书城教材教辅新课标英语学习资源库-母亲的故事
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第21章 犹太女子(3)

“I am not admitted among the Christians,” she said; “they mock me as a Jewish girl; the neighbors boys did so last Sunday when I stood looking in through the open church door at the candles burning on the altar,and listening to the singing. Ever since I sat on the schoolbench I have felt the power of Christianity,a power which,like a sunbeam,streams into my heart,however closely I may close my eyes against it. But I will not grievegrieve v.(使)悲痛,(使)伤心,忧伤 thee,my mother,in thy grave. I will not be unfaithfulunfaithful adj.不诚实的,不忠实的,不准确的 to my fathers vow. I will not read the Bible of the Christian. I have the God of my fathers,and in Him I will trust.”

“我不受洗礼!大家把我叫做犹太女子。上个礼拜天邻家的一些孩子就这样讽笑过我。那天我正站在开着的教堂门口,看着祭坛上点着的蜡烛,听着里面唱圣诗。自从我在学校的时候起,一直到现在,都觉得基督教有一种力量。这种力量就好像太阳光,不论我怎样闭起眼睛,它总能射进我的灵魂中去。但是妈妈,我决不使你在地下感到痛苦!我不会违背爸爸对你所作的诺言!我决不读基督教的《圣经》。我有我祖先的上帝作为依靠!”

And again years passed by. Sarahs master died,and his widow found herself in such reduced circumstances that she wished to dismiss her servant maid,but Sarah refused to leave the house,and she became a true support in time of trouble,and kept the household together by working till late at night,with her busy hands,to earn their daily bread. Not a relative came forward to assistassist v.援助,帮助 them,and the widow was confined to a sick bed for months and grew weaker from day to day. Sarah worked hard,but contrived to spare time to amuseamuse vt.使发笑,使愉快 her and watch by the sick bed. She was gentle and pious,an angel of blessing in that house of poverty.

许多年又过去了。主人死去了,女主人的境遇十分不好。她只好解雇女佣人,但是萨拉却不离开。她成了困难中的一个助手,她维持着这整个的家庭。她一直工作到深夜,用她双手的劳作来赚取面包。没有一个亲戚来照顾这个家庭,女主人的身体变得一天比一天糟——她在病床上已躺了好几个月了。温柔和诚恳的萨拉看护病人,照料家事,操劳着。她成了这个贫寒的家中的一个福星。

“My Bible lies on the table yonder.” said the sick woman one day to Sarah. “Read me something from it,the night appears so long,and my spirit thirsts to hear the word of God.”

“《圣经》就在那儿!”病人说,“请念几段给我听听吧。夜很长,我特别想听听上帝的说的话。” And Sarah bowed her head. She took the book,and folded her hand over the Bible of the Christians,and at last opened it,and read to the sick woman. Tears stood in her eyes as she read,and they shone with brightness,for in her heart it was light.

于是萨拉低下了头。她打开《圣经》,用双手捧着,开始念了起来。她的眼泪涌出来了,可是眼睛却变得非常明亮,而她的灵魂变得更明亮。

“Mother,” she murmured,“thy child may not receive Christian baptism,nor be admitted into the congregation of Christian people. Thou hast so willed it,and I will respect thy command. We are therefore still united here on earth; but in the next world there will be a higher union,even with God Himself,who leads and guides His people till death. He came down from heaven to earth to suffer for us,that we should bring forth the fruits of repentancerepentance n.后悔,悔改。 I understand it now. I know not how I learnt this truth,unless it is through the name of Christ.” Yet she trembled as she pronounced the holy name. She struggled against these convictionsconviction n.深信,确信,定罪,宣告有罪 of the truth of Christianity for some days,till one evening while watching her mistress she was suddenly taken very ill,her limbslimb n.肢,翼,分支 tottered under her,and she sank fainting by the bedside of the sick woman.

“妈妈,你的孩子不会接受基督教的洗礼,不会参加基督教的集会。这是你的嘱咐,我决不会违背你的意志。我们在这个世界上是一条心,但是在这个世界以外——在上帝面前更是一条心。他引导我们走出死神的境界——当他使土地变得干燥之后,他就降到地上,使它变得丰饶!我现在懂得了,我自己也不知道我是怎样懂得的!这是通过他——通过基督我认识到了真理!”她一念出这个神圣的名字的时候,就颤抖一下。一股洗礼的火透过了她全身,她的身体支持不住,倒了下来,比她所看护的那个病人还衰弱。

“Poor Sarah,” said the neighbors,“she is overcome with hard work and night watching.” And then they carried her to the hospital for the sick poor. There she died; and they bore her to her restingplace in the earth,but not to the churchyard of the Christians. There was no place for the Jewish girl,but they dug a grave for her outside the wall.

“可怜的萨拉!”大家说,“她日夜看护和劳动已把身体累坏了。”人们把她抬到慈善医院去。她在那里死了。于是人们就把她埋葬了,可是没有埋葬在基督徒的墓地里,因为那里没有犹太人的地位。但是,她的坟墓是掘在墓地的墙外。

And Gods sun,which shines upon the graves of the churchyard of the Christians,also throwsthrow v.扔,抛,(指马)把骑者摔在地上,使苦恼,投掷 n.投,掷 its beams on the grave of the Jewish maiden beyond the wall. And when the psalms of the Christians sound across the churchyard,their echo reaches her lonely restingplace,and she who sleeps there will be counted worthy at the resurrectionresurrection n.复苏,through the name of Christ the Lord,who said to His disciples,“John baptized you with water,but I will baptize you with the Holy Ghost.”

可是上帝的太阳照在基督徒的墓地上,也照在墙外犹太女子的坟上。基督教徒墓地里的赞美歌声,也在她的坟墓上盘旋。同样,这样的话语也随风飘到了她的墓上:“救主基督复活了,他对他的门徒说道:‘约翰用水来使你受洗礼,我用圣灵来使你受洗礼!’”