美国语文第五册 第31期:尊重安息日(1)

 　　In the city of Bath, not many years since, lived a barber who made a practice of following his ordinary occupation on the Lord's day. 前些年，巴斯城内,有位理发匠，他一直保留星期日不休息、照常理发的习惯。

　　As he was on the way to his morning's employment, he happened to look into some place of worship just as the minister was giving out his text, 一天，在他早晨去理发店的路上，他碰巧看见教徒做礼拜的一处地方，有位牧师正在分发布道经文，

　　"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." “别忘记安息日，请维护它的神圣”。

　　He listened long enough to be convinced that he was constantly breaking the laws of God and man  他听了很久，终于相信自己所作所为确实违背了上帝与人类的法则，安息日里，

　　by shaving and dressing¹ his customers on the Lord's day. 他竟然还在为顾客打理胡须、修剪头发。

　　He became uneasy, and went with a heavy heart to his Sabbath task. 想到这里，他心里变得纠结不安，反复琢磨安息日的道理。

　　At length he took courage, and opened his mind to his minister, who advised him to give up Sabbath work, and worship God. 他终于鼓起勇气，向牧师袒露了他的忧虑。牧师建议他安息日向上帝祈祷，不要干活。

　　He replied that beggary would be the consequence. 他回答，如果不做生意的话，他就得到处去乞讨。

　　He had a flourishing trade, but it would almost all be lost. 他生意一向兴隆，周日不做活，他的生意可能会垮掉。

　　At length, after many a sleepless² night spent in weeping and praying, 经过不少辗转反侧的难眠之夜，不停地哭泣祷告，

　　he was determined³ to cast all his care upon God, as the more he reflected, the more his duty became apparent. 他最终决定全身心地信奉上帝，愈是反省，他愈感到他的职责至关重要。

　　He discontinued his Sabbath work, went constantly and early to the public services of religion, 从此，每逢安息日，他不再干活，总是早起去参加公共宗教礼拜，

　　and soon enjoyed that satisfaction of mind which is one of the rewards of doing our duty, 不久，他便感到心灵的满足，这种满足来自履行宗教职责的馈赠，

　　and that peace which the world can neither give nor take away. 还有那份尘世既不能给予他、亦不能从其内心取走的安宁。

　　The consequences he foresaw actually followed. 他的预言很快得到应验。

　　His genteel customers left him, and he was nicknamed "Puritan" or "Methodist." 那些有教养的顾客不再光临他的理发店，他甚至还被封为“清教徒”、“卫道士”的绰号，

　　He was obliged to give up his fashionable shop,  被迫卖掉他那间时尚理发屋。

　　and, in the course of years, became so reduced as to take a cellar under the old market house and shave the poorer people. 随后岁月里，他生活日渐窘困，不得不租住在一家破旧市场地下室里，为穷人做点生意谋生。

1 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

2 sleepless   

adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的

参考例句：

• The situation gave her many sleepless nights.这种情况害她一连好多天睡不好觉。
• One evening I heard a tale that rendered me sleepless for nights.一天晚上，我听说了一个传闻，把我搞得一连几夜都不能入睡。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。