海菲终于找到他等待已久的人了（2）

I am a citizen of Tarsus and also a citizen of Rome.

我是塔瑟斯人，也是罗马公民。

My people are Pharisees of the Jewish tribe of Benjamin

我的同胞是卞杰民的犹太部落中的法利赛教徒。

and although I am a tentmaker by trade,

我虽然做帐篷生意，

I have studied under the great Gamaliel. Some call me Paul.

可也在加亚利念过书，有人叫我保罗。”

" He swayed as he spoke¹ and Hafid,

他说话的时候，身子轻轻地摇晃着。

not fully² awake until this moment,

这时海菲才从困倦中全然清醒，

apologetically motioned for his visitor to sit

带着歉意，示意客人落坐。

Paul nodded but remained standing³. "

保罗点点头，却依然站立不动，

I come to thee for guidance and help which only you can give.

“我来这里，是想求得您的指导和帮助，只有您才能做到这一点。

Will you permit me, sire, to tell my story?"

我可不可以把自己的故事告诉您？”

Erasmus, standing behind the stranger, shook his head violently,

伊拉玛站在客人的身后，拼命地摇头。

but Hafid pretended not to notice.

海菲装着没看见，

He studied the intruder of his sleep carefully and then nodded,

兀自打量着这位在他睡着时来临的不速之客，终于点点头：

"I am too old to continue to look up at you.

“我年纪大了，没办法一直仰着头看你。

Sit at my feet and I will hear you through."

来，坐到我身边来，慢慢地说给我听。”

Paul pushed his sack aside and knelt near the old man

保罗把他的行李袋推到一边，

who waited in silence.

靠近老人跪下来。老人静静地等着。

"Four years ago,

“四年前，

because the accumulated knowledge of too many years of study had blinded my heart to truth,

由于我受到多年以来陈习陋见的影响，心睐于真理。

I was the official witness to the stoning, in Jerusalem, of a holy man called Stephen.

后来，我替官方作证，使得一名叫做史蒂芬的圣徒在耶路撤冷被投石致死。

He had been condemned⁴ to death by the Jewish Sanhedrin

他被犹太最高法庭以

for blasphemy⁵ against our God."

亵渎神灵的罪名判处死刑。”

Hafid interrupted with puzzlement in his voice,

海菲不解地问道：

"I do not understand how I am connected with this activity"

“可是，这和我有什么关系呢？”

Paul raised his hand as if to calm the old man.

保罗伸手止住老人的话，

"I will explain quickly.

“我这就解释给您听。

Stephen was a follower⁶ of a man called Jesus,

史蒂芬是耶酥的门徒。

who less than a year before the stoning of Stephen,

在他被石块钉死的前一年，

was crucified by the Romans for sedition⁷ against the state.

耶稣被罗马人以煽动判乱的罪名钉死在十字架上。

Stephen's guilt⁸ was his insistence⁹ that Jesus was the Messiah

史蒂芬坚持说，耶稣是救世主，

whose coming had been foretold¹⁰ by the Jewish prophets,

他的来临早有犹太先知预言过，

and that the Temple had conspired¹¹ with Rome to murder this son of God.

寺院勾结罗马政府阴谋杀害了这位上帝之子。

This rebuke¹² to those in authority could only be punishable with death

说出这种冒犯当权的话必死无疑。

and as I have already told thee,

我刚才说过，

I participated.

我也参与了对他的迫害。

"Furthermore, with my fanaticism¹³ and youthful zeal¹⁴,

“不但如此，由于我的盲从和年轻的狂热，

I was supplied with letters from the high priest of the Temple

我接受了寺院最高僧侣的指派，

and entrusted¹⁵ with the mission of journeying here to Damascus

到大马士革来，

to search out every follower of Jesus

四处搜捕耶稣的门徒，

and return them in chains to Jerusalem for punishment.

把他们用链子带回耶路撤冷，接受审判。

This was, as I have said, four years ago."

