在人類曆史上，齣現過許多影響人類社會發展進程的偉大經典，《道德經》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.

《道德經》(亦稱《老子》)，為中國春鞦末期偉大思想傢老子所著，“曆記成敗、存亡、禍福、古今之道”，後被道教奉為根本經典。《道德經》是一部內涵深邃、詞句洗煉的“哲學詩”，是中國乃至東方思想文化的源頭活水，其影響跨越曆史、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.

《道德經》“道法自然”的哲學理念，告訴人們應當追求天人閤一的人生境界；“反者道之動”的辯證思想，引導人們多麵而深層地認識事物；“無為而無不為”的實踐智慧，反映人們追求自由與社會和諧的心聲。

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.

《道德經》問世以來，注疏者代不乏人，或帝王將相，或布衣文士，或道傢、儒傢，或道教、佛教，各抒心得，蔚為大觀。有學者考證，曆代文獻所著錄的注本約有2000種。

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.

《道德經》自隋唐以降，在東方廣泛流傳，特彆是在東亞和東南亞産生瞭較大的影響。明清時期，傳播到西方，為西方許多哲學傢、科學傢、文學傢、曆史學傢和政治傢所重視。據不完全統計，迄今為止《道德經》的外文譯本已近500種，涉及30多個語種。

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，中華宗教文化交流協會和中國道教協會在西安和香港舉辦“國際道德經論壇”。論壇期間，同時在香港舉辦《道德經》版本（文物）展。如此規模的《道德經》版本(文物)專題展，在世界上尚屬首次。展品包括考古發現的最早的戰國竹簡本，曆朝各種版本、注本、現代漢語本，多種外文譯本，還展齣一些與《道德經》相關的珍貴文物，其中包括10件國傢一級文物。

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.

老子的偉大教誨，猶如經久不息的濤聲，時時撥動著人們心靈的和弦。期望從遠古走來的這位偉大先哲以及他傳世的精神財富，能使您對中國優秀的傳統文化多一些瞭解、多一份關注、多一點思考。

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.

執古之道，以禦今之有。

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