ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Lesley Hazleton - Writer, psychologist
Writer, psychologist and former Middle East reporter Lesley Hazleton explores the vast and often terrifying arena in which politics and religion intersect.

Why you should listen

Lesley Hazleton has traced the roots of conflict in several books, including compelling 'flesh-and-blood' biographies of Muhammad and Mary, and casts "an agnostic eye on politics, religion, and existence" on her blog, AccidentalTheologist.com.

Her newest book, Agnostic: A Spirited Manifesto, celebrates the agnostic stance as "rising above the flat two-dimensional line of belief/unbelief, creating new possibilities for how we think about being in the world." In it, she explores what we mean by the search for meaning, invokes the humbling perspective of infinity and reconsiders what we talk about when we talk about soul.

Hazleton's approach has been praised as "vital and mischievous" by the New York Times, and as "a positive orientation to life, one that embraces both science and mystery ... while remaining intimately grounded and engaged."

More profile about the speaker
Lesley Hazleton | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxRainier

Lesley Hazleton: On reading the Koran

莱斯利.黑泽尔顿:读可兰经

Filmed:
2,252,412 views

一天,莱斯利.黑泽尔顿坐下来读可兰经。作为一位非穆斯林,在从"游客"的角度参观了伊斯兰教圣经后,她有了意外的发现。带着严谨的治学态度和温暖人心的幽默,黑泽尔顿在TEDxRainier的演讲中揭秘神话,与大家分享她发现的优雅,变通与神秘。
- Writer, psychologist
Writer, psychologist and former Middle East reporter Lesley Hazleton explores the vast and often terrifying arena in which politics and religion intersect. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:15
You may可能 have heard听说
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你可能听过
00:17
about the Koran's可兰经 idea理念 of paradise天堂
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可兰经里对天堂的描述,
00:19
being存在 72 virgins处女,
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那里有72个处女。
00:21
and I promise诺言 I will come back to those virgins处女.
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我保证待会儿会回到处女这个话题。
00:24
But in fact事实, here in the northwest西北,
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事实上,在我们(美国的)东北部,
00:26
we're living活的 very close
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我们生活在
00:28
to the real真实 Koranic可兰经 idea理念 of paradise天堂,
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跟真正可兰经里的天堂极为相似的地方,
00:30
defined定义 36 times
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(在书中)它的定义出现过36次,
00:32
as "gardens花园 watered浇水 by running赛跑 streams."
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即“流水灌溉的花园”。
00:37
Since以来 I live生活 on a houseboat船屋 on the running赛跑 stream of Lake Union联盟,
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因为我恰好住在同盟湖水流经的船房里,
00:40
this makes品牌 perfect完善 sense to me.
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所以说我太理解这个定义了。
00:43
But the thing is, how come it's news新闻 to most people?
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但问题是,为什么绝大多数人对这一点却很陌生?
00:47
I know many许多 well-intentioned用心良苦 non-Muslims非穆斯林
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我知道很多怀着善意的非穆斯林
00:50
who've谁一直 begun开始 reading the Koran可兰经, but given特定 up,
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试着开始读可兰经,但最后还是放弃了,
00:52
disconcerted不安 by its "otherness差异性."
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因为它的另类而不安。
00:55
The historian历史学家 Thomas托马斯 Carlyle凯雷
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史学家托马斯.卡莱尔
00:57
considered考虑 Muhammad穆罕默德 one of the world's世界 greatest最大 heroes英雄,
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认为穆哈默德是世界上最伟大的英雄之一,
01:00
yet然而 even he called the Koran可兰经
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可即便是他也认为可兰经,
01:02
"as toilsome辛苦 reading as I ever undertook承诺,
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“是我有生以来读得最费劲的读物,
01:05
a wearisome令人厌烦的, confused困惑 jumble混乱."
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叫人厌烦,而且含糊不清。”
01:08
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
01:10
Part部分 of the problem问题, I think,
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部分原因,我认为,
01:12
is that we imagine想像 that the Koran可兰经 can be read
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是我们把可兰经想象成一本像
01:15
as we usually平时 read a book --
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我们平时信手拈来就可以读的书 --
01:17
as though虽然 we can curl卷曲 up with it on a rainy多雨的 afternoon下午
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仿佛我们可以在一个细雨蒙蒙的下午,蜷缩在椅子里悠闲品读,
01:20
with a bowl of popcorn爆米花 within reach达到,
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手边还放着一碗爆米花,
01:22
as though虽然 God --
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仿佛上帝 --
01:24
and the Koran可兰经 is entirely完全 in the voice语音 of God speaking请讲 to Muhammad穆罕默德 --
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可兰经完整记录了上帝对穆哈默德的话语 --
01:27
were just another另一个 author作者 on the bestseller畅销书 list名单.
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仅仅是另一本畅销书榜单上的作者。
01:32
Yet然而 the fact事实 that so few少数 people
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然而事实上,只有极少数人
01:34
do actually其实 read the Koran可兰经
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真正研读可兰经,
01:36
is precisely恰恰 why it's so easy简单 to quote引用 --
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这就是为什么可兰经这么容易被引用 --
01:39
that is, to misquote错误引用.
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或者说,错误地被引用。
01:42
Phrases短语 and snippets片段 taken采取 out of context上下文
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人们断章取义
01:45
in what I call the "highlighter荧光笔 version,"
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截出我称之为“划重点版”的章节,
01:47
which哪一个 is the one favored青睐 by both Muslim穆斯林 fundamentalists原教旨主义者
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穆斯林原教旨主义者和
01:50
and anti-Muslim反穆斯林 IslamophobesIslamophobes.
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反穆斯林的恐伊斯兰教者都乐衷于此。
01:53
So this past过去 spring弹簧,
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所以在过去的这个春天,
01:55
as I was gearing传动装置 up
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当我正筹备着
01:57
to begin开始 writing写作 a biography of Muhammad穆罕默德,
