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
Il perfetto sapiente comprende la Via
E in essa saldamente si stabilisce
L'imperfetto sapiente comprende la Via
E ora la segue, ora la perde
Il sapiente d'infimo rango sentendo parlare della Via
Ride di essa
Se costui non ne ridesse la Via non sarebbe la Via
Perciò valse come un detto antico:
Chi è illuminato grazie al Principio sembra oscuro
Chi progredisce nel Principio sembra retrocedere
Chi è stato reso grande dal Principio sembra un uomo semplice
La virtú superiore rassomiglia alla valle
Il bianco assoluto sembra nero
La virtú del lontano sembra non-azione [inefficienza]
La virtú in opera è segreta
Curva può parere la drittura (dell'Uomo Reale)
Il quadrato infinitamente grande non ha più angoli
Il recipiente infinitamente grande non ha piú capacità
Il suono infinitamente acuto non è piú udibile
L'imagine infinitamente grande non ha piú forma
Il Principio è misterioso e senza nome
Ma il suo dare è perfetto e porta al compimento.
Characters:
962
Words:
157
Comments:
0
Last updated:
2026-02-13 13:43
Comparison Metrics
Character Difference
+68
chars longer
Translation 2 vs Translation 1
Word Count Difference
-1
words less
Translation 2 vs Translation 1
Similarity Score
20.2%
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