My year of living biblically | A.J. Jacobs

翻译人员: Wang Qian 校对人员: Ying Cui

I thought I'd tell you a little about what I like to write.

我打算跟你们聊些我想 要写作的东西。

And I like to immerse myself in my topics.

我喜欢完全投入 我的研究题目。

I just like to dive right in and become sort of a human guinea pig.

我直接切入题目 中，以自己为白老鼠。

And I see my life as a series of experiments.

我的生活像是 一系列的实验。

So, I work for Esquire magazine, and a couple of years ago,

几年前我为 <风尚>杂志工作。

I wrote an article called "My Outsourced Life,"

我写了一篇文 章叫做"我的外包生活"

where I hired a team of people in Bangalore, India,

我雇用了在印 度班加罗尔的一个团队,

to live my life for me.

来过我的生 活。

So, they answered my emails.

所以他们帮我 回电子邮件。

They answered my phone.

他们帮我听电 话。

They argued with my wife for me, and they read my son bedtime stories.

他们为我和我 的老婆吵嘴，且帮我替儿子读床边故事。

It was the best month of my life,

这是我生活中 最美好的一个月,

because I just sat back and I read books and watched movies.

因为我只要放 轻松，看书或看电影。

It was a wonderful experience.

这是一个很棒 的经验。

More recently, I wrote an article for Esquire called --

到最近我为 <风尚> 杂志写了一篇文章叫做--

about radical honesty.

关于绝对诚 实。

And this is a movement where --

这是个风潮 --

this is started by a psychologist in Virginia,

由一位维吉尼 亚的心理学家开始的,

who says that you should never, ever lie,

他说人应该绝 不能说谎,

except maybe during poker and golf, his only exceptions.

除非在打牌或 是高尔夫球中例外。

And, more than that, whatever is on your brain

并且甚至，当 任何事情出现在你的脑中

should come out of your mouth.

应该大声说出 来。

So, I decided I would try this for a month.

我决定要来试 试看这种方式生活一个月。

This was the worst month of my life.

这是我一生 中最糟的一个月。

(Laughter)

（笑）

I do not recommend this at all.

我完全不建议 这样做。

To give you a sense of the experience,

我这样讲你就 了解了，

the article was called, "I Think You're Fat."

这篇文章叫 做"我觉得你很胖"

(Laughter)

（笑）

So, that was hard.

因此，那是困难的

My most recent book -- my previous book was called "The Know-It-All,"

我最新的书--我前一本书叫做《无所不知》

and it was about the year I spent reading the Encyclopedia Britannica

它是关于那年我花在阅读大英百科全书

from A to Z in my quest to learn everything in the world,

从A到Z在我探寻学习世界万物中

or more precisely from Aak, which is a type of East Asian music,

或更精确的 说从 "雅乐"(A-ak)一种东亚的音乐,

all the way to Zwyiec, which is -- well, I don't want to ruin the ending.

到最后一 条"日维茨"(Zywiec)这是--我不想搞砸了演讲的结尾。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

It's a very exciting twist ending, like an O. Henry novel, so I won't ruin it.

能够在结尾 做转折是令人兴奋的,像是欧亨利的小说,所以我不想搞砸它。

But I love that one,

但我喜欢这 想法

because that was an experiment about how much information

因为那是一 个关于人脑能吸收多少信息

one human brain could absorb.

的实验,

Although, listening to Kevin Kelly, you don't have to remember anything.

虽然,根据凯文凯丽的说法,你只要能够在谷歌查到它

You can just Google it.

就不需要记 得这件事了。

So, I wasted some time there.

所以我浪费 了点时间在这。

I love those experiments,

我喜欢那些 实验,

but I think that the most profound

但是我觉得 最奥妙

and life-changing experiment that I've done

且改变生命 的实验是

is my most recent experiment, where I spent a year

我最近刚完 成的实验,我花了一年的时间

trying to follow all of the rules of the Bible,

尝试按照圣 经上指导的原则生活--

"The Year of Living Biblically."

