The five major world religions - John Bellaimey

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Jessica Ruby

翻译人员: Chenwei CAO 校对人员: Jenny Yang

In all times and places in our history,

从古至今 在地球上的每个角落

human beings have wondered,

人们都会问道

"Where did we come from?

“我们从哪里来？”

What's our place in the world?

“我们为何而来？”

What happens to us after we die?"

“我们死后会怎样？”

Religions are systems of belief

宗教是在人类历史长河中

that have developed and evolved over time

逐渐发展、演化而来的信仰体系

in response to these

它试图回答上述问题

and other eternal mysteries,

和揭示其他宇宙间的永恒奥秘

driven by the feeling that some questions

宗教也来源于一种内心的感触

can only be answered by faith

相信问题只能由信仰解答

and based on an intuition

还建立在一种直觉之上

that there is something greater than ourselves,

认为世上存在比我们自身更宏大的东西

a higher power we must answer to,

一种令人敬畏的，我们必须向它回应的力量

or some source we all spring from

抑或存在一个万物的源泉

and to which we must return.

同时也是我们所有人回归的终点

Hinduism means the religions of India.

印度教 (Hinduism) 指“印度的宗教”

It's not a single religion

它不是一个单一的宗教

but rather a variety of related beliefs

而是各种相关信仰

and spiritual practices.

和灵修方式的集合

It dates back five millennia

印度教可追溯至五千年前

to the time of Krishna,

克利须那 (Krishna 黑天) 的时代

a man of such virtue

黑天道德高尚

that he became known as an avatar of Vishnu,

最终被奉为毗湿奴 (Vishnu) 的化身

an incarnation of the god in human form.

这位神的人形化身

He taught that all life follows karma,

黑天教导人们 众生从“业”

the law of cause and effect,

“业”就是因果报应律

and our job is to do our duty, or dharma,

而我们要做的 就是依据我们的社会地位

according to our place in society

履行各自的职责 也就是达摩 (dharma 法)

without worrying how things turn out.

不去担心事情最终会如何

When we die, we are reincarnated into a new body.

我们死后 会转世到一个新的身体里

If we followed our dharma

如果我们守佛法

and did our proper duty in our past life,

在前世里尽职尽责

we get good karma,

会造善业

which sends our soul upward in the social scale.

灵魂的社会等级也会上升

Our rebirth into the next life

因此 我们来世投胎的结果

is thus determined by what we do in this one.

取决于我们此生的所作所为

The wheel of rebirths is called samsara.

转世不止 也被称为轮回 (samsara)

It's possible for a very holy person

但至圣之人也有可能

to lead a life with enough good karma

积得足够的善业

to escape the wheel.

从而脱离轮回

This escape is called moksha.

叫做解脱（moksha）

Hinduism teaches that everything is one.

印度教认为 万物皆一

The whole universe is

整个宇宙都是

one transcendent reality called Brahman,

一种超验的现实——梵 (Brahman)

and there's just one Brahman

而且 尽管梵只有一个

but many gods within it,

却有众多神明

and their roles, aspects, and forms differ

在不同的文化传统下

according to various traditions.

这些神明也有不同的角色、外貌和形态

Brahma is the creator,

梵天 (Brahma) 是创造者

Vishnu is the preserver

毗湿奴是维护者

who sometimes takes on human form,

有时化身为人形

and Shiva is the transformer,

湿婆 (Shiva) 是毁灭者

or Lord of the Dance.

也叫舞王 (Lord of the Dance)

Durga is the fiercely protective divine mother.

杜尔迦 (Durga) 是尚武的守护母神

Ganesha has an elephant head

象头神格涅沙 (Ganesha) 代表智慧

and is the wise patron of success.

是成功的守护神

Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world.

印度教是世界第三大宗教

And although most Hindus live in India,

虽然大多数印度教信徒生活在印度

they can be found on every continent,

但在各个大洲都可以找到他们的踪迹

one billion strong.

总共有十亿人之巨

Now, let's travel west,

现在 让我们把目光投向西方

across deserts and mountains

越过沙漠与高山

to the fertile crescent about 4,000 years ago.

来到四千年前肥沃的新月地带

Judaism began with God calling

犹太教 (Judaism) 始于上帝命令亚伯拉罕 (Abraham)

Abraham and Sarah to leave Mesopotamia

和他的妻子撒拉 (Sarah) 离开美索不达米亚

and migrate to the land of Canaan.

迁往迦南 (Canaan) 之地

In return for their faith in the one true God,

因为他们信仰唯一、真正的神

a revolutionary concept

——这在当时多神教盛行的时代

in the polytheistic world of that time,

是一个革命性的概念——

they would have land and many descendants.

