欧美文化博览 文化博览:犹太人的故事(11)

Perhaps the Elephantine Jews didn't know about the rule, or perhaps distance from Jerusalem made them indifferent to it,

也许是笨拙的犹太人压根就不晓得规矩,抑或是离耶路撒冷的遥远使他们变得漠不关心,

because they built their own temple, here in the heart of this alien land.

因为他们在这陌生的土地上建立自己的神庙。

They boasted about its antiquity¹, how it was older than the rebuilt Jerusalem temple,

他们吹嘘子自己的古代辉煌,如何比耶路撒冷重建圣殿年代更为久远,

with five monumental gateways², a holy of holies inside, with bronze hinges to the doors, a cedar³ roof, and gold and silver vessels⁴.

有五个宏伟的石门,最里则是最神圣的场所,有着铜铰链门,雪松的屋顶,金银的器皿。

More outrageously⁵, animals were, indeed, sacrificed to Elephantine along with offerings of grain and fruit.

更肆无忌惮是, 事实上是用于祭祀的牲畜们，还有谷物和水果。

There was much curling of smoke and sprinkling of blood.

这里曾经烟雾缭绕并且鲜血撒满地。

But circumstances were about to deal the proud Elephantine Jews a cruel blow.

但现实环境是与这种骄傲粗笨的犹太人打交道通常对人是残酷的打击。

Their temple stood right next to the Egyptian temple of Khnum, the ram's-headed god who presided over the annual life-giving flood of the Nile.

他们的寺庙位于埃及Khnum寺庙旁边,这里的公羊神明掌管尼罗河一年一度的洪水。

The Egyptians held rams⁶ sacred, but the Jews sacrificed them to a God they proclaimed as the one and only.

埃及人认为公羊是神圣的动物,但犹太人则用它们祭祀自己宣称是唯一的神明。

Not tactful.

这种做法一点也不明智。

The priests of Khnum bribed⁷ the commander of the local Persian garrison⁸ to attack and destroy the Jewish temple.

Khnum的祭司贿赂当地波斯驻军的指挥官发动袭击并摧毁了犹太圣殿。

1 antiquity   

n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹

参考例句：

• The museum contains the remains of Chinese antiquity.博物馆藏有中国古代的遗物。
• There are many legends about the heroes of antiquity.有许多关于古代英雄的传说。

2 gateways   

n.网关( gateway的名词复数 )；门径；方法；大门口

参考例句：

• Police bullets raked the gateways car. 警察的子弹对着门口的汽车扫射。 来自辞典例句
• No Internet gateways are needed for the programs operation. 该软件的操作不需要互联网网关的支持。 来自互联网

3 cedar   

n.雪松，香柏(木)

参考例句：

• The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
• She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。

4 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 outrageously   

凶残地； 肆无忌惮地； 令人不能容忍地； 不寻常地

参考例句：

• Leila kept smiling her outrageously cute smile. 莱拉脸上始终挂着非常可爱的笑容。
• He flirts outrageously. 他肆无忌惮地调情。

6 rams   

n.公羊( ram的名词复数 )；(R-)白羊（星）座；夯；攻城槌v.夯实（土等）( ram的第三人称单数 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输

参考例句：

• A couple of rams are butting at each other. 两只羊正在用角互相抵触。 来自辞典例句
• More than anything the rams helped to break what should have been on interminable marriage. 那些牡羊比任何东西都更严重地加速了他们那本该天长地久的婚姻的破裂。 来自辞典例句

7 bribed   

v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• They bribed him with costly presents. 他们用贵重的礼物贿赂他。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He bribed himself onto the committee. 他暗通关节，钻营投机挤进了委员会。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 garrison   

n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防

参考例句：

• The troops came to the relief of the besieged garrison.军队来援救被围的守备军。
• The German was moving to stiffen up the garrison in Sicily.德军正在加强西西里守军之力量。