"依照圣经 指导原则生活的一年"

And I undertook this for two reasons.

并且我想这 样做有两个原因。

The first was that I grew up with no religion at all.

第一我成长 在一个完全没有宗教的环境。

As I say in my book, I'm Jewish in the same way

并且如同我 书上所说, 说我是个犹太人

the Olive Garden is Italian.

就像"橄榄 花园"(美式意大利餐厅)被当成意大利餐厅，一样离谱

(Laughter)

(笑声)

So, not very.

所以,当然 不是这样。

But I've become increasingly interested in religion.

但是我已经 对宗教越来越有兴趣。

I do think it's the defining issue of our time,

我认为, 在我们的生活中, 这是一个明确的议题,

or one of the main ones.

或者说是主 要的议题之一。

And I have a son. I want to know what to teach him.

而且我有一 个儿子。我想要知道拿什么去教他。

So, I decided to dive in head first, and try to live the Bible.

所以我决定 投入其中，并且尝试依照圣经而活。

The second reason I undertook this is because

第二个原因 我决定这样做，是因为

I'm concerned about the rise of fundamentalism,

我对基督教 基本教义的兴起有兴趣,

religious fundamentalism, and people who say

很多人声称

they take the Bible literally, which is, according to some polls,

他们完全依 照圣经。根据调查

as high as 45 or 50 percent of America.

有百分之 45或50的美国人，按着圣经的教导过生活。

So I decided, what if you really did take the Bible literally?

所以我决定 看看，真正依照圣经教导行事会怎样?

I decided to take it to its logical conclusion

我决定接受 它和它的逻辑上的推论

and take everything in the Bible literally,

接受一切圣 经上字面的说法,

without picking and choosing.

不去挑选。

The first thing I did was I got a stack of bibles.

首先，我找 到一堆圣经。

I had Christian bibles.

我有基督教 圣经。

I had Jewish bibles.

我有犹太教 圣经。

A friend of mine sent me something called a hip-hop bible,

我的一个朋 友送我一本叫做「嘻哈圣经」,

where the twenty-third Psalm is rendered as, "The Lord is all that,"

其中诗篇第 23中所称"神是一切"

as opposed to what I knew it as, "The Lord is my shepherd."

相对的，就 我所知应该是"神是我的牧者"

Then I went down and I read several versions,

然后我阅读 了几个版本,

and I wrote down every single law that I could find.

并且我写下 每一我能找到的律法。

And this was a very long list -- over 700 rules.

这是一个很 长的清单--超过700条律法。

And they range from the famous ones that I had heard of --

并且这些包 含一些有名的律法一些我曾经听过的--

The Ten Commandments, love your neighbor, be fruitful and multiply.

"十 戒"、"爱你的邻人"、"多结果子和生养众多"。

So I wanted to follow those.

所以我要遵 循这些。

And actually, I take my projects very seriously,

我很认真执 行这个计划

because I had twins during my year,

因为这年， 我生了双胞胎,

so I definitely take my projects seriously.

所以我确实 认真的执行这计划。

But I also wanted to follow the hundreds

但是我想按 照

of arcane and obscure laws that are in the Bible.

这上百条在 圣经中神秘且晦涩的律法。

There is the law in Leviticus,

这些是在利 未记中的律法--

"You cannot shave the corners of your beard."

"胡须的周 围不可损坏。"

I didn't know where my corners were,

我不知道哪 里是我的周围,

so I decided to let the whole thing grow,

所以我决定 留胡须,

and this is what I looked like by the end.

这是我最后 看起来的样子。

As you can imagine, I spent a lot of time at airport security.

你可想而 知,我花了很长的时间在机场安检部门。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

My wife wouldn't kiss me for the last two months.

最后的二个 月，我太太不肯亲我。

So, certainly the challenge was there.