作为回报 他们将有土地与无穷的子孙

From this promise came the land of Israel

他们被许有以色列这片土地

and the chosen people,

成为上帝的选民

but staying in that land

但是留在这片土地上

and keeping those people together

维持民众统一

was going to be very difficult.

困难重重

The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt,

以色列人在埃及为奴

but God freed them with the help

但是在先知摩西的协助下

of the prophet Moses,

上帝解放了以色列人

who received the Ten Commandments

摩西受获“十诫”

and later hundreds more.

之后又有数百条

They conquered the Promised Land,

他们征服了应许之地 (以色列)

but could only keep it for a few hundred years.

但只维持了数百年而已

Israel sits at a crossroads

以色列位于交通要道

through which many armies

几百年来

marched over the centuries.

无数军队途经于此

And in the year 70,

公元70年

the Romans destroyed the temple

罗马人摧毁了

in their capital, Jerusalem.

他们在首都耶路撒冷的圣殿

So, the religion transformed itself

因此 犹太教脱胎换骨

from a temple religion

从一个有牺牲与祭司的

with sacrifices and priests

殿宇宗教 (temple religion)

to a religion of the book.

转变为经籍宗教 (a religion of the book)

Because of this, Judaism is a faith

正因为此 犹太教里

of symbolism, reverence, and deep meanings

充满了象征主义、崇敬

tied to the literature of its history.

和与其历史紧密相连的深刻含义

The many sacred scriptures make up

希伯来圣经也叫塔纳赫 (Tanakh)

the Hebrew bible, or Tanakh,

由很多宗教典籍组成

and hundreds of written discussions and interpretations

还有数以百计的论著和注疏

are contained in an expansive compendium

汇集在一本包罗万象

of deeper meanings,

意义深长的法典里

called the Talmud.

叫做塔木德 (Talmud)

Jews find rich, symbolic meaning in daily life.

犹太人在日常生活中融入丰富的象征含义

At the Passover meal,

在逾越节宴席上

every item on the menu symbolizes

每一道菜都象征了

an aspect of the escape from slavery.

当年“出埃及”时的一个方面

The importance of growing up

犹太教中 “长大成人”意义重大

is emphasized when young people

当青少年到了

reach the age of bar and bat mitzvah,

成人礼的年龄 (Bar and Bat Mitzvah)

ceremonies during which they assume responsibility

在这期间以及之后 他们将对自己的行为

for their actions

承担责任

and celebrate the weaving

庆祝他们的生命

of their own lives

从此与犹太民族

into the faith, history, and texts

的信仰、历史和典籍

of the Jewish people.

融合在一起

There are 14 million Jews in the world today,

在当今世界 一共有1400万犹太人

6 million in Israel,

其中600万人在以色列

which became independent

以色列在第二次世界大战

following the horrors of genocide in World War II,

恐怖的种族大屠杀后获得独立

and 5 million in the United States.

在美国 也有500万犹太人

But now let's go back 2500 years and return to India

让我们回到2500年前的印度

where Buddhism began

这里是佛教 (Buddhism) 起源的地方

with a young prince named Siddhartha.

源始于一位叫做悉达多 (Siddhartha) 的王子

On the night he was conceived,

据说 在他的母亲——摩耶王后 (Queen Maya)

his mother, Queen Maya,

受孕的那天夜晚

is said to have been visited in her sleep

她梦见一头白象

by a white elephant who entered her side.

从肋部进入她的身体

Ten months later, Prince Siddartha was born

十个月后 王子悉达多将生

into a life of luxury.

生来过着舒适奢华的生活

Venturing forth from his sheltered existence

而当他终于走出他的庇护所时

as a young man,

那时他还是一个年轻人

he witnessed the human suffering

他目睹了人世的苦难

that had been hidden from him

在此之前一直不为他所知

and immediately set out to investigate its sources.

他立即开始寻找这苦难的来源

Why must people endure suffering?

为什么人们要经受痛苦？

Must we reincarnate through hundreds of lives?

为什么人们必须经历数百次的轮回？

At first he thought the problem

起初 他以为问题在于

was attachment to material things,

人们对物质的依恋

so he gave up his possessions.

所以他放弃了自己的财产

He became a wandering beggar,

四处流浪 成了一名乞丐

which he discovered certainly made him no happier.

但他发现 这并没有让他更快乐

Then he overheard a music teacher telling a student,

一次 他偶然听到一名音乐老师对学生说

"Don't tighten the string too much, it will break.

“不要把弦拧得太紧 太紧弦会断

But don't let it go too slack,

但是 也不要让它太松

or it will not sound."

否则就发不出声音”

In a flash, he realized

在那瞬间 他意识到

that looking for answers at the extremes

在极端里寻找答案

was a mistake.

是错误的

The middle way between luxury and poverty

选择奢华与贫困二者的中间道路

seemed wisest.