这就是四年前的我。”

Erasmus glanced at Hafid and was startled,

伊拉玛向主人瞟了一眼，心里吃了一惊。

for there was a look in the old man's eyes which had not been seen by the faithful bookkeeper in many years.

他看到老人的眼神显出多年未见的光彩。

Only the splash of fountain water could be heard in the garden until Paul spoke once more.

这时，只有园中的喷水池水声潺潺。保罗又继续说道：

"Now as I approached Damascus with murder in my heart

“在我像杀人犯一样前往大马士革的途中，

there was a sudden flash of light from the heavens.

突然有一道亮光从天而降，

I remember not having been struck but I found myself on the ground

我没有被它击中，却发现自己已跌倒在地上，

and although I could not see,

双目失明，

I could hear, and I heard a voice in my ear say,

只有耳边传来一个声音：

'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute¹⁶ me?'

‘扫罗，你为什么迫害我？’

I answered, 'Who are you?'

我问道：‘你是谁？’

and the voice replied,

那个声音说，

I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting¹⁷;

‘我就是一直受你迫害的耶稣。

but rise and enter the city,

起来，进城去，

and you will be told what to do.'

会有人告诉你该怎么办？’

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

5 blasphemy   

n.亵渎，渎神

参考例句：

• His writings were branded as obscene and a blasphemy against God.他的著作被定为淫秽作品，是对上帝的亵渎。
• You have just heard his blasphemy!你刚刚听到他那番亵渎上帝的话了！

6 follower   

n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒

参考例句：

• He is a faithful follower of his home football team.他是他家乡足球队的忠实拥护者。
• Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。

7 sedition   

n.煽动叛乱

参考例句：

• Government officials charged him with sedition.政府官员指控他煽动人们造反。
• His denial of sedition was a denial of violence.他对煽动叛乱的否定又是对暴力的否定。

8 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

9 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。

10 foretold   

v.预言，预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She foretold that the man would die soon. 她预言那人快要死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Must lose one joy, by his life's star foretold. 这样注定：他，为了信守一个盟誓／就非得拿牺牲一个喜悦作代价。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学

11 conspired   

密谋( conspire的过去式和过去分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They conspired to bring about the meeting of the two people. 他们共同促成了两人的会面。
• Bad weather and car trouble conspired to ruin our vacation. 恶劣的气候连同汽车故障断送了我们的假日。

12 rebuke   

v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise

参考例句：

• He had to put up with a smart rebuke from the teacher.他不得不忍受老师的严厉指责。
• Even one minute's lateness would earn a stern rebuke.哪怕迟到一分钟也将受到严厉的斥责。

13 fanaticism   

n.狂热，盲信

参考例句：

• Your fanaticism followed the girl is wrong. 你对那个女孩的狂热是错误的。
• All of Goebbels's speeches sounded the note of stereotyped fanaticism. 戈培尔的演讲，千篇一律，无非狂热二字。

14 zeal   

n.热心，热情，热忱

参考例句：

• Revolutionary zeal caught them up,and they joined the army.革命热情激励他们，于是他们从军了。
• They worked with great zeal to finish the project.他们热情高涨地工作，以期完成这个项目。

15 entrusted   

v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。
• She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 persecute   

vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰

参考例句：

• They persecute those who do not conform to their ideas.他们迫害那些不信奉他们思想的人。
• Hitler's undisguised effort to persecute the Jews met with worldwide condemnation.希特勒对犹太人的露骨迫害行为遭到世界人民的谴责。

17 persecuting   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的现在分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

• This endurance made old Earnshaw furious, when he discovered his son persecuting the poor, fatherless child, as he called him. 当老恩萧发现他的儿子这样虐待他所谓的可怜的孤儿时，这种逆来顺受使老恩萧冒火了。
• He is possessed with the idea that someone is persecuting him. 他老是觉得有人要害他。