The Great Way Floods Everywhere
The Text
大道泛兮，其可左右。万物恃之以生而不辞，功成而不有。衣养万物而不为主，常无欲，可名于小；万物归焉而不为主，可名为大。以其终不自为大，故能成其大。
The great way floods everywhere — to the left, to the right. All things depend on it and it refuses none; the work done, it claims no name. It clothes and feeds all things yet does not lord over them. Forever without desire, it may be called small; all things return to it and it is not their master — this may be called great. Because the wise never make themselves great, they achieve greatness.
Reading it
Two measurements of the same thing: not wanting to be great makes it small, everything coming home to it makes it great. The chapter holds both without reconciliation, then states the operative rule — greatness taken is denied, greatness unclaimed arrives.
对同一物的两种量法：不欲为人知的大，所以「小」；万物归之而不为主，所以「大」。本章同时持守两者不予调和，然后给出操作律——被拿取的大会被拒绝，未被认领的大自行抵达。
Do the most useful thing available to you this week with no interest in whether anyone knows.
这周做眼下最有用的事，对有没有人知道毫无兴趣。