假如没有来世 If There Were No After Life

 　　If There Were No After Life

　　作者：北外英语基地校长宋远利

　　翻译：北京外国语大学北戴河外语培训基地副校长 张宝丹

　　Whether there’s afterlife, the answer has never been the same. The atheists deny after life, believing that our life is no more than from the cradle to the grave. They may care about their illustrious names after death; they may feel attached to the affection of their offspring, but they never lay their hopes on their afterlife. They may also say that good will be rewarded with good, and evil with evil, but they don’t really believe any retribution in their after life.

　　However, in the religious world or among the superstitious¹ people, the belief in afterlife is very popular. They do not only believe in afterlife, but thousands of reincarnations as well. In the  mysterious world, there are the paradise and the hell, the celestial² beings and the gods, the Buddha³ and the Bodhisattvas.

　　Maybe they really believed it, or maybe they just wanted to make use of people’s veneration⁴, the ancient emperors always declared that they were the real dragons, the sons of God, while the royal ministers claimed to be the reincarnations of various constellations⁵. But can the stars reincarnate⁶?

　　Many people burn incense⁷ and kowtow, do good deeds and strive for virtues⁸, not just for the present, but mainly to let God see their sincerity⁹ so as to be reborn into a better afterlife, or to achieve the highest enlightenment after several lives of practice. They do believe in afterlife. But I can’t help asking: Suppose there were no afterlife, would you still do good deeds and strive for virtues? And If God does not see what you are doing, would you still be so upright and selfless? If you work, not for serving the public and liberating¹⁰ the others, but just for a better afterlife of your own, isn’t it a little too selfish? Comparing with this kind of believers, those who don’t believe in afterlife, but still keep doing good deeds, are the most sincere and honest philanthropists, because they do them not for themselves but for other.

　　You may wonder if I believe in afterlife. My answer is: I know nothing about my previous life, so I dare not make improper¹¹ comments on afterlife. But I do hope there’s afterlife! Because our present life is so short that so many things slip away before our proper understanding. I have so many dreams, so many wishes, so many ambitions, as well as so many regrets and concerns. If there were no afterlife, all of them will remain unrealized!

　　I’m not contented¹² with the present commonplace life, I’m very much attached to the affections that should have been mine but have been washed away by the hurrying time, and I yearn¹³ for the perfection and maturity¹⁴ if I could start all over again. So believe it or not, I’d rather there were afterlife.

　　Translated by Zhang Baodan (Diana)

　　May 1, 2004

　　假如没有来世

　　有没有来世，众说纷纭。无神论者，不相信来世。他们认为从生到死，仅此而已。他们可能在意身后的英名，他们可能留恋后代的亲情，但他们不寄希望于来世。他们也会说善有善报，恶有恶报，但并不相信下辈子报应什么。

　　在宗教领域、或在一些迷信的人群，来世之说比较盛行。不仅是来世，甚至会认为有千百次的轮回。在那未知而飘渺的世界，有天堂，有地狱，有神族，有仙界，有菩萨、有佛祖。

　　也许真的相信、也许是为了利用人们的敬畏心里，古代的帝王们总是宣称自己是真龙天子，大臣们则标榜为天上的什么文曲星、武曲星或太白金星转世。星星能转世吗？

　　许多人烧香、磕头，行善、修德，并不都是为了眼前，而是为了让上天看见自己的真诚，以便下辈子有个好的托生，或者几世之后能修成正果。这些人自然是相信来世的。但我不禁要问：如果没有来世，你们会不会一样行善、修德呢？如果神灵看不见，你们是否也会公正无私呢？如果不是为了解脱他人和服务大众才去修行，如果仅仅是为了自己将来托生好才去行善，是否有些自私呢？比较起来，那些不相信来世而又坚持行善的人，则应该是最真、最诚的大善。因为他们不是为自身，而是为公理。

　　也许有人会问作者，你相信来世吗？我的回答是：我不知道前生，因而也不敢妄谈后世。但我真的希望能有来世！因为这辈子时间太短，许多事情都是在还没弄明白的时候，就已经匆匆过去了。我有那么多的理想，我有那么多的心愿，我有那么多的奢望，我有那么多的遗憾，我有那么多的牵挂，我有那么多的雄心壮志，如果没有来世，那就一切皆空了。

　　我不甘心眼前的碌碌无为，我留恋被岁月冲走的本应属于我的亲情，更向往从头再来的完美和成熟。为此，信也好，不信也好，我宁愿有来世。

1 superstitious   

adj.迷信的

参考例句：

• They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。
• These superstitious practices should be abolished as soon as possible.这些迷信做法应尽早取消。

2 celestial   

adj.天体的；天上的

参考例句：

• The rosy light yet beamed like a celestial dawn.玫瑰色的红光依然象天上的朝霞一样绚丽。
• Gravity governs the motions of celestial bodies.万有引力控制着天体的运动。

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 veneration   

n.尊敬，崇拜

参考例句：

• I acquired lasting respect for tradition and veneration for the past.我开始对传统和历史产生了持久的敬慕。
• My father venerated General Eisenhower.我父亲十分敬仰艾森豪威尔将军。

5 constellations   

n.星座( constellation的名词复数 )；一群杰出人物；一系列（相关的想法、事物）；一群（相关的人）

参考例句：

• The map of the heavens showed all the northern constellations. 这份天体图标明了北半部所有的星座。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His time was coming, he would move in the constellations of power. 他时来运转，要进入权力中心了。 来自教父部分

6 reincarnate   

v.使化身，转生；adj.转世化身的

参考例句：

• Some people believe they may reincarnate in the form of an animal.有些人相信他们死后可能转生为动物。
• But can the stars reincarnate?星星能转世吗？

7 incense   

v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气

参考例句：

• This proposal will incense conservation campaigners.这项提议会激怒环保人士。
• In summer,they usually burn some coil incense to keep away the mosquitoes.夏天他们通常点香驱蚊。

8 virtues   

美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处

参考例句：

• Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
• She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

9 sincerity   

n.真诚，诚意；真实

参考例句：

• His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
• He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。

10 liberating   

解放，释放( liberate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Revolution means liberating the productive forces. 革命就是为了解放生产力。
• They had already taken on their shoulders the burden of reforming society and liberating mankind. 甚至在这些集会聚谈中，他们就已经夸大地把改革社会、解放人群的责任放在自己的肩头了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

11 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

12 contented   

adj.满意的，安心的，知足的

参考例句：

• He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
• The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。

13 yearn   

v.想念；怀念；渴望

参考例句：

• We yearn to surrender our entire being.我们渴望着放纵我们整个的生命。
• Many people living in big cities yearn for an idyllic country life.现在的很多都市人向往那种田园化的生活。

14 maturity   

n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期

参考例句：

• These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
• This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。