在人类历史上，出现过许多影响人类社会发展进程的伟大经典，《道德经》就是其中之一。

In the history of mankind, there arose many great classical canons, which have had a deep effect on the course of development course of human society. The Daodejing is one of them.

《道德经》(亦称《老子》)，为中国春秋末期伟大思想家老子所著，“历记成败、存亡、祸福、古今之道”，后被道教奉为根本经典。《道德经》是一部内涵深邃、词句洗炼的“哲学诗”，是中国乃至东方思想文化的源头活水，其影响跨越历史、跨越宗教、跨越民族、跨越文化。

The Daodejing (also called the Laozi) was written by Laozi, who was a great philosopher at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period in China (770-476 BC). The book expounds on success and failure, on survival and extinction, and on misfortune and good fortune. It is considered as a basic scripture of Taoism. The Daodejing is a philosophical poem. Its connotations are profound and its words and phrases are succinct. The Daodejing is the source and current of ideology and culture for China and even for the entire Orient. The influence of the Daodejing has spanned many historical epochs, religious creeds, ethnic customs and cultural traditions.

《道德经》“道法自然”的哲学理念，告诉人们应当追求天人合一的人生境界；“反者道之动”的辩证思想，引导人们多面而深层地认识事物；“无为而无不为”的实践智慧，反映人们追求自由与社会和谐的心声。

In the Daodejing, the philosophy that “Tao follows Spontaneity” tells people to seek a state in which man is an integral part of nature. The dialectic “to oppose is the movement of Tao”, guides people to look at things from many sides and at a deep level. The practical wisdom, “No willful action and nothing without willful action”, voices the aspirations of people seeking freedom and a harmonious society.

《道德经》问世以来，注疏者代不乏人，或帝王将相，或布衣文士，或道家、儒家，或道教、佛教，各抒心得，蔚为大观。有学者考证，历代文献所著录的注本约有2000种。

Since the Daodejing appeared, it has been commented on by emperors, generals, prime ministers, Taoists, Confucians, and Buddhists. Each one of them wrote what they had learned from the canon, and this presented a splendid sight. Textual research of scholars has found that there are about 2000 exegetical commentaries written on the Daodejing.

《道德经》自隋唐以降，在东方广泛流传，特别是在东亚和东南亚产生了较大的影响。明清时期，传播到西方，为西方许多哲学家、科学家、文学家、历史学家和政治家所重视。据不完全统计，迄今为止《道德经》的外文译本已近500种，涉及30多个语种。

Since the Sui and the Tang dynasties (581-907), the Daodejing spread widely in the East. Especially in East Asia and Southeast Asia, the Daodejing exerted a great influence. During the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, the Daodejing spread to the West, and it was studied by many philosophers, scientists, writer, historians and statesmen. According to incomplete statistics, there are over 500 foreign language translations of the Daodejing into over 30 languages.

2007年4月22日至27日，中华宗教文化交流协会和中国道教协会在西安和香港举办“国际道德经论坛”。论坛期间，同时在香港举办《道德经》版本（文物）展。如此规模的《道德经》版本(文物)专题展，在世界上尚属首次。展品包括考古发现的最早的战国竹简本，历朝各种版本、注本、现代汉语本，多种外文译本，还展出一些与《道德经》相关的珍贵文物，其中包括10件国家一级文物。

From April 22nd to 27th 2007, the China Religious Culture Communication Association and the China Taoist Association will hold An “International Forum on the Daodejing” in Xi’an and Hong Kong. During the forum, they will hold an exhibition entitled “The Daodejing: Its Editions and Versions” in Hong Kong. Such a special exhibition of the Daodejing on such a large scale is the first of its kind in the world. The exhibits include the “bamboo slip” Daodejing from the Warring States period, which is the earliest version discovered in archaeological finds, and all kinds of editions, exegetical commentaries, modern Chinese language editions, and multiple foreign language translations. In this exhibition, several cultural relics related to the Daodejing are exhibited, including 10 national first-class cultural relics.

老子的伟大教诲，犹如经久不息的涛声，时时拨动着人们心灵的和弦。期望从远古走来的这位伟大先哲以及他传世的精神财富，能使您对中国优秀的传统文化多一些了解、多一份关注、多一点思考。

The great instructions of Laozi are just as a the sound of waves which stirs a chord in the people’s hearts. We hope that the great thinkers of the past and the spiritual wealth handed down from ancient times, can give you more comprehension, concern and appreciation for the fine traditional culture of China.

执古之道，以御今之有。

“Hold on to the Tao of old to drive the matters of today”.