The Confessions of St. Augustine — Page 14

English → Chinese BOOK I Level 9/10

For this was judged right by our forefathers; and many, passing the same course before us, framed for us weary paths, through which we were fain to pass; multiplying toil and grief upon the sons of Adam.

因为这是我们的祖先所认为正确的；许多在我们之前走过同样道路的人，为我们开辟了艰辛的路途，我们不得不走过这些路途；将劳苦与悲伤加倍地压在亚当的子孙身上。

But, Lord, we found that men called upon Thee, and we learnt from them to think of Thee (according to our powers) as of some great One, who, though hidden from our senses, couldest hear and help us.

然而，主啊，我们发现人们呼求祢，我们从他们那里学会了（按照我们的能力）将祢视为某位伟大者，祢虽隐而不现于我们的感官，却能听见并帮助我们。

For so I began, as a boy, to pray to Thee, my aid and refuge; and broke the fetters of my tongue to call on Thee, praying Thee, though small, yet with no small earnestness, that I might not be beaten at school.

因此我在孩提时便开始向祢祈祷，祢是我的帮助与避难所；我解开舌头的束缚来呼求祢，虽然年幼，却以极大的诚心向祢祈祷，求祢让我不在学校遭受鞭打。

And when Thou heardest me not (not thereby giving me over to folly), my elders, yea my very parents, who yet wished me no ill, mocked my stripes, my then great and grievous ill.

而当祢未垂听我的祈求时（并非因此将我交付于愚妄），我的长辈，乃至我的亲生父母，虽然并不希望我受苦，却嘲笑我所受的鞭打，那在当时对我而言是巨大而沉重的苦难。

Is there, Lord, any of soul so great, and cleaving to Thee with so intense affection (for a sort of stupidity will in a way do it); but is there any one who, from cleaving devoutly to Thee, is endued with so great a spirit, that he can think as lightly of the racks and hooks and other torments (against which, throughout all lands, men call on Thee with extreme dread), mocking at those by whom they are feared most bitterly, as our parents mocked the torments which we suffered in boyhood from our masters?

主啊，是否有人灵魂如此伟大，以如此强烈的情感依附于祢（某种愚钝或许也能做到这一点）；但是否有人因虔诚地依附于祢，而被赋予如此宏大的精神，以至于他能对那些刑架、钩子及其他酷刑（遍及各地的人们带着极度的恐惧向祢呼求，以求免于这些酷刑）等闲视之，嘲笑那些对此深怀恐惧的人，正如我们的父母嘲笑我们孩提时代从老师那里所受的苦难一样？

