness of Confucianist views while advocating for a return to nature.

The article consists of three fables, naturally divided into three main parts. The first part up until ‘I am afraid I cannot escape being eaten by tigers,’ depicts a conversation between Dao Zhi and Confucius in which Confucius advises Dao Zhi but is instead harshly rebuked by him as a “crafty hypocrite.” Using numerous examples from history, Dao Zhi proves that the concepts of sage kings, virtuous officials, and loyal ministers promoted by Confucianism are all inconsistent with reality; thus their ideas are impractical. Even Confucius himself could not be accepted in society because he “ate without farming or wove without spinning,” spoke recklessly about right and wrong issues. Although referred to as a thief based on feudal rulers’ perspectives during pre-Qin times when rebellion was common among people like him who opposed such rule, Dao Zhi was also praised for his heart like gushing springs and mind like drifting winds while possessing the “three virtues.”

The first part constitutes the main body of the text and is quite lengthy; therefore it has been divided into two sections for annotation purposes. The second part up until ‘avoiding harm,’ portrays dialogue between Zi Zhang and Man Gou who respectively focus on fame or profit through debate further exposing the hypocrisy behind teachings propagated by Confuciansim while clearly proposing principles such as “opposing martyrdom”and wandering along with Tao rather than pursuing false benevolence or righteousness. It concludes with Part Three depicting dialogue between Wu Zu (who reveres power & wealth) versus Zhu Zhi (who opposes the pursuit of power and criticizes those in authority) further clarifying principles such as “not harming life for beauty” and “not sacrificing oneself for others.”

This article has long been considered a forgery or attributed to later scholars. The language style between Part One and Parts Two & Three is quite different, with the former being straightforward, expressive, and not meandering while contrasting sharply with the bizarrely indirect style found in Inner Chapters of ‘Zhuangzi.’ The latter two parts are also obscure and difficult to understand.

“盗跖”为一人名，指称一个名叫跖的大盗，本篇以人物之名为篇名。《盗跖》内容的中心是抨击儒家，指斥儒家观点的虚伪性和欺骗性，主张返归原始，顺其自然。

本篇写了三个寓言故事，自然地分为三大部分。第一部分至“几不免虎口哉”，写盗跖与孔子的对话，孔子规劝盗跖，反被盗跖严加指斥，称为“巧伪”之人。盗跖用大量古往今来的事例，证明儒家圣君、贤士、忠臣的观念都是与事实不相符合的，儒家的主张是行不通的，就连孔子自己也“不容身于天下”，因为他“不耕而食，不织而衣，摇唇鼓舌，擅生是非”。“盗跖”是先秦时代里一位著名的叛逆者，称他为“盗”当然是基于封建统治者的观点，孔子眼里的盗跖就是“横行天下，侵暴诸侯”的、吃人肝的人物，但同时又不得不赞美他“心如涌泉，意如飘风”，而且兼有“三德”。第一部分是全文的主体部分，因篇幅较长注译时划分为前后两个部分。第二部分至“离其患也”，写子张和满苟得的对话，一个立足于名，一个立足于利，通过其间的辩论更进一步揭示出儒家说教的虚伪性，并且明确提出了“反殉而天”、“与道徘徊”的主张，与其追求虚假的仁义，不如“从天之理，顺其自然。余下为第三部分，写无足和知和的对话，一个尊崇权势与富有，一个反对探求、抨击权贵，通过其间的讨论进一步明确提出“不以美害生”、“不以事害己”的主张。

本篇历来认为是伪作，或认为是后学者所为。通观全篇，第一部分与二、三部分的语言风格也很不一样，第一部分一气呵下，直陈胸意，淋漓尽致，不拖泥带水，与《庄子》内篇离奇婉曲的风格迥异；二、三部分又晦涩不畅，显得十分费解。

The “Sword Talk” is a famous article that discusses Zhuangzi’s views on swords. King Zhao Wen was fond of swords and spent his days with swordsmen instead of attending to state affairs. Zhuangzi went to persuade him and explained that there are three types of swords: the emperor’s sword, the vassal’s sword, and the commoner’s sword. He tactfully pointed out that what King Zhao Wen was doing was actually using a commoner’s sword, but he hoped he could become an emperor’s sword.