才是最明智的

And while meditating under a bodhi tree,

在一棵菩提树下打坐时

the rest of the answer came to him.

他悟到了全部的答案

All of life abounds with suffering.

所有的生命都充满了痛苦

It's caused by selfish craving

痛苦来源于人们的私欲

for one's own fulfillment at the expense of others.

为实现自己的私欲 不惜牺牲他人

Following an eight-step plan

通过一个含有八个步骤的计划

can teach us to reduce that craving,

我们可以减少渴求

and thus reduce the suffering.

从而减少痛苦

On that day, Siddhartha became the Buddha,

就在那一天 悉达多成为佛陀

the enlightened one.

达到觉悟的智者

Not the only one, but the first one.

虽然不是唯一的一个 但是是最早的

The Buddhist plan is called

这个计划也被称为

the Eightfold Path,

“八正道”

and though it is not easy to follow,

虽然它并不容易执行

it has pointed the way

但是为数百万寻求觉悟的人

for millions to enlightenment,

指明了方向

which is what Buddhahood means,

觉悟也就是成佛的状态

a state of compassion,

一种充满怜悯

insight,

洞悉

peace,

and steadfastness.

平和

和坚定的状态

From the time he got up from under that tree

从他从那棵树下起身

to the moment of his death as an old man,

直到到他衰老死去的那一刻

the Buddha taught people how to become enlightened:

佛陀教导人们如何成为觉悟的人：

right speech,

说正确的话

right goals,

a mind focused on what is real,

树立正确的目标

专注于真实存在的事物

and a heart focused on loving others.

专注于去爱他人

Many Buddhists believe in God or gods,

许多佛教徒相信上帝或神

but actions are more important than beliefs.

但实际行为比信念更重要

There are nearly a billion Buddhists

在当今世界

in the world today,

共有将近十亿佛教徒

mostly in East, Southeast, and South Asia.

主要分布在东亚、东南亚和南亚

2,000 years ago in Judaism's Promised Land,

2000多年前 在犹太教的应许之地

Christianity was born.

基督教 (Christianity) 诞生了

Just as Hindus called Krishna "God in Human Form,"

正如印度教徒将黑天称为“上帝的人的化身”

Christians say the same thing about Jesus,

基督徒也称耶稣为上帝的化身

and Christianity grew out of Judaism

基督教源于犹太教

just as Buddhism grew out of Hinduism.

正如佛教源于印度教

The angel Gabriel was sent by the God of Abraham

亚伯拉罕的神派遣天使加百列 (Gabriel)

to ask a young woman named Mary

向处女玛利亚 (Mary) 预告

to become the mother of his son.

她将成为一名母亲

The son was Jesus,

她的儿子就是耶稣

raised as a carpenter

玛丽和她的丈夫约瑟 (Joseph)

by Mary and her husband Joseph,

将耶稣培养成一名木匠

until he turned 30,

直到耶稣30岁那年

when he began his public career

他开始了他的公职生涯

as the living word of God.

作为神的化身

Less interested in religiousness

耶稣不怎么关心宗教性

than in justice and mercy,

更注重公正与怜悯

Jesus healed the sick in order to draw crowds

他医治病人 以吸引人群

and then taught them about his heavenly father --

然后教导他们他的天父的

affectionate, forgiving, and attentive.

深情、宽容和爱心

Then, he would invite everyone to a common table

然后 他会邀请大家一同聚餐

to illustrate his Kingdom of God,

向他们描绘上帝之国

outcasts, sinners, and saints all eating together.

被排斥者、罪人和圣人都一起进餐

He had only three years

只过了三年

before his unconventional wisdom

他反传统的观点

got him into trouble.

就让他陷入麻烦

His enemies had him arrested,

他被敌人逮捕

and he was executed by Rome

将在罗马被处以死刑

in the standard means

用处死煽动群众者

by which rabble-rousers were put to death,

的标准方式——

crucifixion.

钉死在十字架上

But shortly after he was buried,

但他被埋葬后不久

women found his tomb empty

有女人发现他的坟墓是空的

and quickly spread word,

言语迅速扩散开来

convinced that he had been raised from the dead.

相信耶稣已死而复生

The first Christians described

最早的基督徒们

his resurrected appearances,

记述了耶稣复生的场面

inspiring confidence that his message was true.

这更加鼓舞人们相信 他的教导是真的

The message: love one another as I have loved you.

这个教导是：你们要彼此相爱 像我爱你们一样

Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus

基督徒在12月庆祝耶稣的生日

in December at Christmas,

就是圣诞节

and his suffering, death, and resurrection

在春季的圣周期间

during Holy Week in the spring.

