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Why I Believe the Old Book
Charles Naylor, 1920
Do I believe the old Book?
我相信这本古老的书吗？
Do I really believe it?
我真的相信它吗？
My heart answers that I do.
我内心的回答是我相信。
The deepest consciousness of my soul testifies that it is true.
我灵魂最深处的意识证明它是真实的。
I will tell you some of the reasons why I believe it.
我将告诉你一些我相信它的原因。
The Bible is the oldest, and still the newest, of books.
圣经是最古老的，同时也是最新的书籍。
God’s book written in the rocks is old, exceedingly old —
神的书写在岩石上很古老，极其古老——
but God’s book the Bible reaches back still farther.
但神的书——圣经则更为古老。
It goes back not only to the “beginning” of this terrestrial world,
它不仅追溯到这个地球世界的“开端”，
but into eternity.
而是追溯到永恒。
From past eternity, its majestic sweep covers the whole range of being
从过去的永恒来看，它的宏伟范围涵盖了整个存在的领域
and reaches into the future eternity.
并延伸至未来的永恒。
It is, in fact, the book of eternity,
实际上，它是永恒之书，
and within its folds lie the grandeur and sublimity of the great unknown future.
在其章节中蕴藏着伟大未知未来的壮丽与崇高。
It never gets out-of-date.
它从不过时。
Other books have their run of popularity and are forgotten —
其他书籍会受到一时的欢迎然后被遗忘——
but the Bible never grows old.
但圣经从不显得陈旧。
No matter how familiar we become with it,
无论我们对它多么熟悉，
it is ever new.
它总是焕然一新。
To the Christian, it never grows stale —
对基督徒而言，它从不乏味——
but is always fresh and always satisfying.
而是永远新鲜，永远令人满意。
It ever reveals new depths that we fail to fathom,
它总是揭示出我们无法深究的新深度，
new heights that we cannot scale,
无法攀登的新高度，
and new beauties that enrapture our vision.
以及迷住我们视野的新美。
We read it over and over,
我们一遍又一遍地阅读它，
and repeatedly we see new jewels sparkling within its pages —
并且我们反复在其篇章中看到新的宝石闪耀—
jewels that delight the eye and reflect the mind of God.
这些宝石让人眼前一亮，反映了神的思想。
From it, refreshing waters break out where we least expect them —
从中，清新的泉水在我们最意想不到的地方涌出——
and our souls are refreshed like a thirsty man who suddenly finds water on the desert.
我们的灵魂被振奋，仿佛一位口渴的人在沙漠中突然找到了水源。
We may have read a text a thousand times —
我们可能读过某个经文一千次——
yet when we look at it again it opens up
然而当我们再次审视它时，它展示出
and presents to us a vista of marvelous truth
并向我们呈现出一幅奇妙真理的景象
of which we were before entirely unconscious.
而我们之前对此完全无意识。
What other book can do these things?
还有哪本书能做到这些呢？
When we read a book written by man,
当我们读一本人类所写的书时，
however interesting it may be,
无论它多么有趣，
it soon loses its interest and its charm.
很快就会失去吸引力和魅力。
We do not find new beauties in it as we do in the Bible.
我们没有像在圣经中那样发现新的美。
Its treasures are soon exhausted —
它的宝藏很快就被耗尽——
but the Bible is ever new!
但圣经总是如此新鲜！
I do not believe that the Bible is man’s book
我不相信圣经是人类的书籍
nor that it could be man’s book.
也不认为它可能是人类的书籍。
Its depths are too deep to come from the heart or mind of man;
它的深度太深，无法来自人类的心灵或思想；
its heights are too great for him to reach;
它的高度让人无法触及；
and its wisdom is more than human.
它的智慧超越了人类的理解。
It can only be divine.
这只能是神圣的。
The Bible is the most loved of all books.
圣经是所有书籍中最受喜爱的。
Wherever the Bible goes,
无论圣经走到哪里，
people learn to love and to treasure it above all other books combined.
人们学会了爱惜它，胜过其他所有书籍的总和。
It is the one book that people love —
它是人们所爱的唯一一本书——
it is the treasure that people hold fast even at the risk of their lives.
它是人们即使冒着生命危险也紧紧把握的宝藏。
In past ages when wicked rulers tried to keep it from the people,
在过去的时代，当邪恶的统治者试图把它从人民手中夺走时，
they could not.
他们做不到。
At the peril of their lives, people would have it.
