Detailed Translation Comparison
Quote by Lao Tzu
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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
Italian
Translation 2
41
quando un uomo superiore sente parlare della via
la segue con tutte le sue forze
quando un uomo medio sente parlare della via
ora la segue ora la perde
quando un uomo inferiore sente parlare della via
si fa grandi risate
se non fosse derisa
non sarebbe degna di essere la via
perché anticamente era detto
la via chiara sembra oscura
la via che progredisce sembra retrocedere
la via piana sembra accidentata
la virtú superiore sembra vuota come una valle
il grande candore appare come offuscato
la virtú sovrabbondante sembra insufficiente
la virtú conclamata sembra furtiva
la piú solida realtà sembra incerta
un grande quadrato è senza angoli
un grande vaso è completato tardi
una grande musica non ha note
una grande immagine è senza forma
la via è nascosta e senza nome
ma nutre e sa portare tutto a compimento
Characters:
821
Words:
142
Comments:
0
Last updated:
2026-02-13 13:43
Comparison Metrics
Character Difference
-73
chars shorter
Translation 2 vs Translation 1
Word Count Difference
-16
words less
Translation 2 vs Translation 1
Similarity Score
20.9%
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