英语学习系列:源自《钦定版圣经》的英文典故(13)

《律法》(Torah),又被称为《摩西五经》(Pentateuch),由《旧约》中的创世纪、出埃及记、利未记、民数记和申命记组成。我们在上文讲到:旧约的《出埃及记》讲述了摩西将被埃及法老奴役的犹太民族带出埃及的故事。在本文中,我们继续讲述他们越过红海,到达上帝允诺给他们的“流奶与蜜的地方”后发生的故事。
请看以下从新约中摘取的典故:
Flesh pots
这条习语出自《旧约》的《出埃及记》(Exodus 16:1-5)。在钦定版圣经中的原文如下:
And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
在现代英语翻译的版本中如下:
The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin,which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.
In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD'S hand in Egypt!There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."
Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.
On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days."
译文:
以色列全会众从以琳出发,刚好在出埃及以后第二个月的第十五天,就到了以琳和西奈中间一个名叫汛的沙漠。
以色列人便向摩西和亚伦发怨言说:
“我们真后悔不留在埃及。在那里,就是上帝要杀我们,我们也总可以围在肉锅旁,吃个饱足才死。现在,你把我们带到荒野来,是不是要叫我们全部饿死在这里啊!”
上帝对摩西说:“我要从天上降下粮食给他们。他们每天可以出去,按着他们一天的食量拾取,我要他们这样做,是要试验他们是否愿意遵行我的指示。
到了每周的第六天,他们要加倍拾取。”
《出埃及记》是犹太民族认同的核心。犹太民族每年以逾越节(Passover)来庆祝和纪念走出埃及这个“获得自由的时刻”。《出埃及记》也记载了犹太民族的法律。《出埃及记》更是犹太民族被上帝从被奴役和被压迫之中拯救出来的神话。
在西方,《出埃及记》也是重要的宗教和文化渊源。美国的开国之父托马斯·杰弗森和本杰明·富兰克林曾建议在美国的国玺上显示摩西带领以色列人穿越红海的故事。美国犹他州的摩门教徒将其比作圣经出埃及记中的犹太人,并给很多地方起了出埃及记中的名字。
本文的这条习语,是犹太人被摩西带出埃及之后,在旷野沙漠中因为找不到食物而发出的怨言。他们得到解放之后,因为在沙漠中食物和水都非常稀少,因此一直对着摩西发火。上帝的解决方式就是每天天降吗哪(manna)给他们吃,从那一天开始,一直天降了40年,从来不曾间断。每天的量正好够他们吃。但如果有人把吗哪留到第二天早上,它就会生虫变臭。而在以色列人神圣的安息日,这天不会有吗哪。但是上帝会在前一天天降双倍的分量。上帝直到约书亚带领以色列人过了约旦河,到达迦南以后,才停止了天降吗哪。
我们一般都以为文明产生和繁荣的地方都是自然条件极其优越的,人们可以不怎么费力就能每年有丰厚的收成。而汤因比在他的《历史研究》中提到:人类文明的出现,并不是希腊历史学家所想象的那样,是正好幸运地位于一个天生富饶无需费力的地方。纵观人类早期的所有文明,无论是苏美尔、埃及、巴比伦、希腊等等,都是通过艰苦的漫长的集体劳作,将原始的自然改造成适合农耕的条件。这就是汤因比所说的挑战-回应模式。安逸永远不会产生伟大,只有苦难和危机才会。人的主观能动性,超过工具、技术,是推动进步最根本的因素。那是人类最伟大和最值得骄傲的品质。《出埃及记》用犹太民族的这段艰苦经历印证了汤因比的这个观点。
(注:图片是Edward_Poynter所绘的油画《在埃及的以色列人》Israel in Egypt)
上一篇该系列文章的链接:英语学习系列:源自《钦定版圣经》的英文典故(12)