所以,当然 这是一项挑战。

The Bible says you cannot wear clothes made of mixed fibers,

圣经上说， 不能穿混合纤维的衣物。

so I thought, "Sounds strange, but I'll try it."

所以我 想："这听起来很奇怪，但是我要试试看。"

You only know if you try it.

你只知道如 果你尝试它。

I got rid of all my poly-cotton T-shirts.

我处理掉所 有混棉的T恤。

The Bible says that if two men are in a fight,

圣经上说， 如果有两个男人在打架,

and the wife of one of those men grabs the testicles of the other man,

且其中一个 男人的太太抓另一个男人睪丸,

then her hand shall be cut off.

那么她的手 就要砍断。

So, I wanted to follow that rule.

所以,我想 要遵循这个律法。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

That one I followed by default,

我遵循这律 法的方式就是 --

by not getting in a fight with a man whose wife was standing nearby,

不要和人打 架，如果他的太太就站在附近的话,

looking like she had a strong grip.

且她看起来 有很强的抓力。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

So -- oh, there's another shot of my beard.

所以-- 喔,这是另一张我胡子的照片。

I will say it was an amazing year

我会说这是 惊奇的一年。

because it really was life changing, and incredibly challenging.

因为这真正 是生活的改变，且是难以想象的挑战。

And there were two types of laws that were particularly challenging.

并且还有两 种律法，特别挑战。

The first was avoiding the little sins that we all commit every day.

第一是避免 一些我们每天都会犯的小错。

You know, I could spend a year not killing,

我能够一整 年不杀生,

but spending a year not gossiping, not coveting, not lying --

但是一整年 不说闲话,不贪心,不说谎--

you know, I live in New York, and I work as a journalist,

我生活在纽 约，而且我是一个记者,

so this was 75, 80 percent of my day I had to do it.

所以我的生 活中有75至80%，要做这些。

But it was really interesting, because I was able to make some progress,

但是这是很 有趣的，因为我能够做一些改善

because I couldn't believe how much

因为我起初不相信

my behavior changed my thoughts.

我的行为能 改变多少我的想法。

This was one of the huge lessons of the year,

这是这一 年，我学到的重大学习之一

is that I almost pretended to be a better person,

我几乎假装 成一个比较好的人,

and I became a little bit of a better person.

且我真的有 一点点变好。

So I had always thought, you know, "You change your mind,

以前，我总 是认为,"你改变了内心,

and you change your behavior," but it's often the other way around.

然后行为才 会改变",但是我发现，经常是相反的。

You change your behavior, and you change your mind.

当你改变行 为,然后你改变了你的内心。

So, you know, if you want to become more compassionate,

所以,你知 道的,如果你想要变得更有同情心,

you visit sick people in the hospital,

你去医院探 望生病的人,

and you will become more compassionate.

然后你会变 得比较慈善。

You donate money to a cause,

为某慈善事业捐 钱,

and you become emotionally involved in that cause.

然后你就放 感情在那件事里面，

So, it really was cognitive psychology --

所以,这是 认知心里学 --

you know, cognitive dissonance -- that I was experiencing.

认知的不一 致--这是我经历的。

The Bible actually talks about cognitive psychology,

圣经实际上 是关于认知心里学,

very primitive cognitive psychology.

非常基础的 认知心里学。

In the Proverbs, it says that if you smile, you will become happier,

箴言 这样说,如果你微笑,你会变得比较快乐,

which, as we know, is actually true.

就像我们知 道的一样,这是真的。

The second type of rule that was difficult to obey

第二种非常 难去遵循的律法是

was the rules that will get you into a little trouble

这些律法会 让我们遇到小麻烦

in twenty-first-century America.

在21世纪 的美国。

And perhaps the clearest example of this is stoning adulterers.

一个明显的 例子是：拿石头打通奸的人。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

But it's a big part of the Bible,

但是，这是 圣经的很大一部份,

so I figured I had to address it.

所以我认为 我必需行出来。

So, I was able to stone one adulterer.

