世界小史 第50期:猶太民族
For of the God, whose first appearance in the history of the world was to the people of the Jews–God, the Almighty1, the One and Only God –no image could or might be made.
對(duì)上帝，他在世界歷史上第一次顯現(xiàn)就對(duì)猶太民族顯現(xiàn)——上帝，這個(gè)偉大的唯一的神——人們是不能夠也不可以畫像的。
All that was there were the tablets of the Laws with their Ten Commandments.
所有的都在那里，在他們的十誡法版里。
In these God had represented himself.
上帝已經(jīng)在它們之中顯現(xiàn)了自己的形象。
After Solomon's reign2 things went less well for the Jews.
在所羅門的統(tǒng)治之后，猶太人的日子就不再好過。
Their kingdom split in two: the kingdom of Israel and thekingdom of Judah.
他們的國家分裂為一個(gè)以色列國和一個(gè)猶太國。
many battles followed, at the end of which one half, the kingdom of Israel, was invaded by the Assyrians in 722 BC, and was conquered and destroyed.
這之后發(fā)生過許多戰(zhàn)斗，國家的一半，即以色列國，在公元前722年終于被亞述人占領(lǐng)和消滅。
Yet what is so remarkable3 is that the effect of so many disasters on the few Jews who survived them was to make them even more devout4.
但奇怪的是，這些眾多的不幸事件反倒使殘留下來的小小猶太民族更加敬神了。
Men arose among them–not priests, but simple people–who felt compelled to speak to their people, because God spoke5 through them.
民眾中出現(xiàn)一些人物——不是祭司，而是普通人——他們感覺到，他們必須對(duì)民眾講話，因?yàn)樯系弁ㄟ^他們講話。