If “Letting Be” and “Robber Zhi” are no longer considered as works by Zhuangzi, then “Sword Talk” is even less so. Although the name “Zhuangzi” appears in this article, the Zhuangzi in “Sword Talk” is not advocating wu wei (non-action), free-and-easy conformity or equality among all things like in his other works; rather he is completely portrayed as a lobbyist – an image of strategists during Warring States period – and its content has completely departed from the main theme of “Zhuangzi”. Therefore, this article has always been regarded as a forgery and not a work by followers of Zhuangzi school; it should be seen as a strategist’s writing falsely attributed to Zhuangzi.

《说剑》以义名篇，内容就是写庄子说剑。赵文王喜欢剑，整天与剑士为伍而不料理朝政，庄子前往游说。庄子说剑有三种，即天子之剑，诸侯之剑和庶民之剑，委婉地指出赵文王的所为实际上是庶民之剑，而希望他能成为天子之剑。

如果说《让王》、《盗跖》已不类庄子之文，那么《说剑》就更非庄子之文了。篇文中确有“庄子”其名，但《说剑》里的庄子已不是倡导无为无已、逍遥顺应、齐物齐论中的庄子，完全是一个说客，即战国时代的策士形象，而内容也完全离开了《庄子》的主旨。因此，本篇历来认为是一伪作，也不是庄子学派的作品，应该看作是假托庄子之名的策士之文。

“Fisherman” is the title of an article, referring to an old man who fishes. The article criticizes Confucianism through the perspective of “Fisherman”, and advocates for the belief in “holding onto truth” and returning to nature.

The entire text describes the process of Confucius meeting with Fisherman and their conversation. Firstly, Fisherman talks with Confucius’ disciples Zilu and Zigong, criticizing Confucius’ emphasis on “loyalty, honesty, kindness, righteousness,” as well as his focus on ritual music and selecting people based on relationships. He believes that these efforts are a waste of time that endanger one’s true self. Then it goes on to describe how Fisherman directly criticizes Confucius when they meet face-to-face. He points out that seeking power without being in a position of authority is behavior that leads to eight flaws and four dangers; everyone should stay in their own lane for effective governance. Later on, Fisherman further proposes the concept of “truth,” which means following what comes from heaven rather than conforming to societal norms.

This article has been criticized by many as a forgery throughout history but its ideas are consistent with those presented by Zhuangzi’s school of thought. It does not criticize Confucianism as directly or fiercely as other works such as Qie Jie or Daozhe but instead promotes beliefs about holding onto truth and following what comes from heaven which aligns with internal texts’ viewpoints. Additionally, since Fisherman himself embodies the image of a hermit-like figure he can be seen as someone who follows Zhuangzi’s teachings.

“渔父”为一捕鱼的老人，这里用作篇名。篇文通过“渔父”对孔子的批评，指斥儒家的思想，并借此阐述了“持守其真”、还归自然的主张。

全文写了孔子见到渔父以及和渔父对话的全过程。首先是渔父跟孔子的弟子子路、子贡谈话，批评孔子“性服忠信、身形仁义”、“饰礼乐、选人伦”，都是“苦心劳形以危其真”。接着写孔子见到渔父，受到渔父的直接批评，指出他不在其位而谋其政，乃是“八疵”、“四患”的行为；应该各安其位，才是最好的治理。接下去又进一步写渔父向孔子提出“真”；所谓真，就是“受于天”，主张“法天”、“贵真”、“不拘于俗”。最后写孔子对渔父的谦恭和崇敬的心情。

本篇历来也多有指责，认为是伪作，但本篇的思想跟庄子一贯的主张还是有相通之处，对儒家的指责不如《胠箧》、《盗跖》那么直接、激烈，守真和受于天的思想也与内篇的观点相一致，而且渔父本身就是一隐道者的形象，因而仍应看作是庄派学说的后学之作。

‘Lie Yukou’ was originally a person’s name used as the title of this article. The entire piece is composed of many small stories interspersed with discussions. The content is varied and there is no inherent connection between them, but from the main paragraphs, it mainly expounds on the idea of selflessness in life. One should not show off externally, seek official positions or wealth, pursue intelligence or cleverness, or be greedy for fame and fortune.

