世界小史 第45期:引导者

 All other peoples prayed to many gods–you remember Isis and Osiris, Baal and Astarte.

所有其他的民族全都向许多的神祈祷——你还记得伊西斯和俄西里斯，巴尔和阿斯塔耳忒吧。

But these herdsmen only prayed to one god, their own special protector and leader.

可是这些牧人只向一个神祈祷，他们自己的特殊的保护者和引导者。

And when they sat beside their camp fires in the evening, and sang songs about their deeds and their battles, they sang of his deeds and his battles.

当晚上他们在篝火边歌唱他们的事迹和战斗，那么他们这是在唱他的事迹和战斗。

Their god, they sang, was better and stronger and more exalted¹ than all the gods of the heathen put together.

他们的神，他们这样唱道：比异教徒们的所有众多的神都更强大、更好、更崇高。

Indeed, they insisted as the years went by, he was the only god there was.

是的，他们坚信随着时间的推移，他就是唯一存在的神。

The One and Only God, Creator of heaven and earth, sun and moon, land and river, plant and beast, and of all mankind as well.

这唯一的神，是天和地，太阳和月亮，陆地和河流，植物和动物，还有人类的创造者。

It was he who raged furiously² against them in the storm, but he never abandoned his people.

是他会在雷雨中可怕地向他们震怒，但是当埃及人压迫他们以及巴比伦人劫持他们的时候，他终究不会遗弃这个民族。

Not when they were persecuted³ by the Egyptians, nor when they were carried off by the Babylonians.

不是当他们受到埃及人的迫害,也不是当他们被巴比伦人带走了。

For that was their faith and their pride: they were his people, and he was their God.

因为这是他们的信仰，是他们的骄傲：他们是他的民族，他是他们的神。

1 exalted   

adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的

参考例句：

• Their loveliness and holiness in accordance with their exalted station.他们的美丽和圣洁也与他们的崇高地位相称。
• He received respect because he was a person of exalted rank.他因为是个地位崇高的人而受到尊敬。

2 furiously   

adv. 狂怒地, 有力地

参考例句：

• He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟，狂吸了几口。
• An army of buyers haggles furiously with an army of salesmen. 一大群买主在和卖主拼命地讨价还价。

3 persecuted   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

• Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。