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
58
When the government is non-discriminative and dull, The people are contented and generous. When the government is searching and discriminative, The people are disappointed and contentious.
Calamity is that upon which happiness depends; Happiness is that in which calamity is latent.
Who knows when the limit will be reached? Is there no correctness (used to govern the world)? Then the correct again becomes the perverse. And the good again will become evil. The people have been deluded for a long time.
Therefore the sage is as pointed as a square but does not pierce. He is as acute as a knife but does not cut. He is as straight as an unbent line but does not extend. He is as bright as light but does not dazzle.
Characters:
721
Words:
128
Comments:
0
Last updated:
2026-02-13 13:43
Vietnamese
Translation 2
Thuận hoá
Nếu mà chính lệnh khoan hòa,
Dân gian thư thái âu ca thanh bình.
Nếu mà chính lệnh nghiêm minh,
Dân gian những sống giật mình lo thân.
Ở đời họa phúc xoay vần,
Cùng đoan, cực điểm dễ lần ra sao ?
Người trên phóng túng tầm phào,
Dân gian theo thói lẽ nào chẳng hư.
Người hay cũng mất lòng từ,
Người lành rồi cũng ra như gian tà.
Người lầm tự thủa xưa xa,
Người mê, mê tự bao giờ ai hay !
Cho nên hiền thánh xưa nay,
Tuy mình vuông vắn, chẳng xoay xở người.
Tuy mình liêm khiết hơn đời,
Mà nào có nỡ làm ai mếch lòng.
Tuy mình ngay thẳng trắng trong,
Mà nào cay nghiệt nghênh ngông với người.
Tuy mình rự rỡ sáng ngời,
Mà nào có nỡ làm ai chói lòa.
Characters:
657
Words:
144
Comments:
0
Last updated:
2026-02-13 13:43
Comparison Metrics
Character Difference
-64
chars shorter
Translation 2 vs Translation 1
Word Count Difference
+16
words more
Translation 2 vs Translation 1
Similarity Score
9.0%
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