世界小史 第94期:乔答摩

 　　Holy men like these penitents¹ and hermits², were common in India 3,000 years ago, and there are still many there today.

　　3000年前，这样神圣的人、忏悔者和遁世者在印度有很多很多，今天也还有。

　　But one of them was different from all the others. He was a nobleman called Gautama, and he lived about 500 years before Christ.

　　但是他们中的一个却与众不同。他是一名贵族，他的名字叫乔答摩（释迦牟尼），他生活在公元前500年左右。

　　The story goes that Gautama, whom they were later to call the 'Enlightened One', the 'Buddha³', grew up in Eastern luxury and splendor⁴.

　　乔答摩后来被人称为“觉者”、“佛陀”，乔答摩在东方的富丽堂皇的环境中长大。

　　It is said that he had three palaces which he never left ,据说他曾有三座宫殿,

　　one for summer, one for winter, and one for the rainy season – and that they were always filled with the most beautiful music.

　　一座供夏季居住，一座供冬季居住，一座供雨季居住——宫殿里总是响着最悦耳的音乐，His father wouldn't allow him to leave their lofty terraces because he wanted to keep him far away from all the sorrows of the world.

　　他从不离开宫殿。他的父亲不让他从高贵的阳台上下来，因为他们想让他远离一切令人伤心的事物。

　　And no one who was sick or unhappy was ever allowed near him.

　　所以任何生病或不开心的人都不曾在他身边出现。

　　However, one day Gautama summoned his carriage and went out.

　　可是有一次乔答摩乘车离开宫殿。

　　On the way he caught sight of a man, bent⁵ with age, and he asked his driver what it was.

　　在路上他看见一个弯腰弓背的老人，所以他问他的驭车人这是什么人。

 

1 penitents   

n.后悔者( penitent的名词复数 )；忏悔者

参考例句：

2 hermits   

（尤指早期基督教的）隐居修道士，隐士，遁世者( hermit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• In the ancient China,hermits usually lived in hamlets. 在古代中国，隐士们通常都住在小村子里。
• Some Buddhist monks live in solitude as hermits. 有些和尚在僻静处隐居。

3 Buddha   

n.佛；佛像；佛陀

参考例句：

• Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。
• He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。

4 splendor   

n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌

参考例句：

• Never in his life had he gazed on such splendor.他生平从没有见过如此辉煌壮丽的场面。
• All the splendor in the world is not worth a good friend.人世间所有的荣华富贵不如一个好朋友。

5 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。