人们宁愿冒着生命危险，也要得到它。
They underwent dangers and tortures,
他们经历了危险和折磨，
and shrank not from anything —
并在任何情况下都没有退缩——
that they might possess this wonderful book.
以便他们能拥有这本奇妙的书。
It is not for what it claims to be —
这不是因为它声称自己是什么——
though it claims much —
尽管它声称很多——
nor for what men claim for it —
也不是因为人们对它的声称——
but for what it is to the individual himself
而是因为它对个人自身的意义，
that it is so dearly loved.
这使得它如此受到珍视。
There is that in the Bible which endears itself to the human heart —
圣经中有一种东西让人类的心灵产生共鸣——
and no other book has that quality.
而其他书籍都没有这种特质。
Other books are enjoyed and admired and praised and valued —
其他书籍被享受、欣赏、赞美和珍视——
but the Bible, in this respect, stands in a class by itself.
但在这方面，圣经独树一帜。
The educated and the ignorant,
受过教育的人和无知的人，
the high and the low,
高贵之人和低贱之人，
all races in all climates,
所有种族在所有气候中，
when they learn to truly know the Bible,
当他们真正学会了解圣经时，
and when they submit themselves to the God of the Bible —
并当他们向圣经的神降服时——
learn to love it and to delight in it
学会了去爱它和喜悦于它
and are enriched and blessed by it;
并因之而得到了丰富和祝福；
and because I too feel this deep love in my heart for the old Book,
而且因为我也在心中感受到这种对古老书籍的深切热爱，
I believe it.
我相信它。
I believe that, in some way —
我相信，在某种程度上——
it was made for me by One who knew my needs,
它是由了解我需要的那一位为我而造，
and that it corresponds to the very essence of my inner self.
并且它与我内心的本质相对应。
I could not love it as I do, if it were not God’s book
如果它不是神的书籍，我就无法像现在这样去爱它
and if it were not true.
如果它不真实的话。
The Bible is the most hated of all books.
圣经是所有书籍中最被仇恨的。
Not only is it the best-loved book,
它不仅是最受喜爱的书，
but it is also the most-hated book.
而且也是最被仇恨的书。
No other book has had so many,
没有其他书籍有如此之多的
nor such bitter enemies.
或如此痛恨的敌人。
I suppose more books have been written against the Bible
我想，写针对圣经的书籍的数量比其他所有书籍加起来还要多！
than against all other books combined!
比针对所有其他书籍加起来都要多！
Men do not hate Shakespeare nor Milton nor Longfellow;
人们并不讨厌莎士比亚、弥尔顿或朗费罗；
they do not hate works on science nor philosophy;
他们不讨厌科学或哲学的著作；
they do not hate books of travel or adventure or fiction;
他们不讨厌旅行、冒险或小说类的书籍；
they do not hate the other sacred books of the world;
他们也不讨厌世界上其他的经典书籍；
they hate only the Bible!
他们只仇恨圣经！
Why this hatred?
为什么会有这种仇恨？
It can be only because they find in the Bible
原因只能是因为他们在圣经中发现了
something that they find nowhere else.
他们在其他任何地方都找不到的东西。
What they find there is a true picture of themselves —
他们在其中发现的是真实的自我画像——
and the picture is not pleasant to look upon.
而这个画像并不讨人喜欢。
So they turn away their faces
因此，他们转过脸
and will have nothing to do with it
并不愿与它有任何关系
except to vilify and condemn it.
除了诋毁和谴责它。
They deliberately misrepresent it
他们故意曲解它
and write falsehoods about it.
并对它编造谎言。
They satirize and ridicule it,
他们讽刺和嘲笑它，
using all sorts of weapons and all sorts of methods to combat it,
务用各种武器和方式与之抗争，
and for only the one reason —
而这一切只有一个原因——
that its truth pricks them in their consciences,
那就是它的真理刺痛了他们的良知，
and they can by no other means escape from it!
而他们无法通过其他任何方式逃避它！
It is judged by a standard far more stringent than any other book.
它被一个远比其他任何书籍都严格的标准所审视。
No critic would think of treating any other book
没有评论家会想要以对待其他书籍的方式来对待这本书
as he treats the Bible,
或像对待圣经一样对待其他书籍，
nor of requiring of any other book
或对其他任何书籍提出和圣经一样的要求。
What he requires of the Bible.
他对圣经的要求。
The more men hate God —
人们越恨神——
the more they hate his Word.