纪念他的苦难、死亡和复活

In the ceremony of baptism,

在洗礼仪式上

a washing away of sin

洗刷罪恶

and welcoming into the Christian community,

欢迎进入基督徒团体

recall Jesus's own baptism

并回想耶稣自己的洗礼

when he left his life as a carpenter.

当他告别木匠的生活

In the rite of Communion,

在圣餐礼上

Christians eat the bread and drink the wine

基督徒吃无酵饼、喝葡萄酒

blessed as the body and blood of Jesus,

作为耶稣的体和血的代表

recalling Jesus's last supper.

纪念耶稣最后的晚餐

There are two billion Christians worldwide,

全世界有二十亿基督徒

representing almost a third of the world's people.

占世界人口的近三分之一

Islam began 1400 years ago

伊斯兰教 (Islam) 始于1400年前

with a man of great virtue,

有一个品德高尚的人

meditating in a mountain cave

在在阿拉伯沙漠的

in the Arabian desert.

一个山洞里静坐

The man was Muhammad.

这名男子就是穆罕默德 (Muhammad)

He was visited by a divine messenger,

他受到一位神圣使者的拜访

again the angel Gabriel,

也是天使加百列

in Arabic, Jibril,

在阿拉伯语中 他叫吉卜利勒 (Jibril)

delivering to him the words of Allah,

向他传达真主的话

the one God of Abraham.

亚伯拉罕的唯一的神

In the next few years,

接下来的几年里

more and more messages came,

他收到越来越多的消息

and he memorized and taught them.

他将其记住 并教给他人

The verses he recited were full of wise sayings,

他背诵的诗句里充满了睿智的话语

beautiful rhymes,

漂亮的押韵

and mysterious metaphors.

和神秘的隐喻

But Muhammad was a merchant, not a poet.

但穆罕默德是一个商人 不是诗人

Many agreed the verses

许多人相信 这些诗句

were indeed the words of God,

确实是神的话语

and these believers became the first Muslims.

于是这些人成为了最早的穆斯林

The word Muslim means one who surrenders,

穆斯林这个词的意思是“投降者”

meaning a person who submits to the will of God.

意味着服从于神的旨意的人

A Muslim's five most important duties

穆斯林有五项最重要的原则

are called the Five Pillars:

被称为“五功” (Five Pillars)

Shahada, Muslims declare publicly,

第一是萨哈达 (Shahada 清真言) 穆斯林要公开宣称

there is no other God but Allah,

真主安拉 (Allah) 是唯一的主

and Muhammad is his final prophet;

而穆罕默德是主最后的使者

Salat, they pray five times a day facing Mecca;

第二是礼拜 (Salat) 他们面朝麦加一天礼拜五次

Zakat, every Muslim is required

第三是天课 (Zakat) 每一个穆斯林都必需

to give 2 or 3% of their net worth to the poor;

将自己财产的2%或3%分给穷人

Sawm, they fast during daylight hours

第四是斋戒 (Sawm) 在斋月期间

for the lunar month of Ramadan

从日出到日落他们不得饮食

to strengthen their willpower

以加强他们的意志力

and their reliance on God;

和他们对神的信赖

and Hajj, once in a lifetime,

最后是朝觐 (Hajj) 一生一次

every Muslim who is able must make a pilgrimage

每一个穆斯林 只要能够 就一定要

to the holy city of Mecca,

去圣城麦加 (Mecca) 朝圣

rehearsing for the time

为将来他们站在真主面前

when they will stand before God

接受审判练习

to be judged worthy or unworthy

是否配得上和真主一起

of eternal life with Him.

获得永生

The words of God,

神的话语

revealed to the prophet over 23 years,

在23年间不间断透露给先知

are collected in the Quran,

收集在《古兰经》里

which literally translates into "the recitation."

字面上的意思就是“朗诵”

Muslims believe it to be the only holy book

穆斯林相信这是唯一

free of human corruption.

未经人类的玷污的圣书

It's also considered by many

许多人也认为 这是

to be the finest work of literature

用阿拉伯语写成的

in the Arabic language.

最杰出的文学作品

Islam is the world's second largest religion,

伊斯兰教是世界第二大宗教

practiced by over one and a half billion Muslims around the globe.

全球有超过十五亿穆斯林信仰伊斯兰教

Religion has been an aspect of culture

有史以来

for as long as it has existed,

宗教一直是人类文化的一部分

and there are countless variations of its practice.

宗教实践也有着无数的变化

But common to all religions

但所有的宗教

is an appeal for meaning

都是对意义的诉求

beyond the empty vanities

超越虚无

and lowly realities of existence,

超越存在的卑微现实

beyond sin,

超越罪恶

suffering,

痛苦

and death,

和死亡

beyond fear,

超越恐惧

and beyond ourselves.

和超越自己