所以,我真 的拿石头打了一个通奸者。

It happened -- I was in the park, and I was dressed in my biblical clothing,

它发生了 --我当时在公园而且我穿着我圣经式的装扮--

so sandals and sort of a white robe,

凉鞋和白长 袍 --

you know, because again, the outer affects the inner.

你知道,因 为刚刚所说,外在影响内心。

I wanted to see how dressing biblically affected my mind.

我想了解圣 经式的装扮，如何影响我的内心。

And this man came up to me and he said,

然后这个男 人过来找我并说,

"Why are you dressed like that?"

"你为什么 要穿成这样?"

And I explained my project,

然后我解释 我的这个计划,

and he said, "Well, I am an adulterer, are you going to stone me?"

然后他 说："喔,我是一个奸夫,你打算拿石头打我吗?"

And I said, "Well, that would be great!"

然后我 说："哇! 这很棒喔!"

(Laughter)

(笑声)

And I actually took out a handful of stones from my pocket

然后我从口 袋中拿出满手的石头

that I had been carrying around for weeks,

那是我已经 带着这些石头几个礼拜了,

hoping for just this interaction -- and, you know, they were pebbles --

期待这种情 况发生-- 然后,你知道的,这些是小卵石--

but he grabbed them out of my hand.

但是那个男 人把石头从我手中夺走。

He was actually an elderly man, mid-70s, just so you know.

他其实是一 个年长者,七十多岁

But he's still an adulterer, and still quite angry.

但是他仍然 是奸夫，而且看起来很生气。

He grabbed them out of my hand

他把石头从 我手上夺走

and threw them at my face, and I felt that I could --

并且往我脸 上丢,然后我感到我能--

eye for an eye -- I could retaliate, and throw one back at him.

"以眼还 眼",我能报复,我就往他后背丢一个。

So that was my experience stoning, and it did allow me

所以这就是 我的丢石头经验。

to talk about, in a more serious way, these big issues.

这让我更能 严肃的谈论这些重要议题，如：

How can the Bible be so barbaric in some places,

为何圣经在 某些部分这么的野蛮?

and yet so incredibly wise in others?

且又在其它 部分又难以置信的有智能?

How should we view the Bible?

我们该如何 看待圣经?

Should we view it, you know, as original intent,

我们应该看 待它,你知道的,就当成它的本意,

like a sort of a Scalia version of the Bible?

像是一种 Scalia(美国大法官)版本的圣经?

How was the Bible written?

圣经是如何 写成?

And actually, since this is a tech crowd,

然而,既然 这是一个技术集会,

I talk in the book about how the Bible actually reminds me

让我想这么 说

of the Wikipedia, because it has all of these authors and editors

圣经让我想 起维基百科,因为它是由许多人编辑、撰写而成的

over hundreds of years.

并横跨数百 年之久。

And it's sort of evolved.

撰写圣经可 以说是一种演进过程，

It's not a book that was written and came down from on high.

而不是一本 从天上掉下来、已经写好的书。

So I thought I would end by telling you

所以我想在 结尾告诉你们

just a couple of the take-aways, the bigger lessons

只是几个总结性并有意义的教训

that I learned from my year.

从我这一年 学来的

The first is, thou shalt not take the Bible literally.

第一个是 --诸位切莫逐字的理解圣经。

This became very, very clear, early on.

这是一开始 就很清楚的。

Because if you do, then you end up acting like a crazy person,

因为如果你 这样做你最终会像个疯子,

and stoning adulterers, or -- here's another example.

拿石头丢奸 夫,或者--这里有一另个例子--

Well, that's another. I did spend some time shepherding.

好的,这是 另一个--我花了很多时间牧羊。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

It's a very relaxing vocation. I recommend it.

这是一个很 令人轻松的职业。我很推荐。

But this one is -- the Bible says that you cannot touch women

但这一个 是,圣经告诉我们不能碰女人

during certain times of the month, and more than that,

在每个月的 某些时间，更甚者--

you cannot sit on a seat where a menstruating woman has sat.

