托爾斯泰不凡的思維

*** in his “What I Believe / Chapter 2”

Ecclesiastical teachers told me that the doctrine of Christ was divine, but that its observance was impossible on account of the weakness of human nature; and that the grace of God alone could enable us to keep this law. Secular teachers told me, and the whole order of life proved, that the teaching of Christ was impracticable and ideal, and that we must, in fact, live contrary to His doctrine.

教會的老師們告訴我，耶穌基督的教導是從神來的，只是休想在軟弱的人類天性上實現；唯有依靠神的恩典才能使我們守住律法。世俗的教師們告訴我，整個生命的行徑證明，耶穌基督的教導理想而不實在，事實上，我們必須反其道而行。

I imbibed such a notion of the practical impossibility of following the divine doctrine gradually and almost imperceptibly. I was so accustomed to it, it coincided so well with all my animal feelings that I had never observed the contradiction in which I lived.

我慢慢的，幾乎是沒有知覺的吸收了這個現實的，無法跟隨神的教導的說法。我是如此的習慣於這個說法了，它和我的動物本能密切配合，以致於我從未觀察到我的生活中的矛盾。

I did not see that it was impossible to admit the Godhead of Christ – the basis of whose teaching is non-resistance of evil – and, at the same time, to work consciously and calmly for the institutions of property, courts of law, kingdoms, the army, and so on. It could not be consistent for us to regulate our lives contrary to the doctrine of Christ, and then pray to the same Christ that we might be enabled to keep His commandments – to ‘forgive,’ and not to ‘resist evil.’

我看不到──能不違背良心，安心的為著產業組織、法庭、王國、軍隊等等工作，同時又要認定耶穌基督是神，是不可能的──祂的根本教導就是不抵抗惡人。讓我們規定我們的生活要跟基督的教導背道而馳，然後再祈禱同一位基督，幫我們來守住祂的饒恕和不抵抗惡人的誡命是不可能一致的。

It did not then occur to me, as it does now, that it would be much simpler to regulate our lives according to the doctrine of Christ; and then, if courts of law, executions, and war were found to be indispensably necessary for our welfare, we might pray to have them too.

我以前沒有想到像現在所想的，事情應該會更直接了當，讓我們規定我們的生活要照著基督的教導來；然後，假如我們發現為了我們的福祉的需要，法庭、死刑，和戰爭都不能廢棄，我們可以再禱告祈求。