他们就越仇恨祂的道。
This has a deep, underlying reason —
这背后有一个深刻的原因——
that the Bible is God’s book,
那就是圣经是神的书，
and that in it there is so much of God himself.
而在其中，蕴含着如此多的神自身。
The Bible has withstood all assaults.
圣经经受住了所有的攻击。
But though so bitterly assailed through all the ages —
但尽管在各个时代遭受如此恶毒的攻击——
the Bible has withstood the assaults of all its enemies
圣经抵挡住了所有敌人的攻击
and stands victorious still!
并且依然屹立在胜利之上！
The Greek philosophers, with all their skill, were vanquished.
希腊哲学家们，凭借他们的才智，已被战胜。
The greatest intellects of modern times,
现代最杰出的智慧，
find themselves baffled before it.
在面对此书时感到困惑。
The sharpest arrows that unbelief could forge,
怀疑所能铸造的最尖锐的箭，
have not pierced it.
也未能穿透它。
The assaults made upon it —
对它的攻击——
have resulted only in the destruction of the weapons used.
仅导致施加的武器被摧毁。
All through the ages countless theories —
在漫长的岁月里，无数理论——
religious, philosophic, scientific, or other —
宗教的、哲学的、科学的或其他的——
have been used against the Bible,
曾被用来攻击圣经，
only to fall in ruins at last before it
最后的结果只是都在它面前崩溃
and to be rejected even by those who once advocated them.
并被那些曾经主张它们的人所拒绝。
The Bible endures an amount of criticism
圣经承受了其他书籍无法承受的批评
that no other book could endure —
而且不但没有被摧毁，
and instead of being destroyed,
而且鲜亮而被人更为广泛地认识。
it is only brightened and made better known.
有什么错误能耐受圣经所承受的，并生存下来呢？
Could any error endure what the Bible has endured,
这是自然规律，错误是自我毁灭的——
and live?
但真理却无法被摧毁；
It is the law of nature
这就是自然法则，
that error is self-destructive —
圣经必须是真实的，因为它不朽。
but that truth cannot be destroyed;
and according to this law, the Bible must be true
because of its indestructibility.
The Bible tells me of myself.
圣经告诉我关于我自己的事。
My deepest emotions and longings,
我最深的情感和渴望，
my highest thoughts and hopes,
我最高的思想和希望，
are mirrored there —
都在其中得到了反映——
and the more settled inner workings of conscience are there recorded.
而我良知中更为坚定的内在运作在此有记载。
It speaks to me of my secret ambitions,
它对我说出了我内心隐秘的野心，
of my dearest hopes,
我最珍爱的希望，
of my fears,
我内心的恐惧，
of the love that burns within me.
以及我心中燃烧的爱。
My desires are pictured in the Book —
我的渴望在书中可以找到映照——
just as I find them working in my heart.
正如我在心中所感受到的那样。
Whatever picture it draws of the human soul —
无论它描绘人类灵魂的图景——
I find within myself;
我在自己身上都能找到；
and whatever I find within myself —
而我在自己身上找到的任何东西——
I find within its pages;
我也在它的篇章中找到了；
and thus I know that it is true.
因此，我知道它是真实的。
No man can know me as the Bible knows me —
没有人能像圣经那样了解我——
nor picture out my inner self as the Bible pictures me.
也无法像圣经那样描绘我的内心。
And since no work of man could correspond
而且因为没有任何人的作品能够与我的内心相符
with my inner self as the Bible corresponds with me —
像圣经与我相符——
I know that it did not come from man.
我知道这并非出自人类。
The Bible is the book of conscience.
圣经是良知之书。
It is as a mirror into which every man, when he looks, sees himself!
它就像一面镜子，每个人在其中看到的都是自己！
It speaks to his conscience,
它对他的良知说话，
not as a man speaks —
而不是像人那样说——
yet with a potency unknown to any other book.
却以其他书籍所不知道的威力。
It is preeminently the book of the conscience.
它无疑是良知之书。
Other books appeal to men’s consciences —
其他书籍会引起人们的良知共鸣——
but not with the appeal of this book.
但不如这本书所给予的共鸣。
Other books mirror men —
其他书籍反映人性——
but not like the Bible.
