瑪加伯下:Chapter 6

瑪加伯下:Chapter 6

瑪加伯下	2 Maccabees
¹不久以後，王派遣一位年老的雅典人，來強迫猶太人背棄祖傳的規誡，不得按照天主的法律生活，	¹Not long after this the king sent an Athenian senator to force the Jews to abandon the customs of their ancestors and live no longer by the laws of God;
²並且褻瀆耶路撒冷的聖殿，將聖殿轉獻與奧林比亞則烏斯神，又將革黎斤山上的殿宇，依當地居民的要求，獻與克色尼則烏斯神。	² also to profane the temple in Jerusalem and dedicate it to Olympian Zeus, and that on Mount Gerizim to Zeus the Hospitable, as the inhabitants of the place requested.
³這種種邪惡的侵入，實在令人難以忍受。	³This intensified the evil in an intolerable and utterly disgusting way.
⁴因為聖殿內充滿了外邦人的放蕩和縱飲，他們與娼妓淫歡，甚至在聖殿的圍牆內與女人私通，將犯禁的東西帶入殿內。	⁴ The Gentiles filled the temple with debauchery and revelry; they amused themselves with prostitutes and had intercourse with women even in the sacred court. They also brought into the temple things that were forbidden,
⁵祭壇上充滿了法律所禁止的不潔之物，	⁵so that the altar was covered with abominable offerings prohibited by the laws.
⁶並且不准遵守安息日，不准舉行祖傳的慶節，連承認自己是猶太人也不許可。	⁶A man could not keep the sabbath or celebrate the traditional feasts, nor even admit that he was a Jew.
⁷每月遇到國王誕生的那一天，他們都被脅迫參與祭祀；一到彫尼索節，應頭戴長春藤冠，參與慶祝彫尼索的遊行。	⁷ Moreover, at the monthly celebration of the king's birthday the Jews had, from bitter necessity, to partake of the sacrifices, and when the festival of Dionysus was celebrated, they were compelled to march in his procession, wearing wreaths of ivy.
⁸且因仆托肋買城內居民的唆使，王又向附近受到希臘文化影響的城邑，頒發一道命令，令人以同樣的方式對待猶太人，迫使他們分食祭品。	⁸At the suggestion of the citizens of Ptolemais, a decree was issued ordering the neighboring Greek cities to act in the same way against the Jews: oblige them to partake of the sacrifices,
⁹誰若決意不採用希臘風俗，依法處以死刑。從此可知大難已臨頭了。	⁹and put to death those who would not consent to adopt the customs of the Greeks. It was obvious, therefore, that disaster impended.
¹⁰有兩個婦人，因為給孩子割損，就被逮捕受審，令人將孩子掛在她們胸前，遊街示眾，然後將她們由城牆高處扔下去。	¹⁰Thus, two women who were arrested for having circumcised their children were publicly paraded about the city with their babies hanging at their breasts and then thrown down from the top of the city wall.
¹¹此外還有些人在附近的山洞裏聚集，暗地裏舉行安息日；有人報告給斐理伯，他便下令把他們活活燒死，因他們寧願遵守聖日，不願自衛。	¹¹Others, who had assembled in nearby caves to observe the sabbath in secret, were betrayed to Philip and all burned to death. In their respect for the holiness of that day, they had scruples about defending themselves.
¹²至此，我勸告本書的讀者，不要因了這些不幸而灰心喪志，反該相信這些災禍並不是為消滅，而只是為懲戒我們的民族罷了。	¹²Now I beg those who read this book not to be disheartened by these misfortunes, but to consider that these chastisements were meant not for the ruin but for the correction of our nation.
¹³因為作惡的人不得長久放縱，反而即刻遭受懲罰，這實是大恩的明證。	¹³It is, in fact, a sign of great kindness to punish sinners promptly instead of letting them go for long.
¹⁴對於其他的民族，上主盡量含忍，待他們罪惡滿盈，即施以懲罰；對於我們，他卻不是這樣：	¹⁴Thus, in dealing with other nations, the Lord patiently waits until they reach the full measure of their sins before he punishes them; but with us he has decided to deal differently,
¹⁵他不等我們的罪惡到達頂點，就責罰我們。	¹⁵in order that he may not have to punish us more severely later, when our sins have reached their fullness.