你不能坐在 经期妇女曾做过的椅子。

And my wife thought this was very offensive,

我太太觉得 这很侮辱女人,

so she sat in every seat in our apartment,

所以她把我 们家里的每一个椅子都做了一遍,

and I had to spend much of the year standing

所以我必须 在这一年大部分时间都站着

until I bought my own seat and carried it around.

直到我买了 一张自己的椅子并且随身携带。

So, you know, I met with creationists.

所以,你知 道的,我遇到一些特创论者

I went to the creationists' museum.

我去了关于 特创论者的博物馆。

And these are the ultimate literalists.

他们是最会 咬文嚼字的人。

And it was fascinating, because they were not stupid people at all.

然而这很有 趣，因为他们并不是笨蛋。

I would wager that their IQ is exactly the same as the average evolutionist.

我敢打赌他 们的智商，完全跟相信进化论的人一样。

It's just that their faith is so strong

只是他们有 着很强的信仰

in this literal interpretation of the Bible

执着于圣经 上的字面解释

that they distort all the data to fit their model.

所以扭曲事 实数据，来符合他们的理论。

And they go through these amazing mental gymnastics to accomplish this.

然后他们经 由神奇的心理训练来达成。

And I will say, though, the museum is gorgeous.

然而我要说 的是,这博物馆相当华丽。

They really did a fantastic job.

他们真的完 成了一个很棒的工作。

If you're ever in Kentucky,

如果你曾经 去过美国肯塔基州,

there's, you can see a movie of the flood,

就是这-- 你会看到一个关于大洪水的电影,

and they have sprinklers in the ceiling

他们在天花 板上装洒水器

that will sprinkle on you during the flood scenes.

当播放到洪 水画面时，你就会被喷到水。

So, whatever you think of creationism -- and I think it's crazy --

所以,不管 你对创世纪论者看法怎样 (我是觉得这蛮疯狂)

they did a great job.

他们做了一 个很出色的工作。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

Another lesson is that thou shalt give thanks.

另一个教训 是：诸位应当心存感恩。

And this one was a big lesson because I was praying,

这是一个很 重要的教诲，因为我祷告,

giving these prayers of thanksgiving, which was odd for an agnostic.

献上感谢, 这对于不可知论者来说 很怪。

But I was saying thanks all the time, every day,

但是我嘴上 常挂着感谢,无论何时,

and I started to change my perspective.

然而我开始 改变我的看法,

And I started to realize the hundreds of little things

而且开始了 解数以百计的小事情

that go right every day, that I didn't even notice,

那些顺遂的 事,那些我不曾注意到的小事。

that I took for granted, as opposed to focusing

那些被当作 里所当然的--而不是

on the three or four that went wrong.

去注意那些 出错的三四件事情。

So, this is actually a key to happiness for me,

所以,这是 幸福的秘诀,对我来说,

is to just remember when I came over here,

只要提醒自 己：当我来这里的时候

the car didn't flip over, and I didn't trip coming up the stairs.

车子没有翻 覆,我没被阶梯绊倒。

It's a remarkable thing.

这是件很棒 的事。

Third, that thou shall have reverence.

第三,诸位 应心存尊敬。

This one was unexpected because I started the year

这事件意外 的体会。因为我刚开始

as an agnostic, and by the end of the year,

是一个不可 知论者，但是到这一年结束时

I became what a friend of mine calls a reverent agnostic, which I love.

我变成一个 虔敬的不可知论者。我的朋友这样叫我,我喜欢这样的称号。

And I'm trying to start it as a movement.

然而我尝试 把虔敬，变成一种风潮。

So, if anyone wants to join,

所以如果有 任何人想参与,

the basic idea is, whether or not there is a God,

基本的构想 是,不论有没有上帝,

there's something important and beautiful about the idea of sacredness,

我们都一些 重要且美好神圣想法,

and that our rituals can be sacred.