而不像圣经那样。
In the silent watches of the night,
在寂静的夜晚，
in the lonely depths of the forest,
在孤独的森林深处，
upon the expanse of the sea,
在辽阔的海洋上，
or wherever man may be —
或无论人在何处——
how frequently is it the case
这个书籍多么频繁地
that this book speaks into his conscience
对他的良知发声
in a silent yet thundering voice —
以一种静默却又雷霆般的声音——
and before it, he is awed and silenced
在这之前，他感到敬畏与沉默
and oftentimes terror-stricken.
并常常感到恐惧。
It speaks to the conscience as only God can speak —
它以只有上帝才能说的话对良知发声——
and therefore it must be God’s book.
因此它必定是上帝的书。
The Bible gives comfort and hope.
圣经带来安慰和希望。
To what book do those in sorrow turn?
悲痛的人会转向哪本书？
To Voltaire? to Ingersoll? to any other skeptic?
转向伏尔泰？转向英格索尔？转向其他任何怀疑论者？
Do they turn to science or philosophy or poetry or fiction?
他们会转向科学、哲学、诗歌或小说吗？
There is but one book which is the book of comfort.
只有一本书是安慰之书。
The sad and desolate heart turns to its pages —
悲伤和荒凉的心转向书页——
and as it reads, the consolation of the Holy Spirit,
并在阅读中，圣灵的安慰
which fills the book, comes into that heart,
充满了这一书的安慰，进入了那颗心，
and it is comforted.
它得到了安慰。
It is as the balm of Gilead.
这就像吉利亚的香膏。
It is as a letter from home to the forlorn wanderer.
这就像是寄给失落游子的家书。
It is as a mother’s voice to the child.
这就像是母亲对孩子的声音。
Friends may speak words to comfort us —
朋友可能会说一些安慰我们的话——
but they cannot comfort us as does the Book.
但是他们无法像这本书一样安慰我们。
Its words seem to enter into our innermost sorrows
它的话语似乎渗入我们内心最深的悲痛
with a healing touch.
以一种治愈的方式触动我们。
God is the God of all comfort,
神是所有安慰的神，
and it is the comforting God in this comforting book
而且是这本安慰之书中的安慰之神
who comforts the soul.
安慰了我们的灵魂。
It is also the book of hope.
它也是希望之书。
Sometimes man despairs,
有时候人会绝望，
and he looks here and there for hope,
他四处寻找希望，
finding none —
却找不到——
but there is one book in which hope may always be found.
但有一本书总能找到希望。
It always has something to offer him
它总能给他提供某种东西
to inspire hope with new courage.
以新的勇气激励他重新燃起希望。
Therefore it is the hope of the hopeless.
因此它是绝望者的希望。
In the troubled soul,
在痛苦的灵魂中，
it brings a calm —
它带来了宁静——
brightening dull eyes and causing them to look beyond.
让昏暗的眼睛变得明亮，目光望向远方。
It lifts up the bowed head,
它抬起低垂的头，
strengthens the feeble knees,
增强软弱的膝盖，
renews the courage,
重振信念，
and takes the sadness out of the voice.
将悲伤从声音中驱散。
It is therefore truly the book of hope!
因此，它确实是希望之书！
The Bible is the book of the dying.
圣经是临终之书。
A soldier, desperately wounded, lay in a trench.
一名重伤士兵躺在战壕中。
The shells were bursting around him;
炮弹在他周围爆炸；
the bullets and shrapnel were whistling through the air;
子弹和弹片在空中呼啸；
the roar of the guns shook the ground.
炮声震撼着大地。
He was going down into the valley of the shadow of death.
他正走向死亡阴影的幽谷。
Knowing that he must pass over to the other side,
知道他必须过去那边，
he reached into his pocket with his little remaining strength
他用仅剩的些许力气
and pulled out his New Testament.
掏出了他的《新约》。
Handing it to a comrade he said, “Read to me.”
把它递给一位战友，他说：“给我读。”
His comrade opened the book and began to read,
他的战友打开书开始读，
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
“你们心里不要忧愁。
Trust in God — trust also in me.
信靠神，也信靠我。
In my Father’s house are many rooms;
在我父的家里有许多住处；
if it were not so, I would have told you.
如果不是这样，我早就告诉你们了。
I am going there to prepare a place for you.
我去为你们预备地方。
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
如果我去为你们预备地方，
I will come back and take you to be with me
我就会回来接你们到我那里，
that you also may be where I am.”
使你们也在我那里。”
A smile overspread the face of the dying soldier
当他在那庄严而恐怖的场景中听到这些话时，
as he listened to the words amid that solemn and terrible scene.
