美國(guó)語(yǔ)文第五冊(cè) 第259期：宗教 社會(huì)的唯一基石（01）

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Religion is a social concern; for it operates powerfully on society, contributing in various ways to its stability and prosperity.

宗教為一種社會(huì)關(guān)照，就維系社會(huì)穩(wěn)定繁榮來(lái)說(shuō)，宗教通過(guò)不同方式對(duì)社會(huì)影響甚大。

Religion is not merely a private affair; the community is deeply interested in its diffusion;

宗教不僅為個(gè)體信仰，宗教傳播更為引起社會(huì)公眾的高度關(guān)注，

for it is the best support of the virtues and principles, on which the social order rests.

因?yàn)椋蚀扰c信念才能維持社會(huì)秩序的正常運(yùn)行，而宗教則為其提供最有力的支持。

Pure and undefiled religion is to do good; and it follows, very plainly,

純真虔誠(chéng)的宗教旨在行善，顯而易見(jiàn)，它所遵循的信條是，

that if God be the Author and Friend of society, then, the recognition of him must enforce all social duty,

假如上帝締造了社會(huì)，上帝是人類(lèi)朋友，那么，對(duì)上帝認(rèn)知?jiǎng)荼貜?qiáng)化社會(huì)的所有職能，

and enlightened piety must give its whole strength to public order.

知禮明義的誠(chéng)信勢(shì)必為社會(huì)公眾秩序的堅(jiān)韌基石。

Few men suspect, perhaps no man comprehends, the extent of the support given by religion to every virtue.

鮮少有人質(zhì)疑，或許無(wú)人意識(shí)到，就維系并推動(dòng)人類(lèi)每一善行來(lái)說(shuō)，宗教究竟能走多遠(yuǎn)；

No man, perhaps, is aware how much our moral and social sentiments are fed from this fountain;

人們可能無(wú)從獲悉，人類(lèi)道德與社會(huì)感知究竟從宗教精神源頭擷取多少營(yíng)養(yǎng)？

how powerless conscience would become without the belief of a God;

假如，不再信奉上帝，人類(lèi)良心將會(huì)變得極度脆弱；

how palsied would be human benevolence, were there not the sense of a higher benevolence to quicken and sustain it;

如果內(nèi)心缺乏更為高尚的激勵(lì)機(jī)制甚至維系向善，人類(lèi)仁愛(ài)悲憫將會(huì)茍延殘喘；

how suddenly the whole social fabric would quake, and with what a fearful crash it would sink into hopeless ruin,

社會(huì)構(gòu)建系統(tǒng)無(wú)一避免隨即產(chǎn)生動(dòng)蕩，從而引發(fā)整個(gè)系統(tǒng)的可怕崩潰毀滅：

were the ideas of a Supreme Being, of accountableness and of a future life to be utterly erased from every mind.

即至高無(wú)上的存在、責(zé)任擔(dān)當(dāng)意識(shí)，以及對(duì)未來(lái)生活的祈求展望將從每一個(gè)心靈完全抹去。

And, let men thoroughly believe that they are the work and sport of chance;

因此，不妨讓人們由衷相信，他們才是向善機(jī)緣的實(shí)施與推動(dòng)者，

that no superior intelligence concerns itself with human affairs; that all their improvements perish forever at death;

不會(huì)有先哲神明關(guān)注人類(lèi)生活，他們所有努力身后已化為灰燼。