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2 Maccabees 1 It also happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges by the king, to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law. 事后，又有兄弟七人与他们的母亲一同被捕，国王命人用鞭子和牛筋痛打他们，强迫他们吃法律禁止的猪肉。 2 One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said: ＂What do you expect to achieve by questioning us? We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.＂ 其中一个，代表发言说：＂你想问什么？你愿由我们知道什么？我们已经准备，宁死不愿背叛我们祖先的法律。＂ 3 At that the king, in a fury, gave orders to have pans and caldrons heated. 于是国王大怒，命人取过锅釜来，放在火上。 4 While they were being quickly heated, he commanded his executioners to cut out the tongue of the one who had spoken for the others, to scalp him and cut off his hands and feet, while the rest of his brothers and his mother looked on. 及至锅釜瞬息间烧红以后，就命人在其余的兄弟和母亲眼前，将那发言人的舌头割下来，剥去他的头皮，割下他的四肢， 5 When he was completely maimed but still breathing, the king ordered them to carry him to the fire and fry him. As a cloud of smoke spread from the pan, the brothers and their mother encouraged one another to die bravely, saying such words as these: 肢体被分割后，王命人将他拉到火边，活生生地放在锅里煎熬。当锅内的蒸气往上升起时，其余的兄弟和母亲都互相劝勉作壮烈的牺牲说： 6 ＂The Lord God is looking on, and he truly has compassion on us, as Moses declared in his canticle, when he protested openly with the words, 'And he will have pity on his servants.'＂ ＂上主天主看见，必要怜恤我们，正如梅瑟在谴责歌中所明说的：他必怜恤自己的仆人！＂ 7 When the first brother had died in this manner, they brought the second to be made sport of. After tearing off the skin and hair of his head, they asked him, ＂Will you eat the pork rather than have your body tortured limb by limb?＂ 第一个这样死去以后，遂领第二个来赴刑。将他的头皮与头发一起削去，以后问他说：＂在你的身体一块一块地分解以前，你吃不吃猪肉？＂ 8 Answering in the language of his forefathers, he said, ＂Never!＂ So he too in turn suffered the same tortures as the first. 他用祖国的话答说：＂不！＂因比，他也象第一个一般受了刑罚。 9 1 At the point of death he said: ＂You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever. It is for his laws that we are dying.＂ 他在快要断气的一刹那，高声说：＂你这穷凶极恶的人！你使我失去现世的生命，但是宇宙的君王必要使我们这些为他的法律而殉难的人复活，获得永生。＂ 10 After him the third suffered their cruel sport. He put out his tongue at once when told to do so, and bravely held out his hands, 这一个以后，轮到第三个受刑了！在命他伸舌头时他就爽快地伸出，且毅然伸开双手, 11 as he spoke these noble words: ＂It was from Heaven that I received these; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again.＂ 慷慨他说：＂这些肢体是从上天得来的，但是现在为了他的法律，我不吝惜这一切，希望有一天从他那里仍再得到。＂ 12 Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man's courage, because he regarded his sufferings as nothing. 国王和他的侍从都惊异这少年人不怕受苦的精神。 13 After he had died, they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way. 他死了以后，他们用同样酷刑处罚第四个。 14 When he was near death, he said, ＂It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the God-given hope of being restored to life by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life.＂ 15 They next brought forward the fifth brother and maltreated him. Looking at the king, 接着，人就带第五个来受刑。 16 he said: ＂Since you have power among men, mortal though you are, do what you please. But do not think that our nation is forsaken by God. 他向国王瞪着眼说：＂你这有死有坏的人，现今你对人有权柄为所欲为；可是不要想我们的民族已被天主摈弃。 17 Only wait, and you will see how his great power will torment you and your descendants.＂ 你等着看罢！你必要看见他的大能，看他要怎样惩罚你和你的子孙！＂ 18 After him they brought the sixth brother. When he was about to die, he said: ＂Have no vain illusions. We suffer these things on our own account, because we have sinned against our God; that is why such astonishing things have happened to us. 在他以后，带了第六个来，他快死时说：＂你不要糊涂自欺！我们遭受这一切，正是因为我们得罪了我们的天主，因而遭受了这样严重的灾难。 19 Do not think, then, that you will go unpunished for having dared to fight against God.＂ 可是，你不要想你对抗天主能侥幸免罚！＂ 20 Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the mother, who saw her seven sons perish in a single day, yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord. 尤当称奇，最值得光荣记念的，还是他们的母亲。她在一日之内亲见七个儿子死去，还能欣然忍受，因为她全心寄望于上主。 21 Filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly heart with manly courage, she exhorted each of them in the language of their forefathers with these words: 她心中充满高尚的情绪，以大丈夫的气概，奋发她女性柔弱的情怀，用本国话一一鼓励他们说： 22 ＂I do not know how you came into existence in my womb; it was not I who gave you the breath of life, nor was it I who set in order the elements of which each of you is composed. 