2.8
今且有言於此，不知其與是類乎？其與是不類乎？類與不類，相與為類，則與彼無以異矣。雖然，請嘗言之。有始也者，有未始有始也者，有未始有夫未始有始也者。有有也者，有無也者，有未始有無也者，有未始有夫未始有無也者。俄而有無矣，而未知有無之果孰有孰無也。今我則已有謂矣，而未知吾所謂之其果有謂乎，其果無謂乎？
Translation: Now I have something to say about it, but I don’t know whether it’s of similar kind or not. The same kind or not, they are indistinguishable from each other. Nonetheless, please allow me to explain it. There is a beginning that begins before the beginning, and a beginning even before that. There is something and there is nothing. Before that is nothing and even before that is nothing. Suddenly there is nothing, but I still do not know which is something and nothing. Today I’ve said hence, but I am not sure whether this has resulted in something or not.
2.9
天下莫大於秋豪之末，而大山為小；莫壽乎殤子，而彭祖為夭。天地與我並生，而萬物與我為一。既已為一矣，且得有言乎？既已謂之一矣，且得無言乎？一與言為二，二與一為三。自此以往，巧歷不能得，而況其凡乎！故自無適有，以至於三，而況自有適有乎！無適焉，因是已。
Translation: Nothing in the world is bigger than the end of autumn, and Mt. Tai appears small. No old thing is more tragic than the death of the child, and Pengzu died young. Heaven and earth were born when I was born, and it all becomes one with me. It’s already a whole, so need I say more? I have said that it’s a whole, so how am I speechless? One is two, two and one are three. From then on, even the experienced and skilled ones couldn’t lead us on, let alone the ordinary men. If we went from nothing to something and got to three, how could we go from something to something? There is nothing to be desired, for it is the way it is.