而且，我们 的仪式是神圣的。

The Sabbath can be sacred.

安息日是神 圣的。

This was one of the great things about my year, doing the Sabbath,

我的这一年 中的一件大事是守安息日,

because I am a workaholic, so having this one day

因为我是一 个工作狂,所以有这样一天

where you cannot work, it really, that changed my life.

我不能工作 --这着实改变我的生活。

So, this idea of sacredness, whether or not there is a God.

所以,这是 一个神圣的观念,无关于有没有神。

Thou shall not stereotype.

诸位切莫墨守陈规。

This one happened because

这个体会来 自于

I spent a lot of time with various religious communities

我花了许多 时间，参加

throughout America because I wanted it to be more

美国各地的 不同的宗教团体，因为

than about my journey.

我希望这不 是个人的旅程，

I wanted it to be about religion in America.

而是体验美 国宗教的经验。

So, I spent time with evangelical Christians, and Hasidic Jews, and the Amish.

所以我花时 间在福音派基督教、哈西德教派，阿米绪教派。

I'm very proud because

我很自豪

I think I'm the only person in America

因为，我认 为我是美国唯一

to out Bible-talk a Jehovah's Witness.

能够说倒 「耶和华见证人」的人

(Laughter)

(笑声)

After three and a half hours, he looked at his watch,

过了三小时 半,他看着他的手表,

he's like, "I gotta go."

他说："我 必须走了。"

(Laughter)

(笑声)

Oh, thank you very much.

噢,非常谢 谢你。

Thank you. Bless you, bless you.

谢谢你。祝 福你,祝福你。

But it was interesting

但是这很有 趣

because I had some very preconceived notions about, for instance,

因为我有一 些先入为主的想法,例如,

evangelical Christianity, and I found that

福音派基督 教,我发现

it's such a wide and varied movement

这是一个广 泛的风潮

that it is difficult to make generalizations about it.

很难概括解 释。

There's a group I met with called the Red Letter Christians,

我曾遇到一 个团体叫做红字基督徒,

and they focus on the red words in the Bible,

他们聚焦于 圣经上的那些红字,

which are the ones that Jesus spoke.

那些耶稣说 过的话--

That's how they printed them in the old Bibles.

在旧圣经中 被印成红字的。

And their argument is that Jesus never talked about homosexuality.

他们说，耶 稣没有讲过同性恋的事情。

They have a pamphlet that says,

他们有一个 小册子,上面说：

"Here's what Jesus said about homosexuality,"

" 这是耶稣对同性恋的说法"

and you open it up, and there's nothing in it.

然而当你打 开它,里面什么都没有。

So, they say Jesus did talk a lot about helping the outcasts,

所以他们声 称，耶稣谈论了很多关于帮助无家可归,

helping poor people.

帮助穷人的 事。

So, this was very inspiring to me.

所以这对我 是很大的启发。

I recommend Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo.

我推荐 Jim Wallace 和 Tony Campole。

They're very inspiring leaders, even though I disagree

他们是很能 鼓舞人心的领袖，即使我并不认同 --

with much of what they say.

他们多数的 言论。

Also, thou shalt not disregard the irrational.

还有,诸位 不能漠视无理的事。

This one was very unexpected because, you know,

这是非常出 乎预料的。因为,你们知道,

I grew up with the scientific worldview,

我在一个科 学的世界观中成长。

and I was shocked learning how much of my life

然而我十分 震惊的发现，

is governed by irrational forces.

我的生命， 其实是由不理性的力量主宰。

And the thing is, if they're not harmful,

然而，如果 这些是无害的，

they're not to be completely dismissed.

就没必要被 完全去除。

Because I learned that -- I was thinking, I was

因为我学到 --我在想,

doing all these rituals, these biblical rituals,

我做的这些 仪式,这些圣经上的仪式,

separating my wool and linen, and I would ask these religious people

区分羊毛和 麻布质料。 我问那些虔诚的人

"Why would the Bible possibly tell us to do this? Why would God care?"

