清靜經 Qing Jing Jing - Quiet Calm Weave #33

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上士無爭下士好爭

Topmost scholar not-have dispute
Inferior scholar adores dispute

(draft translation of 清靜經 Qing Jing Jing - Quiet Calm Weave #33)

上 and 下 imply 'upper, topmost' and 'lower, inferior'. 好 is one of the hundreds of Chinese words that have no close English synonym. Most translators do not know what the word implies, and so the translators almost always use the adjective 'good' as a translation, which is strongly wrong. The playfully chosen word 'adores' for the draft translation is not ideal, but it is sufficiently suggestive for individuals studying the original text.

A public domain translation: "High masters do not fight, while low masters are fond of fighting".

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