23 Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe who shapes each man's beginning, as he brings about the origin of everything, he, in his mercy, will give you back both breath and life, because you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law.＂ Martyrdom of Mother and Sons 世界的创造者，既然形成了人的初生，赐与万物以起源，也必仁慈偿还你们灵魂和生命，因为你们现在为爱护他的法律不顾惜自己。＂ 24 Antiochus, suspecting insult in her words, thought he was being ridiculed. As the youngest brother was still alive, the king appealed to him, not with mere words, but with promises on oath, to make him rich and happy if he would abandon his ancestral customs: he would make him his Friend and entrust him with high office. 安提约古自觉受了轻慢，猜想这番话必是讽刺自己，就趁最幼的一个尚在，不断用话劝诱，且向他起誓，只要他舍弃自己祖传的一切，保证他必享富贪幸福，作自己的朋友，获得高官厚禄。 25 When the youth paid no attention to him at all, the king appealed to the mother, urging her to advise her boy to save his life. 可是,少年人对这话毫不介意，因此王就召他的母亲来，劝她给少年人出个得救的主意。 26 After he had urged her for a long time, she went through the motions of persuading her son. 国王再三劝了她，她才同意去劝说自己的儿子。 于是她弯身向他，嘲弄着暴君，用祖国的话这样对他说：＂我儿，你怜恤我罢！我在腹中怀育你九个月，三年哺养你，又栽培提携养育你，直到现在的年纪。 28 2 I beg you, child, to look at the heavens and the earth and see all that is in them; then you will know that God did not make them out of existing things; and in the same way the human race came into existence. 我儿，我恳求你仰视天，俯视地，观察天地间形形色色的万物！你该知道这一切都是天主从无中造成的，人类也是如此造成的。 29 Do not be afraid of this executioner, but be worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with them.＂ 你不要怕这刽子手，反该对得起你的哥哥们，视死如归，好叫我在天主显示仁慈的时候，可迎接你的哥哥们和你！＂ 30 She had scarcely finished speaking when the youth said: ＂What are you waiting for? I will not obey the king's command. I obey the command of the law given to our forefathers through Moses. 她刚说完了话，青年人就说：＂你们还等什么？我决不听从国王的命令，我只听从梅瑟给我们祖宗立定的法律命令。 31 But you, who have contrived every kind of affliction for the Hebrews, will not escape the hands of God. 你这设法迫害希伯来人的罪魁，你决不能逃脱天主的手！ 32 We, indeed, are suffering because of our sins. 我们受难是为了我们的罪恶。 33 Though our living Lord treats us harshly for a little while to correct us with chastisements, he will again be reconciled with his servants. 我们永生的上主，为责罚和惩戒我们，一时向我们发怒，但终究要与自己的仆人重新和好。 34 But you, wretch, vilest of all men! do not, in your insolence, concern yourself with unfounded hopes, as you raise your hand against the children of Heaven. 至于你这恶人！你这人类中的妖孽！你虽然伸手毒害上天的子女，可是别糊里糊涂，洋洋得意，妙想天开， 35 You have not yet escaped the judgment of the almighty and all-seeing God. 因为你逃脱不了全能全知天主的审判。 36 My brothers, after enduring brief pain, have drunk of never-failing life, under God's covenant, but you, by the judgment of God, shall receive just punishments for your arrogance. 我哥哥们既忍受了暂时的苦痛，如今他们按照天主的盟约，得到了永生，你却因着天主的审判，将受你骄傲应得的刑罚， 37 Like my brothers, I offer up my body and my life for our ancestral laws, imploring God to show mercy soon to our nation, and by afflictions and blows to make you confess that he alone is God. 我哥哥们既忍受了暂时的苦痛，如今他们按照天主的盟约，得到了永生。你却因着天主的审判，将受你骄傲应得的刑罚。我要如同我哥哥们一样，甘心为祖宗的法律舍弃我的肉身和生命，求天主早日怜恤我们的民族，并用苦难与灾祸，迫使你承认他是唯一的天主。 38 Through me and my brothers, may there be an end to the wrath of the Almighty that has justly fallen on our whole nation.＂ 愿全能者向我们全族所发的义怒，在我和我哥哥们身上就此止息。＂。 39 At that, the king became enraged and treated him even worse than the others, since he bitterly resented the boy's contempt. 国王难以忍受他的凌辱，于是勃然大怒，加给他的刑罚比其他的更凶残。 40 Thus he too died undefiled, putting all his trust in the Lord. 41 The mother was last to die, after her sons. 儿子们相继致命，最后母亲也致了命。 42 Enough has been said about the sacrificial meals and the excessive cruelties. 以上所述，足以叫人明了，当时关于吃祭品和因此而掀起的惨酷刑罚。 Footnotes（注解） 1 [9] The King of the world will raise us up: here, and in 2 Macc 7:11, 14, 23, 29, 36, belief in the future resurrection of the body, at least for the just, is clearly stated; cf also 2 Macc 12:44; 14:46; Daniel 12:2. 2 [28] God did not make them out of existing things: that is, God made all things solely by his omnipotent will and his creative word; cf Hebrews 11:3. |
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