临死的士兵脸上露出了微笑。
He closed his eyes and lay quite still smiling,
他闭上眼睛，静静地躺着微笑，
then he murmured, “It is well.”
然后轻声说：“一切安好。”
And with a smile still upon his face,
他脸上依旧挂着微笑，
he passed across to the other side of the river of death.
他就这样渡过了死亡之河。
For what book do the dying call?
临终的人呼唤哪本书？
For just any book?
只是随便哪本书吗？
What words do they wish to hear in the final hour?
在最后的时刻，他们希望听到什么话？
There is but one book for that hour.
这一时刻只有一本书。
There is but one book which can throw light into that shadowy valley.
只有一本书能照亮那阴暗的山谷。
That is the Bible.
那就是圣经。
It is the book of the living and of the dying —
那是生者和死者的书——
the book of the sorrowing and of the hopeless.
是悲伤者和绝望者的书。
It is just such a book as the loving Father would give
这正是那位慈爱天父会给予的书籍
to the children whom he loves!
给他所爱的孩子们的书！
It meets their needs in all the details of their lives
它满足他们生活中所有细节上的需求
as only God could meet it —
这只有上帝才能做到——
and therefore I can only believe
因此我只能相信
that it is the book of God.
它是神的书。
The Bible contains the only answer to the enigma of life.
圣经包含了生命之谜的唯一答案。
The “why” of life is found nowhere else.
生活的“为何”在其他地方无从寻找。
Other books tell us many truths about life —
其他书籍告诉我们许多生活的真理——
yet its depths and meaning find expression and answer in only one book.
然而其深度和意义仅在一本书中得以表达和回答。
The Scripture interprets life;
圣经解释了生命；
and he who reads the interpretation,
而读到这种解释的人，
knows that it is true because it is the story of himself,
知道这是真的，因为这是他自己的故事，
and in himself is the witness of its truth.
而在他自己心中是这一真理的见证。
Men have sought everywhere for the secret of life
人们在各处寻求生命的秘密
and the things that pertain thereto —
以及与之相关的事物——
but everywhere, except in the Bible —
但是除了圣经，
they find only darkness and obscurity and uncertainty.
他们所找到的只有黑暗、模糊和不确定性。
The Bible, however, speaks in no uncertain terms.
然而，圣经用非常明确的语言发声。
It speaks the language of him who alone knows
它说着那唯一知道生命之谜答案的人的语言。
the only answer to the enigma of life.
唯一的生命之谜的答案。
If we reject its voice —
如果我们拒绝它的声音——
then we are left in a tangled maze,
我们就会陷入一个错综复杂的迷宫，
out of which we cannot find our way.
而无法找到出路。
The Bible outlives all its critics —
圣经超越了所有的批评者——
and is triumphant, when they are long forgotten.
当他们早已被遗忘时，圣经依然胜利。
It has many times been pronounced dead,
它多次被宣告为死去，
but still it lives.
但仍然活着。
It has been called foolish —
它被称为愚蠢——
but its power is not dissipated.
但它的力量并未减弱。
It has seen all antagonistic theories of the past,
它见证了所有过去的对立理论，
one by one, destroyed and rejected —
一个接一个地被摧毁和拒绝——
but it still stands in spite of the critics,
但它仍然屹立不倒，尽管有批评者，
in spite of its enemies!
尽管有敌人！
Those who anchor their faith upon it —
那些将信仰寄托于其上的人——
need not fear what voice is raised against it.
无需害怕任何对它提出的声音。
Neither need they fear what weapons are brought to bear upon it —
他们也不必害怕那些对它施加的武器——
for it is truth,
因为它是真理，
and those who fight against it fight against God
而那些与之对抗的人是在与上帝作斗争
and are themselves ruined!
他们自己也将会被毁灭！
The Bible is adapted to all people of every race and climate,
圣经适合所有种族和气候的人民，
to the high and the low,
无论高贵还是卑微，
the rich and the poor,
无论富有还是贫穷，
the learned and the ignorant.
无论有学识的或无知的人。
Of no other book, can this be said.
没有其他书籍可以这样说。
It is the Book of books —
它是书籍之书——
the book of God!
是神的书！
In it God speaks!
在其中，神发声！
My inmost heart knows that it is the voice of my Beloved,
我内心深处知道这是我所爱的声音，
and leaps for joy!
并为之欢喜！