谦德
原文
大国者下流，天下之交，天下之牝。牝常以静胜牡，以静为下。故大国以下小国，则取小国；小国以下大国，则取大国。故或下以取，或下而取。大国不过欲兼畜人，小国不过欲入事人。夫两者各得其所欲，大者宜为下。
王弼注
大国者下流，江海居大而处下，则百川流之，大国居大而处下，则天下流之，故曰，大国下流也。天下之交。天下所归会也。天下之牝，静而不求，物自归之也。牝常以静胜牡，以静为下。以其静故能为下也，牝，雌也。雄躁动贪欲，雌常以静，故能胜雄也。以其静复能为下，故物归之也。故大国以下小国，大国以下，犹云以大国下小国。则取小国；小国则附之。小国以下大国，则取大国。大国纳之也。故或下以取，或下而取。言唯修卑下，然后乃各得其所。大国不过欲兼畜人，小国不过欲入事人。夫两者各得其所欲，大者宜为下。小国修下自全而已，不能令天下归之，大国修下则天下归之。故曰，各得其所欲，则大者宜为下也。
英文 · James Legge
(The attribute of humility) What makes a great state is its being (like) a low-lying, down- flowing (stream); - it becomes the centre to which tend (all the small states) under heaven. (To illustrate from) the case of all females: - the female always overcomes the male by her stillness. Stillness may be considered (a sort of) abasement. Thus it is that a great state, by condescending to small states, gains them for itself; and that small states, by abasing themselves to a great state, win it over to them. In the one case the abasement leads to gaining adherents, in the other case to procuring favour. The great state only wishes to unite men together and nourish them; a small state only wishes to be received by, and to serve, the other. Each gets what it desires, but the great state must learn to abase itself.