美国学生世界地理教材 第165期:确切地点(1)

 There are three most famous places in Palestine. 在巴勒斯坦，有三个最有名的地方。

The first is the place where Christ¹ was born, the second is the place where Christ lived, and the third is the place where Christ died. 第一个是耶稣出生的地方，第二个是耶稣生活的地方，第三是耶稣去世的地方。

Christ was born in Bethlehem, which is a dirty little village, 耶稣出生在伯利恒，那是一个又小又脏的村庄，

not at all like the heavenly place with angels² hovering³ over it that you see in pictures and on Christmas cards. 完全不像我们在图画或圣诞卡片中看到的那种情景：天堂般的样子，还有天使在空中飞来飞去。

Christ's father and mother were traveling and happened to stop in Bethlehem over night when Christ was born. 耶稣的父母外出旅行，途中在伯利恒过夜，就在那天晚上，耶稣出生了。

A church was built over the place where Christ was supposed to have been born, and a silver star is in the floor to mark "the exact spot." 人们在据说是耶稣出生的地方修建了一座教堂，地板上现在有一颗银制的星星标明“耶稣出生的确切地点”。

The fact is that no one knows "the exact spot," but we do know that the church over the supposed spot is the oldest church in the World. 事实上，没有人知道哪里是“确切地点”，但有一点我们可以肯定，那个建在所谓“耶稣出生地”的教堂是世界上最古老的教堂。

Though Christ was born in Bethlehem, He spent most of His early life in another town in Palestine called Nazareth, 耶稣虽然出生在伯利恒，但是他童年的大部分时光是在巴勒斯坦的另一个城镇度过的。这个城镇名叫拿撒勒，

for Nazareth was His home town and there His father, Joseph, lived and worked. 因为拿撒勒是耶稣的家乡，是他父亲约瑟生活和工作的地方。

Joseph was a carpenter⁴, and in Nazareth guides point out Joseph's carpenter shop, 约瑟是一个木匠，所以，在拿撒勒，导游会给旅游者指出约瑟的木匠店，

the work-bench where Christ worked with the saw and hammer and other tools He used. 还有一个工作台，那是耶稣拿着锯子、锤子以及其他工具干活的地方。

They also point out the kitchen where Christ's mother, Mary, cooked the meals for the family. 导游还会指出耶稣母亲玛莉亚为全家烧饭的厨房。

But just as we cannot believe what the guides tell us about the "exact spot" in Bethlehem, 但是，在拿撒勒，导游所说的那些“确切地点”，

so we cannot believe what they tell us about most of the "exact spots" in Nazareth. 大多数我们都不全相信，就像在伯利恒我们不相信导游说的“确切地点”一样。

There is, however, one exact spot which we can believe. 然而有一处“确切地点”，我们可以相信，

That is a well where they say Mary went to get water, and this may actually be the same well, 那是一口井，据说那就是玛莉亚打水的井，而这很可能真是那井，

for there never has been any other place in Nazareth where one could get water. 因为在拿撒勒没有其他地方可以打到水。

There was no such thing as running water in each house. 那时每户人家里也没有自来水这样的东西。

1 Christ   

n.基督，救世主，耶稣

参考例句：

• I regarded him as the Christ.我把他当作救世主。
• Christ preached that we should love each other.基督在布道中说人们应该互爱。

2 angels   

n.天使( angel的名词复数 )；可爱的人；品行高洁的人；大好人（感激某人时所说）（非正式）

参考例句：

• Angels are usually shown in pictures dressed in white. 图画中的天使通常身穿白衣。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Angels are celestial beings. 天使是天上的神灵。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

4 carpenter   

n.木工，木匠

参考例句：

• I have a complete set of carpenter's tools.我有全套的木工工具。
• He worked in a carpenter's shop.他在一家木工厂工作。