The whole text can be roughly divided into five parts. From the first part to “those who wander aimlessly,” through the dialogue between Bohun Maoren and Lie Yukou, people are warned not to show off externally. People cannot forget themselves because they always remember external things; “those who have nothing to ask for” can only forget themselves and wander freely. From the second part to “but do not know about Danning,” criticizing those who claim credit for heaven’s work while comparing them to Zhu Pengman learning how to slay dragons without using his skills teaches people to follow nature instead of pursuing artificial means like water flowing invisibly and returning their spirits back to their origins. From the third part until “only true men can do it,” mocking Cao Shang’s materialism and criticizing Confucius’ pretentiousness in learning shows that what brings punishment upon one’s spiritual world is one’s own anxiety and mistakes in action; only true men – those who are like dead wood detached from worldly affairs – can break free from mental shackles.

From Part Four until “even those with little fate suffer”, using Kongzi’s words discussing human hearts being inscrutable makes choosing people difficult before using Zheng Kao Fu as an example for discussion on principles of conduct: humility towards others rather than arrogance towards oneself leads naturally toward understanding everything easily by following along naturally without any sense of superiority over others. The remaining section comprises Part Five which further elaborates on the principles of conduct. Three small stories from Zhuangzi are written in succession, all aimed at explaining the principle of living without desires; finally, it is pointed out that one should not be driven by external things just because they think themselves wise and pursuing material gain outside oneself is pitiful – only when one feels something can they respond appropriately.

“列御寇”本是篇首一人名，这里用作篇名。全篇由许多小故事夹着议论组合而成。内容很杂，其间也无内在联系，不过从主要段落看，主要是阐述忘我的思想，人生在世不应炫耀于外，不应求仕求禄，不应追求智巧，不应贪功图报。

全文大体分为五个部分，第一部分至“虚而敖游者也”，通过伯昏瞀人与列御寇的对话，告戒人们不要显迹于外。人们之所以不能忘我，是因为他们始终不能忘外，“无能者无所求”，无所求的人才能虚己而遨游。第二部分至“而不知大宁”，通过对贪天之功以为己有的人的批评，对照朱泙漫学习屠龙技成而无所用，教导人们要顺应天成，不要追求人为，要像水流一样“无形”，而且让精神归于“无始”。第三部分至“唯真人能之”，嘲讽了势利的曹商，批评了矫饰学伪的孔子，指出给人们精神世界带来惩罚的，还是他自身的烦乱不安和行动过失，而能够摆脱精神桎梏的只有真人，即形同槁木、超脱于世俗之外的人。第四部分至“达小命者遭”，先借孔子之口大谈人心叵测，择人困难，再用正考父做官为例，引出处世原则的讨论，这就是态度谦下，不自以为是，不自恃傲人，而事事通达随顺自然。余下为第五部分，进一部阐述处世之道。连续写了庄子的三则小故事，旨意全在于说明一无所求的处世原则；最后又深刻指出，不要自恃明智而为外物所驱使，追求身外的功利实是可悲，应该有所感才有所应。

The core content of the last chapter “Tian Xia” in Zhuangzi expresses his ultimate view and attitude towards the world, believing that all things are illusory and there is no essence or truth, including human existence and social systems, which are all illusions. Therefore, Zhuangzi advocates that people should transcend worldly constraints, pursue spiritual freedom, not be disturbed by external environments, maintain inner peace and tranquility, thus achieving true happiness and freedom. At the same time, he also calls on people to be cautious about power, status and fame because they are all meaningless pursuits. Zhuangzi’s views and attitudes have had a profound impact on ancient Chinese philosophy, culture and thought as well as to some extent influenced the development of world philosophy.

庄子最后一章《天下》的核心内容是表达了他对世界的终极看法和态度，认为一切事物都是虚幻的，不存在本质和真实，包括人的存在和社会制度的存在，都是虚妄的。因此，庄子主张人们应该超越世俗的束缚，追求精神自由，不受外在环境的干扰，保持内心的平静与安宁，从而达到真正的幸福和自由。同时，他也呼吁人们要谨慎对待权力、地位和名利，因为这些都是虚无的，不值得过分追求。庄子的这种看法和态度对中国古代哲学、文化和思想产生了深远的影响，也在一定程度上影响了世界哲学的发展。