Vocabulary

因为: yīnwèi — because; due to the reason that
这: zhè — this; referring to something nearby
是: shì — to be; am, is, are
我们: wǒmen — we; us; our group
的: de — structural particle indicating possession or modification
祖先: zǔxiān — ancestors; forebears of a family or people
所: suǒ — particle used before verbs to nominalize or emphasize
认为: rènwéi — to think; to believe; to consider something true
正确: zhèngquè — correct; right; accurate; free from error
许多: xǔduō — many; a large number or amount of
在: zài — at; in; on; indicating location or time
之前: zhīqián — before; prior to a certain time or event
走过: zǒuguò — to have walked through; to have traversed a path
同样: tóngyàng — same; identical; in the same way
道路: dàolù — road; path; route or way forward
人: rén — person; human being; people
为: wèi — for; on behalf of; in order to
开辟: kāipì — to open up; to pioneer; to create a new path
了: le — particle indicating completed action or changed state
艰辛: jiānxīn — hardship; toil; difficult and painful effort
路途: lùtú — journey; the course of a road or path
不得不: bùdébù — have no choice but to; must inevitably do something
这些: zhèxiē — these; referring to multiple nearby things
将: jiāng — will; about to; used before a verb for future action
劳苦: láokǔ — toil and hardship; exhausting difficult labor
与: yǔ — and; together with; connecting nouns or phrases
悲伤: bēishāng — grief; sorrow; feeling of deep sadness
加倍: jiābèi — to double; to increase twofold in intensity
地: de — adverbial particle linking adverb to following verb
压在: yā zài — to press down upon; to weigh heavily on something
子孙: zǐsūn — descendants; children and grandchildren; offspring
身上: shēnshang — on one's body; upon a person; oneself
然而: rán'ér — however; nevertheless; but; yet
主: zhǔ — Lord; master; God or a divine being
啊: a — exclamatory particle expressing emotion or address
发现: fāxiàn — to discover; to find; to realize something exists
人们: rénmen — people; human beings in general
呼求: hūqiú — to cry out to; to call upon for help
从: cóng — from; following; since a point in time or place
他们: tāmen — they; them; third person plural pronoun
那里: nàlǐ — there; that place; that location
学会: xuéhuì — to learn and master; to come to know how
按照: ànzhào — according to; in accordance with; following a standard
能力: nénglì — ability; capability; capacity to do something
视为: shìwéi — to regard as; to consider to be something
某位: mǒuwèi — a certain person; some particular individual
伟大者: wěidàzhě — a great one; someone of greatness and significance
虽: suī — although; even though; despite the fact that
隐而不现: yǐn ér bù xiàn — hidden and not visible; concealed from sight
于: yú — at; in; to; preposition indicating place or relation
感官: gǎnguān — senses; sensory organs perceiving the external world
却能: què néng — yet able to; nevertheless capable of doing something
听见: tīngjiàn — to hear; to perceive sound through the ears
并: bìng — and; also; furthermore; connecting parallel elements
帮助: bāngzhù — to help; to assist; to give aid to someone
因此: yīncǐ — therefore; as a result; consequently
我: wǒ — I; me; first person singular pronoun
孩提: háití — early childhood; the time when one is a young child
时: shí — time; when; at the time of
便: biàn — then; thereupon; as soon as; indicating consequence
开始: kāishǐ — to begin; to start; the commencement of something
向: xiàng — toward; to; in the direction of
祈祷: qídǎo — to pray; to offer prayer to a deity
避难所: bìnànsuǒ — refuge; shelter; a place of safety from harm
解开: jiěkāi — to untie; to loosen; to free from a bond
舌头: shétou — tongue; the muscular organ inside the mouth
束缚: shùfù — to bind; restraint; a constraint limiting freedom
来: lái — to come; directional particle indicating purpose
虽然: suīrán — although; even though; despite the fact
年幼: niányòu — young in age; being a young child
却: què — yet; but; however; indicating a contrast
以: yǐ — with; using; by means of something
极大: jídà — extremely great; of the utmost magnitude
诚心: chéngxīn — sincerity; wholehearted earnestness; genuine intention
求: qiú — to seek; to request; to beg for something
让: ràng — to let; to allow; to cause someone to do something
不: bù — not; no; negation of a verb or adjective
学校: xuéxiào — school; an institution for learning and education
遭受: zāoshòu — to suffer; to be subjected to harm or misfortune
鞭打: biāndǎ — to whip; to flog; to beat with a whip
而: ér — and; but; yet; connecting contrasting clauses
当: dāng — when; at the time that; while
未: wèi — not yet; did not; indicating negation of past action
祈求: qíqiú — to pray for; to earnestly request something
并非: bìngfēi — not at all; it is not the case that
交付: jiāofù — to hand over; to deliver; to entrust something
长辈: zhǎngbèi — elder; senior member of family or community
乃至: nǎizhì — even; and even; ranging as far as to include
亲生: qīnshēng — biological; one's own birth parents or children
父母: fùmǔ — parents; father and mother together
并不: bìngbù — not at all; definitely not; used for emphasis
希望: xīwàng — to hope; to wish for; a desire for something
受苦: shòukǔ — to suffer; to endure pain or hardship
嘲笑: cháoxiào — to mock; to ridicule; to laugh at scornfully
所受: suǒ shòu — that which is suffered or endured; what one receives
那: nà — that; referring to something farther away
当时: dāngshí — at that time; then; at the particular moment
对: duì — toward; for; regarding; in relation to
而言: éryán — as for; in terms of; speaking from a perspective
巨大: jùdà — huge; enormous; of very great size or extent
沉重: chénzhòng — heavy; weighty; burdensome; serious in nature
苦难: kǔnàn — suffering; misery; great hardship and distress
是否: shìfǒu — whether or not; used to pose a yes/no question
有人: yǒurén — there is someone; some person exists
灵魂: línghún — soul; spirit; the immaterial essence of a person
如此: rúcǐ — like this; in such a way; so; thus
伟大: wěidà — great; magnificent; of remarkable importance
强烈: qiángliè — intense; strong; powerful in feeling or effect
情感: qínggǎn — emotion; feeling; emotional sentiment or attachment
依附: yīfù — to attach to; to depend on; to cling to something
某种: mǒuzhǒng — a certain kind; some sort of something
愚钝: yúdùn — dull-witted; slow and stupid; lacking sharp intellect
或许: huòxǔ — perhaps; maybe; possibly might be the case
也能: yě néng — also able to; can likewise do something
做到: zuòdào — to accomplish; to achieve; to manage to do
这一点: zhè yīdiǎn — this point; this particular matter or aspect
但是否: dàn shìfǒu — but whether or not; questioning if something is so
因: yīn — because of; due to; on account of
虔诚: qiánchéng — devout; pious; showing sincere religious reverence
被: bèi — passive marker; indicates action done to the subject
赋予: fùyǔ — to endow with; to grant; to bestow a quality upon
宏大: hóngdà — grand; great; magnificent and expansive in scope
精神: jīngshén — spirit; mind; mental or spiritual strength
以至于: yǐzhìyú — to the extent that; so much so that; resulting in
他: tā — he; him; third person masculine singular pronoun
能: néng — can; able to; having the ability to do something
那些: nàxiē — those; referring to multiple things at a distance
钩子: gōuzi — hook; a curved device for hanging or catching
及: jí — and; as well as; together with other things
其他: qítā — other; the rest; additional different things
酷刑: kùxíng — torture; cruel and severe punishment inflicted on someone
遍及: biànjí — spread throughout; extending to every part of an area
各地: gèdì — various places; everywhere; all parts of an area
带着: dàizhe — carrying; bringing along; accompanied by something
极度: jídù — extreme; to the utmost degree; extremely intense
恐惧: kǒngjù — fear; terror; a strong feeling of dread
以求: yǐ qiú — in order to obtain; so as to achieve something
免于: miǎnyú — to be free from; to be exempted from something
等闲视之: děngxián shì zhī — to regard lightly; to treat as trivial or unimportant
对此: duì cǐ — regarding this; in response to this matter
深怀: shēn huái — to deeply harbor; to hold profoundly in one's heart
正如: zhèngrú — just as; exactly as; in the same way as
时代: shídài — era; age; a period of time in history
老师: lǎoshī — teacher; instructor; one who teaches others
一样: yīyàng — the same; alike; identical in appearance or manner

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