书城教材教辅美国语文:美国中学课文经典读本(英汉双语版)
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第151章 爱

CHARITY

CHARITY in this extract,is the old English for love.It would be well for the reader,occasionally at least to substitute the latter.

1.THOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,and have not charity,I am become as sounding brass,or a tinkling cymbal.And though I have the gift of prophecy,and understand all mysteries and all knowledge;and though I have all faith,so that I could remove mountains,and have not charity,I am nothing.And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,and though I give my body to be burned,and have not charity,it profited me nothing.

2.Charity suffereth long,and is kind;charity envieth not;charity vaunteth not itself,is not puffed up,doth not behave itself unseemly,seeketh not her own,is not easily provoked,thinketh no evil,rejoiceth not in iniquity,but rejoiceth in the truth;beareth all things,believeth all things,hopeth all things,endureth all things.

3.Charity never faileth;but whether there be prophecies,they shall fail;whether there be tongues,they shall cease;whether there be knowledge,it shall vanish away.For we know in part,and we prophesy in part.But when that which is perfect is come,then that which is in part shall be done away.

4.When I was a child,I spake as a child,I understood as a child,I thought as a child:but when I became a man,I put away childish things.For now we see through a glass,darkly;but then face to face:now I know in part;but then shall I know even as also I am known.

And now abideth faith,hope,charity,these three;but the greatest of these is charity.

(FROM THE BIBLE )

中文阅读

Charity(爱)在这段节选文字中,是love(爱)的古英语形式。对读者来说,至少有时候用Charity代替love更加合适。

1.我若能说万人的方言,并天使的话语,却没有爱,我就成了鸣的锣、响的钹一般。我若有先知讲道之能,也明白各样的奥秘、各样的知识,而且有全备的自信,叫我能够移山,却没有爱,我就算不得什么。我若将所有的周济穷人,又舍己身叫人焚烧,却没有爱,仍然与我无益。

2.爱是恒久忍耐,又有恩慈;爱是不嫉妒;爱是不自夸,不张狂,不做害羞的事,不求自己的益处,不轻易发怒,不计算人的恶,不喜欢不义,只喜欢真理;凡事包容,凡事相信,凡事盼望,凡事忍耐。

3.爱是永不止息。先知讲道之能终必归于无有;说方言之能终必停止;知识也终必归于无有。我们现在所知道的有限,先知所讲的也有限,等那完全的来到,这有限的必归于无有了。

4.我做孩子的时候,话语像孩子,心思像孩子,意念像孩子,既成了人,就把孩子的事丢弃了。我们如今仿佛对着镜子观看模糊不清;到那时就要面对面了。我如今所知道的有限,到那时就全知道,如同主知道我一样。

如今常存的有信、有望、有爱这三样,其中最大的是爱。