忏悔录 Confessions | BOOK V Chapter 4 奥古斯丁赴罗马

BOOKV Chapter4

奥古斯丁赴罗马

Thou didst deal with me, that I should be persuaded to go to Rome, and to teach there rather, what I was teaching at Carthage.

你又促使我听从别人的意见，动身赴罗马，宁愿在罗马教书，不愿继续在迦太基教书。

And how I was persuaded to this, I will not neglect to confess to Thee; because here in also the deepest recesses of Thy wisdom, and Thy most present mercy to us, must be considered and confessed.

至于我所以作此决定的原因，我不能略过，不向你忏悔，因为在这些经历中，你的高深莫测的计划和对我们关切备至的慈爱是应得我们深思和称颂的。

I did not wish therefore to go to Rome, because higher gains and higher dignities were warranted me by my friends who persuaded me to this (though even these things had at that time an influence over my mind), but my chief and almost only reason was, that I heard that young men studied there more peacefully, and were kept quiet under a restraint of more regular discipline; so that they did not, at their pleasures, petulantly rush into the school of one whose pupils they were not, nor were even admitted without his permission. Where as at Carthage there reigns among the scholars a most disgraceful and unruly licence. They burst in audaciously, and with gestures almost frantic, disturb all order which any one hath established for the good of his scholars. Divers outrages they commit, with a wonderful stolidity, punishable by law, did not custom uphold them; that custom evincing them to be the more miserable, in that they now do as lawful what by Thy eternal law shall never be lawful; and they think they do it unpunished, where as they are punished with the very blindness whereby they do it, and suffer incomparably worse than what they do.

我的所以愿意前往罗马，不是由于劝我的朋友们所许给我的较优的待遇和较高的地位，——虽则当时我对二者并非无动于衷——主要的，几乎唯一的原因，是由于我听说罗马的青年能比较安静地读书，受比较严格的纪律的约束，不会乱哄哄地、肆无忌惮地冲进另一位教师的教室，没有教师的许可，绝不容许学生闯进去。相反，在迦太基，学生的恣肆真是令人痛恨，无法裁制，他们恬不知耻地横冲直撞、近乎疯狂地扰乱为每一学生的利益而制定的秩序。他们带着一种令人惊奇的冥顽不灵干出种种不正当的行为，如果不是有习惯纵容他们，竟应受法律的处分。这种习惯更显示出他们的不堪，因为他们做了你的永恒的法律所绝不容许的事，还行所无事地自以为逍遥法外；其实他们的盲目行动即是一种惩罚，他们所身受的害处远过于加给别人的害处。

The manners then which, when a student, I would not make my own, I was fain as a teacher to

endure in others: and so I was well pleased to go where, all that knew it, assured me that the like was not done. But Thou, my refuge and my portion in the land of the living; that I might change my earthly dwelling for the salvation of my soul, at Carthage didst goad me, that I might thereby be torn from it; and at Rome didst proffer me allurements, whereby I might be drawn thither, by men in love with a dying life, the one doing frantic, the other promising vain, things; and, to correct my steps, didst secretly use their and my own perverseness. For both they who disturbed my quiet were blinded with a disgraceful frenzy, and they who invited me elsewhere savoured of earth. And I, who here detested real misery, was there seeking unreal happiness.

我在读书时期，便不愿染上这种习气，可是我做了教师，却不能不加含忍，因此我愿根据一个熟悉情况的人介绍而到没有这种行径的地方去。可是惟有你才是“我的希望，我在人世间的福分”，[16]你为了拯救我的灵魂使我易地而居，使我在迦太基如受针刺而想出走，又通过人们摆出罗马的妩媚风光来吸引我；这些人都爱着死亡的生命，有的在沉沉醉梦之中，有的则作出虚妄的诺言，你却暗中利用我和这些人的腐朽来纠正我的步伐。因为那些捣乱我的安闲生活的人，是被一种可耻的疯狂所蒙蔽，另一方面，这些劝我改变环境的人，也只是出于尘俗之见，我则厌恶我在此地所受的真正痛苦，因而追求那边虚假的幸福。

