英语听力—环球英语 817 King James Bible

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Ryan Geertsma.
Voice 2
And I’m Robin² Basselin. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
“An eye for an eye.”
“The blind leading the blind.”
“By the skin of my teeth.”
Voice 1
Have you ever heard one of these sentences? All of them come from the same place: the King James Version³ of the Bible⁴. And now, these sentences are common English idioms. It is easy to understand the words of each sentence. But together, the group of words has a new meaning. For example, the saying, “an eye for an eye,” is not about eyes. Instead, it is about justice. It means⁵ that a punishment should be similar to the crime⁶ being punished.
Voice 2
Today, these idioms are often used by people who speak English. The Bible was not first written in English. It was first written, over thousands of years, in Greek⁷ and Hebrew. But it has been translated many times, into many languages. Translators make every effort to keep the original meaning of the Greek and Hebrew words. And the most famous English translation is the King James Version, or the KJV. In 2011, the KJV celebrates its 400 year anniversary⁸. Today’s Spotlight is on the influence of the KJV on English language and culture.
Voice 1
Over the past 400 years, the KJV Bible has sold more copies than any other book. During this time, many sayings, language methods and stories from the KJV became part of common spoken English. Still today, people say things like: “the love of money is the cause of all evil⁹.” But often, they do not know the origin of these sayings or stories. Experts argue that English speakers recognize more sayings, ideas and stories from the KJV Bible than any other book. But the men who first translated it did not plan to make a translation that would affect the future of English language and culture.
Voice 2
In 1604, King James the First was the king of England. He decided¹⁰ the country needed a new translation of the Bible. He believed that the Bible contained the guidance¹¹ and truth of God. And he wanted all English speaking people to understand it. So King James chose 47 Bible and language experts to work in groups. They worked in three different cities across England. For 7 years these experts translated the Bible from its original languages. They wanted to create a version in 17th century common English. They wanted a translation of the Bible that priests¹² and common people could understand.
Voice 1
The first King James Version of the Bible was printed in 1611. People have created many other English translations of the Bible. But for a long time, the King James Version was the most popular. Experts believe that the reason the KJV had such an effect on the English language and culture is because of how it was translated.
Voice 2
For many years, English speaking schools used the KJV Bible in their classes. They did this because the language was simple and easy to understand. Writer, Jeanette Winterson, says,
Voice 6
“The King James Bible was written to be spoken or read aloud.”
Voice 1
Many church leaders read the KJV Bible to their church members. They liked the translation because its words were like poems or plays when they were read out loud. Voice 2 As a result, the KJV Bible has had a strong influence on the English language. Its idioms and words became part of common speech. Some famous English writers like Charles Dickens, John Milton and Lord¹³ Tennyson, were influenced by the KJV Bible. Many other English leaders, writers and common people have believed the words and are encouraged by them.
Voice 1
The KJV Bible has affected¹⁴ English-speaking culture as well. The American human rights leader, Martin Luther King Junior often used the King James Bible in his speeches. He used its common sayings and ideas to support his beliefs about human rights.
Voice 2
The famous English writer, T.S. Eliot, also wrote about the Bible’s influence on the English language. He suggested there is another possible reason for its influence. He said,
Voice 7
“The Bible has influenced English literature. Not because it has been considered literature. But because it is considered to be the Word of God.”
Voice 1
However, there are some experts who believe the KJV’s influence is not as important as most people think. One of these experts is a man named David Crystal¹⁵. In his book “Begat,” he compared the KJV Bible to other major works¹⁶ of English literature. He compares the KJV to William Shakespeare¹⁷. Shakespeare is considered one of the most important writers of the English language. He wrote plays and literature around the same time that the KJV was translated.
Voice 2
David Crystal found that Shakespeare invented as many as 1,000 new English words. But the KJV Bible invented only about 40 new words. Shakespeare used about 31,000 words in his writing. And the King James Version used only about 12,000 words.
Voice 1
Crystal argues that those numbers prove that the KJV Bible has not influenced English language as much as some people believe. But other experts believe it is the simple language of the KJV Bible that made it such an important part of the English language. It was not the translator’s goal to invent new words and sayings.
Voice 2
In fact, the men who worked on the KJV Bible worked hard to use simple language. They wanted the translation to be as correct and clear as possible. They wanted every English-speaking person to be able to understand it.
Voice 1
For 400 years the King James Bible has been an important part of English language and culture. Some experts believe its influence will decrease as time goes on. But other people believe it is not the language of the KJV Bible that influences those who read it. Like T.S. Eliot they believe it is the message those words bring. There is evidence¹⁸ to support both sides of this debate. But even David Crystal admits that,
Voice 8
“No other translation reached so many people over such a long period of time as the King James Version.”
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 version   

n.版本；型号；叙述，说法

参考例句：

• His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
• What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样？

4 bible   

n.《圣经》；得到权威支持的典籍

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时，这本字典应是你的主要参考书。

5 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

6 crime   

n.犯罪，罪行，罪恶

参考例句：

• You'll have to pay for your crime.你得为你的罪行付出代价。
• Crime in our big cities is on the increase.在我们大城市里犯罪率正在增长。

7 Greek   

adj.希腊(人)的，希腊语的；n.希腊人；希腊语

参考例句：

• The Greek seaman went to the hospital five times.这位希腊海员到该医院去过五次。
• Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet.δ是希腊字母中的第四个字母。

8 anniversary   

n.周年(纪念日)

参考例句：

• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。
• Today is my parents'30th wedding anniversary.今天是我父母结婚30周年纪念日。

9 evil   

n.邪恶，不幸，罪恶；adj.邪恶的，不幸的，有害的，诽谤的

参考例句：

• We pray to God to deliver us from evil.我们祈求上帝把我们从罪恶中拯救出来。
• Love of money is the root of all evil.爱钱是邪恶的根源。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 guidance   

n.指导，领导

参考例句：

• Under his father's guidance,he learned how to swim.他在父亲的指导下学会了游泳。
• It is hoped you will give us guidance.请你多加指导。

12 priests   

n.（基督教和罗马天主教的）神父( priest的名词复数 )；牧师；（非基督教会的）教士；祭司

参考例句：

• the ordination of women priests 女司祭的授职礼
• The clergy remain divided on the issue of women priests. 在女性教士的问题上，牧师们意见不一。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 lord   

n.上帝，主；主人，长官；君主，贵族

参考例句：

• I know the Lord will look after him.我知道上帝会眷顾他的。
• How good of the Lord not to level it beyond repair!上帝多么仁慈啊，竟没有让这所房子损毁得不可收拾！

14 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

15 crystal   

n.水晶，水晶饰品，结晶体；最好的玻璃器皿

参考例句：

• It used to be a crystal stream.那曾是条清澈见底的小溪。
• Those fine wine glasses are made of crystal.那些漂亮的酒杯是用水晶做的。

16 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

17 Shakespeare   

n.莎士比亚(16世纪英国剧作家、诗人)

参考例句：

• Shakespeare is a giant among writers.莎士比亚是作家中的巨擘.
• He read Shakespeare to help his English.他阅读莎士比亚的作品以提高自己的英语水平。

18 evidence   

n.明显，显著，明白，迹象，根据，[物]证据，证物

参考例句：

• The first signs of spring are in evidence.春天的最初迹象已显然可见。
• From the evidence I must conclude that you are wrong.从证据看，我敢断定你错了。