¹⁶因此，他的憐憫總不離棄我們：雖然用患難來懲戒自己的百姓，卻不放棄他們。	¹⁶He never withdraws his mercy from us. Although he disciplines us with misfortunes, he does not abandon his own people.
¹⁷上面所說的，只是叫你們注意。說完這些話，就該言歸正傳。	¹⁷Let these words suffice for recalling this truth. Without further ado we must go on with our story.
¹⁸厄肋阿匝爾是一位傑出的經師，又是年已古稀，儀表莊嚴的人。有人用力拉開了他的口，強迫他吃豬肉；	¹⁸ Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes, a man of advanced age and noble appearance, was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork.
¹⁹但他寧願光榮捨命，不願受辱而偷生，遂自動走上刑架，	¹⁹But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement, he spat out the meat, and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,
²⁰且把肉吐出。其實，凡決意拒絕吃違法食物的人，都該如此，雖死不辭。	²⁰as men ought to do who have the courage to reject the food which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life.
²¹那些監督這違法祭餐的人，因為與他有多年的交情，便把他叫到一邊，再三勸他帶着自己預備而合法可吃的肉，假裝吃王命的祭肉；	²¹Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately, because of their long acquaintance with him, and urged him to bring meat of his own providing, such as he could legitimately eat, and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice prescribed by the king;
²²如此，就可免一死，而且因他與他們多年的交情，還可獲得優待。	²²in this way he would escape the death penalty, and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.
²³但他立即作了一豪爽的決斷，這決斷相稱他的高齡和聲望，相稱他因積勞而生的白髮，和自幼至今的善行，更符合於天主所立的神聖法律。因此他說明自己的意見，告訴人快把他送到陰府裏去，說：	²³But he made up his mind in a noble manner, worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age, the merited distinction of his gray hair, and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood; and so he declared that above all he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God. He told them to send him at once to the abode of the dead, explaining:
²⁴「像我這樣年齡的人，決不宜作偽，免得許多青年，想年高九十的厄肋阿匝爾也接受了外教禮俗，	²⁴"At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense; many young men would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar had gone over to an alien religion.
²⁵因我的作偽和貪戀殘生，他們也都因我的緣故而誤入歧途；如此，不免在我的高齡上塗上一層污點和恥辱！	²⁵Should I thus dissimulate for the sake of a brief moment of life, they would be led astray by me, while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age.
²⁶況且，即使目前我能逃避人的刑罰；可是，或生或死，我總逃不出全能者的手。	²⁶Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men, I shall never, whether alive or dead, escape the hands of the Almighty.
²⁷所以現在，我若是勇敢捨生，我不愧有此高齡，	²⁷Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, I will prove myself worthy of my old age,
²⁸因為我已給青年留下了一個為可敬的神聖法律，甘心慷慨犧牲的高尚榜樣。」說完這話，就立刻走上刑架。	²⁸and I will leave to the young a noble example of how to die willingly and generously for the revered and holy laws." He spoke thus, and went immediately to the instrument of torture.
²⁹方才和顏悅色勸說他的人，一聽他說出這樣的話，以為他瘋了，遂改變為仇視的態度。	²⁹Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed, now became hostile toward him because what he had said seemed to them utter madness.
³⁰當他受重刑快要斷氣的時候，呻吟着說：「具有聖智的上主，明知我能逃脫死亡，但是，為了敬畏他，我的肉身在痛打之下，雖受到很大的疼痛，但我的心靈卻喜樂忍受這一切。」	³⁰When he was about to die under the blows, he groaned and said: "The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that, although I could have escaped death, I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging, but also suffering it with joy in my soul because of my devotion to him."
³¹他便這樣死了。他的死，不但給青年人，而且也給全國的人民，留下了剛勇的模範，和大德不凡的記錄。	³¹This is how he died, leaving in his death a model of courage and an unforgettable example of virtue not only for the young but for the whole nation.