"为什么圣 经要这样告诉我们?上帝为什么在意这些?"

And they said, "We don't know,

然而他们 说："我们不知道,

but it's just rituals that give us meaning."

这只是个赋 予我们意义的仪式。"

And I would say, "But that's crazy."

我说,"这 很疯狂!"

And they would say, "Well, what about you?

他们会 说："噢,那你不是吗?"

You blow out candles on top of a birthday cake.

你会吹熄生 日蛋糕上的蜡烛，这也是个仪式。

If a guy from Mars came down and saw, here's one guy

如果一个来 自火星的家伙看到,

blowing out the fire on top of a cake

他会说：" 这有一个家伙吹熄蛋糕上面的火"

versus another guy not wearing clothes of mixed fabrics,

对比于另一 个不穿混纺衣服的人,

would the Martians say, 'Well, that guy, he makes sense,

火星人会 说"噢,这家伙很理性,

but that guy's crazy?'"

但是那家伙 很疯狂"吗?

So no, I think that rituals are, by nature, irrational.

不会,所 以,那些仪式是不理性的。

So the key is to choose the right rituals,

所以,关键 是选择正确的仪式,

the ones that are not harmful -- but rituals by themselves

那些无害的 仪式--仪式本身

are not to be dismissed.

不该被去 除。

And finally I learned that thou shall pick and choose.

然而,最 终,我学到：诸位应该有所选择。

And this one I learned because

这是因为

I tried to follow everything in the Bible.

我想要去遵 循圣经上所有的东西。

And I failed miserably.

然后我失败 的很惨。

Because you can't.

因为你做不 到。

You have to pick and choose. And anyone who follows the Bible

你必须有所 选择,然而任何遵循圣经的人

is going to be picking and choosing.

都不是照单 全收的

The key is to pick and choose the right parts.

关键是：选 择正确的部分。

There's the phrase called cafeteria religion,

有一个词汇 叫做"自助餐式宗教"

and the fundamentalists will use it in a denigrating way,

基本教义 派，把这个字用于轻蔑的意思,

and they'll say, "Oh, it's just cafeteria religion.

他们会 说："噢,这不就是自助餐式宗教罢了。

You're just picking and choosing."

你只是选自 己喜欢的去做。"

But my argument is, "What's wrong with cafeterias?"

但我认 为："自助餐又怎样?"

I've had some great meals at cafeterias.

我在自助餐 厅有吃得很开心的经验。

I've also had some meals that make me want to dry heave.

也有难吃得 想吐的经验。

So, it's about choosing the parts of the Bible about compassion,

所以,这是 关于选择圣经中有关恻隐之心,

about tolerance, about loving your neighbor,

宽容、爱你 的邻人的那些部分,

as opposed to the parts about homosexuality is a sin,

不选择「同 性恋是一种罪」、

or intolerance, or violence,

或偏狭 的,或暴力的这些部份，

which are very much in the Bible as well.

在圣经 里，也相当的多。

So if we are to find any meaning in this book,

所以我们 若想在这本书中找到意义,

then we have to really engage it, and wrestle with it.

我们必须 真正投入于它,并且与它争战。

And I thought I'd end with just a couple more.

然而结束 前我想我在说几件事。

There's me reading the Bible.

这是我正 在阅读圣经的照片。

That's how I hailed taxicabs.

这是我如 何招呼出租车。

(Laughter)

(笑声)

Seriously, and it worked. And yes,

它是有效 的--且是的,

that was actually a rented sheep,

那其实是 租来的羊,

so I had to return that in the morning, but it served well for a day.

所以我必 须在早晨归还,但是牠整天都被照顾的很好。

So, anyway, thank you so much for letting me speak.

所以,不 论如何,很谢谢你们让我来演讲。