Know the Male, Keep to the Female
The Text
知其雄，守其雌，为天下溪。为天下溪，常德不离，复归于婴儿。知其白，守其黑，为天下式。为天下式，常德不忒，复归于无极。知其荣，守其辱，为天下谷。为天下谷，常德乃足，复归于朴。朴散则为器，圣人用之，则为官长。故大制不割。
Know the male, keep to the female — be the ravine of the world. Being the ravine, constant virtue does not leave; return to the state of the infant. Know the white, keep to the black — be the model of the world. Being the model, virtue does not err; return to the infinite. Know honour, keep to disgrace — be the valley of the world. Being the valley, virtue suffices; return to uncarved wood. Wood cut becomes vessels; the wise use them — a great carve does no cutting.
Reading it
Three pairs, the same structure: keep the knowledge of the strong position, occupy the weak one. The ravine, the model, the valley all receive rather than hold. The carpentry at the end is the limit case — the block from which all tools come is itself the only thing that must not be carved.
三对结构相同：握住强势位置的全部知识，占据弱势的位置。溪、式、谷都是受纳者。末句的木工是极限情形——生出所有器物的那块原木，恰是唯一不许雕的。
In one negotiation this week, hold the full strength of your position and speak from its lowest place.
这周在一次谈判里，握住你立场的全部强度，从它最低的地方开口。