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2 Maccabees 1 Not 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; 不久以后，王派遣一位年老的雅典人，来强迫犹太人背弃祖传的规诫，不得按照天主的法律生活， 2 1 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. 并且亵渎耶路撒冷的圣殿，将圣殿转献与奥林比亚则乌斯神，又将革黎斤山上的殿宇，依当地居民的要求，献与克色尼则乌斯神。 3 This intensified the evil in an intolerable and utterly disgusting way. 这种种邪恶的侵入，实在令人难以忍受。 4 2 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, 因为圣殿内充满了外邦人的放荡和纵饮，他们与娼妓淫欢，甚至在圣殿的围墙内与女人私通，将犯禁的东西带入殿内。 5 so that the altar was covered with abominable offerings prohibited by the laws. 祭坛上充满了法律所禁止的不洁之物， 并且不准遵守安息日，不准举行祖传的庆节，连承认自己是犹太人也不许可。 7 3 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. 每月遇到国王诞生的那一天，他们都被胁迫参与祭祀；一到彫尼索节，应头戴长春藤冠，参与庆祝彫尼索的游行。 8 At 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, 且因仆托肋买城内居民的唆使，王又向附近受到希腊文化影响的城邑，颁发一道命令，令人以同样的方式对待犹太人，迫使他们分食祭品。 9 and put to death those who would not consent to adopt the customs of the Greeks. It was obvious, therefore, that disaster impended. 谁若决意不采用希腊风俗，依法处以死刑。从此可知大难已临头。 10 Thus, 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. 有两个妇人，因为给孩子割损，就被逮捕受审，令人将孩子挂在她们乳房前，游街示众，然后将她们由城墙高处扔下去。 11 Others, 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. 此外还有些人在附近的山洞里聚集，暗地里举行安息日；有人报告给斐理伯，他便下令把他们活活烧死，因他们宁愿遵守圣日，不愿自卫。 12 Now 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. 至此，我劝告本书的读者，不要因了这些不幸而灰心丧志，反该相信这些灾祸并不是为消灭，而只是为惩戒我们的民族。 13 It is, in fact, a sign of great kindness to punish sinners promptly instead of letting them go for long. 因为作恶的人不得任其长久放纵，反而即刻遭受惩罚，这实是大开恩的明证。 14 Thus, 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, 对于其他的民族，上主尽量含忍，待他们罪恶满盈，即施以惩罚，对于我们，他却不是这样： 他不等我们的罪恶到达项点，就责罚我们。 16 He never withdraws his mercy from us. Although he disciplines us with misfortunes, he does not abandon his own people. 因此，他的怜悯总不离弃我们：虽然用患难来惩戒自己的百姓，却不放弃他们。 17 Let these words suffice for recalling this truth. Without further ado we must go on with our story. 上面所说的，只是叫你们注意。说完这些话，就该言归正传。 18 4 Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes, a man of advanced age and noble appearance, was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork. 厄肋阿匝尔是一位杰出的经师，又是位年已古稀，仪表庄严的老人。有人用力拉开了他的口，强迫他吃猪肉； 19 But 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, 但他宁愿光荣舍命，不愿受辱而偷生，遂自动走上刑架， 20 as men ought to do who have the courage to reject the food which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life. 且把肉吐出。其实，凡决意拒绝吃违法食物的人，都该如此，宁死不屈。 21 Those 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; 那些监督这违法祭餐的人，因为与他有多年的交情，便把他叫到一边，再三劝他带要自己预备合法可吃的肉，假装吃王命的祭肉； 如此就可免一死，而且因他与他们多年的交情，还可获得优待。 23 But 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: 但他立即作了一豪爽的决断，这决断相称他的高龄和声望，相称他因积劳而生的白发，和自幼至今的善行，更符合于天主所立的神圣法律。因此他说明自己的意见，告诉人快把他送到阴府里去，说： 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. 6:24＂象我这样年龄的人，决不宜作伪，免得许多青年想年高九十的厄肋阿匝尔也接受了外教礼俗， 25 Should 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. 因我的作伪和贪恋残生，他们也都因我的缘故而误人歧途；如此，不免在我的高龄上涂上一层污点和耻辱！ 26 Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men, I shall never, whether alive or dead, escape the hands of the Almighty. 况且，即使目前我能逃避人的刑罚；可是，或生或死，我总逃不出全能者的手。 27 Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, I will prove myself worthy of my old age, 所以现在，我若是勇敢舍生，我不愧有此高龄， 28 and 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. 因为我已给青年留下了一个为可敬的神圣法律，甘愿慷慨牺牲的高尚榜样。＂说完这话，就立刻走上刑架。 29 Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed, now became hostile toward him because what he had said seemed to them utter madness. 方才和颜悦色劝说他的人一听他说出这样的话，以为他疯了，逐一变而采取仇视的态度。 30 When 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.＂ 当他受刑快要断气的时候，呻吟着说：＂具有圣智的上主，明知我能逃脱死亡，但是为了敬畏他，我的肉身在痛打之下，虽受到很大的疼痛，但我的心灵却喜乐忍受这一切。＂ 31 This 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. 他便这样死了。他的死，不但给青年人，而且给全国大多数的人民，留下了刚勇的模范，和大德不凡的记录。 Footnotes(注解) 1 [2] Olympian Zeus: equated with the Syrian Baal Shamen (＂the lord of the heavens＂), a term which the Jews rendered as ＂Shiqqus shomem,＂ horrible abomination (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; 1 Macc 1:54). 2 [4] Amused themselves with prostitutes: as in the fertility cults of the ancient Near East; see notes on Baruch 6:10, 42-43. 3 [7] Dionysus: called also Bacchus, the god of the grape harvest and of wine; ivy was one of his symbols. 4 [6:18-7:42] The stories of Eleazar and of the mother and her seven sons, among the earliest models of ＂martyrology,＂ were understandably popular among the Christians of the early centuries. Written originally to encourage God's people in times of persecution, they add gruesome details to the record of tortures, and place long speeches in the mouths of the martyrs. |
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