But why I went hence, and went thither, Thou knewest, O God, yet showedst it neither to me, nor to my mother, who grievously bewailed my journey, and followed me as far as the sea. But I deceived her, holding me by force, that either she might keep me back or go with me, and I feigned that I had a friend whom I could not leave, till he had a fair wind to sail. And I lied to my mother, and such a mother, and escaped: for this

also hast Thou mercifully forgiven me, preserving me, thus full of execrable defilements, from the waters of the sea, for the water of Thy Grace; whereby when I was cleansed, the streams of my mother's eyes should be dried, with which for me she daily watered the ground under her face.

上帝啊，你是知道我为何离此而他往，可是你并不向我点明，也不指示我的母亲；我的出走使她悲痛欲绝，她一直跟我到海滨。她和我寸步不离，竭力要留住我，或跟我一起动身；我欺骗她，推说有朋友等候顺风开船，在他出发之前，我不愿离开他。我说谎，欺骗了我的母亲，欺骗了这样一位母亲！我竟出走了。你的慈爱宽赦了我这一罪行，因为你保留了满身丑恶的我不被海水淹没引导我到你恩宠的泉水中洗涤我，并擦干了我母亲每天在你面前为我流在地上的泪水。

And yet refusing to return without me, I scarcely persuaded her to stay that night in a place hard by our ship, where was an Oratory in memory of the blessed Cyprian. That night I privily departed, but she was not behind in weeping and prayer.

我的母亲不肯独自回去，后来勉强听我的劝说，答应那一夜留在离我们泊船不远的一所纪念西普利亚努斯[17]的教堂中。可是就在那一夜，我偷偷地溜走了，她还在堂中祈祷痛哭。

And what, O Lord, was she with so many tears asking of Thee, but that Thou wouldest not suffer me to sail? But Thou, in the depth

of Thy counsels and hearing the main point of her

desire, regardest not what she then asked, that Thou mightest make me what she ever asked.

我的上帝，这个泪人一般的她，问你究竟要什么？无非要你阻挡我乘风而去。可是，你的深谋远虑，虽接受了她的祈祷的要素，却拒绝了她的整个要求；而这事所以实现他日夜希望于我的目标。

The wind blew and swelled our sails, and withdrew the shore from our sight; and she on the morrow was there, frantic with sorrow, and with complaints and groans filled Thine ears, Who didst then disregard them; whilst through my desires, Thou wert hurrying me to end all desire, and the earthly part of her affection to me was chastened by the allotted scourge of sorrows. For she loved my being with her, as mothers do, but much more than many; and she knew not how great joy Thou wert about to work for her out of my absence. She knew not; therefore did she weep and wail, and by this agony there appeared in her the inheritance of Eve, with sorrow seeking what in sorrow she had brought forth. And yet, after accusing my treachery and hard heartedness, she be took herself again to intercede to Thee for me, went to her wonted place, and I to Rome.

风起了，扯足了我们的布帆，海岸在我们的视线中消失。到了次日早晨，留在彼岸的母亲悲痛得如痴如狂，她的埋怨声、呻吟声上彻你的双耳，而你并不理睬她；你为了扫除我的私欲，使我的欲望攫我而去；你用痛苦的鞭子惩罚我母亲偏于骨肉的爱，因为她欢喜我在她身边，如寻常母亲的心情，而且远过于寻常母亲，但她想不到我的出走，是你为她准备莫大的快乐。因她不会想到，所以只有痛哭、悲号；这种苦况说明夏娃传给她的遗产，她在呻吟中生育了我，又用呻吟来寻觅我。但她埋怨了我的欺骗，埋怨了我的忍心后，又转而为我向你祈祷，回到家中继续她的日常生活，我则继续我前往罗马的行程。