Book 129 (part 5)

263:4 is here in the first tone, and read as , meaning 'to stretch,', to set forth.' 265:1 One of the dugong. It has various names in Chinese, one being , 'the Man-Fish,' from a fancied resemblance of its head and face to a human being;--the origin perhaps of the idea of the mermaid. 266:1 The four members of this sentence occasion the translator no small trouble. They are constructed on the same lines, and seem to me to be indicative and not imperative. Lin Hsî-kung observes that all the explanations that had been offered of them were inappropriate. My own version is substantially in accordance with his interpretations. The chief difficulty is with the first member, which seems anti-Tâoistic; but our author is not speaking of the purpose of any actor, but of the result of his non-action. is to be taken in the sense of , 'lord,' 'exercising lordship.' The in the third sentence indicates a person or persons in the author's mind in what precedes. 266:2 = the Heavenly or self- determining nature. 266:3 Perhaps 'god' would be a better translation. 266:4 Meaning 'Heedless.' 267:1 Meaning 'Sudden.' 267:2 The little allegory is ingenious and amusing. 'It indicates,' says Lin, 'how action (the opposite of non-inaction) injures the first condition of things.' More especially it is in harmony with the Tâoistic opposition to the use of knowledge in government. One critic says that an 'alas!' might well follow the concluding 'died.' But surely it was better that Chaos should give place to another state. 'Heedless' and 'Sudden' did not do a bad work.