Detailed Translation Comparison
Quote by Lao Tzu
💡 Tip: Compare these two translations side-by-side. Use the voting buttons to indicate which translation you prefer. The metrics below show detailed differences in length, word count, and similarity.
English
Translation 1
41
When the highest type of men hear Tao, The diligently practice it. When the average type of men hear Tao, They half believe in it.
When the lowest type of men hear Tao, They laugh heartily at it. If they did not laugh at it, it would not be Tao.
Therefore there is the established saying: The Tao which is bright appears to be dark. The Tao which goes forward appears to fall backward. The Tao which is level appears uneven. Great virtue appears like a valley (hollow). Great purity appears like disgrace. Far-reaching virtue appears as if insufficient.
Solid virtue appears as if unsteady. True substance appears to be changeable. The great square has no corners. The great implement (or talent) is slow to finish (or mature). Great music sounds faint. Great form has no shape.
Tao is hidden and nameless. Yet it is Tao alone that skillfully provides for all and brings them to perfection.
Characters:
894
Words:
158
Comments:
0
Last updated:
2026-02-13 13:43
Spanish
Translation 2
41
Cuando un sabio de la más alta categoría oye
hablar del SENTIDO,
se aplica y actúa conforme a él.
Cuando un sabio de mediana categoría oye
hablar del SENTIDO,
medio se lo cree, medio lo pone en duda.
Cuando un sabio de inferior categoría oye
hablar del SENTIDO,
se ríe a carcajadas.
Si no se ríe a carcajadas,
aun n se trataba del verdadero SENTIDO.
Un poeta gnómico dijo:
“El SENTIDO, siendo claro, parece oscuro.
El SENTIDO, siendo el progreso,
aparenta ser un regreso.
El SENTIDO, siendo liso, parece áspero.
La VIDA más elevada semeja un valle.
La pureza suprema se manifiesta como vergüenza.
La VIDA, siendo extensa, parece insuficiente
y aunque es fuerte, llega furtivamente.
La esencia verdadera parece mutable.
El gran cuadrado no tiene ángulos.
El gran instrumento tarda en acabarse.
El gran sonido no se oye.
La gran imagen carece de forma.”
El SENTIDO es misterioso y no tiene nombre.
No obstante, es pródigo en donativos y realizaciones.
Characters:
955
Words:
162
Comments:
0
Last updated:
2026-02-13 13:43
Comparison Metrics
Character Difference
+61
chars longer
Translation 2 vs Translation 1
Word Count Difference
+4
words more
Translation 2 vs Translation 1
Similarity Score
15.9%
Very different approaches
ℹ️ Understanding the Metrics:
- Character/Word Difference: Shows how much longer or shorter Translation 2 is compared to Translation 1
- Similarity Score: Measures how similar the two texts are based on character-level comparison (higher = more similar)
- These metrics help you understand stylistic differences, but don't necessarily indicate translation quality