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开始撰写穆哈默德传记的时候,
02:00
I realized实现 I needed需要 to read the Koran可兰经 properly正确 --
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我意识到我必须好好地读一读可兰经 --
02:03
as properly正确 as I could, that is.
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当然,尽可能好地。
02:06
My Arabic's阿拉伯语的 reduced减少 by now
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我的阿拉伯语已经退化到
02:08
to wielding挥舞 a dictionary字典,
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要靠翻字典才能过活的地步,
02:10
so I took four well-known知名 translations译文
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所以我找了四本著名的(可兰经)译本,
02:12
and decided决定 to read them side-by-side并排侧,
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决定把它们并排并放一起读,
02:14
verse-by-verse经文逐节
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一行一行地读,
02:16
along沿 with a transliteration音译
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同时参考一本音译本和
02:19
and the original原版的 seventh-century七世纪 Arabic阿拉伯.
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一本七世纪阿拉伯语的原版。
02:23
Now I did have an advantage优点.
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我的确有个优势。
02:27
My last book
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我最近的一本书
02:29
was about the story故事 behind背后 the Shi'a-Sunni什叶派和逊尼派 split分裂,
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讲的是关于叶什和逊尼两派(伊斯兰教的两个分支)纷争的故事,
02:32
and for that I'd worked工作 closely密切 with the earliest最早 Islamic清真 histories历史,
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因为它,我跟伊斯兰的早期历史打过交道,
02:35
so I knew知道 the events事件
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所以我很熟悉那些历史事件,
02:37
to which哪一个 the Koran可兰经 constantly经常 refers,
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可兰经里反复提及的事件,
02:39
its frame of reference参考.
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即它的历史背景。
02:41
I knew知道 enough足够, that is, to know
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我知道足够多,或者说会知道
02:43
that I'd be a tourist游客 in the Koran可兰经 --
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我会像一个游客,游历可兰经 --
02:46
an informed通知 one,
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我至少是一个见识过的游客,
02:48
an experienced有经验的 one even,
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甚至是一个有经验的游客,
02:50
but still an outsider局外人,
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但无论如何始终是一个局外人,
02:52
an agnostic不可知 Jew
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一个不知可论(哲学观点)的犹太人,
02:54
reading some else's别人的 holy book.
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阅读其他宗教的神圣经文。
02:56
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
02:58
So I read slowly慢慢地.
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所以我读得很慢。
03:00
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
03:04
I'd set aside在旁边 three weeks for this project项目,
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我打算用三个星期完成这个计划,
03:07
and that, I think, is what is meant意味着 by "hubris傲慢" --
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而这,就是所谓的自大。
03:09
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
03:13
-- because it turned转身 out to be three months个月.
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因为最后我花了三个月的时间才完成。
03:18
I did resist the temptation诱惑 to skip跳跃 to the back
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我有抵制住翻到最后看结局的诱惑,
03:20
where the shorter and more clearly明确地 mystical神秘 chapters are.
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在读到那些较短的,但明显更神秘的章节时。
03:23
But every一切 time I thought I was beginning开始
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但每次我以为我开始
03:25
to get a handle处理 on the Koran可兰经 --
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要对可兰经开窍的时候 --
03:27
that feeling感觉 of "I get it now" --
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那个“我终于明白了”的感觉 --
03:29
it would slip away overnight过夜,
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在一夜之间又会悄然而逝。
03:31
and I'd come back in the morning早上
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第二天早晨醒来,
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wondering想知道 if I wasn't lost丢失 in a strange奇怪 land土地,
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我会纳闷我是否曾在一个陌生的领地迷了路。
03:36
and yet然而 the terrain地形 was very familiar.
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而那个地带却又很熟悉。
03:40
The Koran可兰经 declares声明 that it comes
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可兰经声明了它是来
03:42
to renew更新 the message信息 of the Torah托拉 and the Gospels福音.
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更新律法和福音的(基督教经文)。
03:44
So one-third三分之一 of it
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所以它的三分之一
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reprises再发生 the stories故事 of Biblical圣经 figures人物
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都在重新叙述圣经里人物的故事,
03:48
like Abraham亚伯拉罕, Moses摩西,
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像阿伯拉罕,摩西,
03:50
Joseph约瑟夫, Mary玛丽, Jesus耶稣.
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约瑟夫,玛利,耶稣。
03:53
God himself他自己 was utterly完全 familiar
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上帝本身是绝对的熟悉,
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from his earlier manifestation表现 as Yahweh耶和华 --
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从一开始以雅威为化身 --
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jealously嫉妒 insisting坚持 on no other gods.
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心存嫉妒,坚持世上除他之外再没有其他神明。
04:03
The presence存在 of camels骆驼, mountains,
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书中出现的骆驼和高山,
04:06
desert沙漠 wells and springs弹簧
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绿洲和泉水
04:08
took me back to the year I spent花费
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都把我带回了我在
04:10
wandering飘零 the Sinai西乃山 Desert沙漠.
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西奈沙漠游走的那年。
04:12
And then there was the language语言,
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还有语言,
04:14
the rhythmic有板有眼 cadence韵律 of it,
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那带着韵律的抑扬顿挫,
04:16
reminding提醒 me of evenings晚上 spent花费 listening to Bedouin贝都因人 elders长老
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让我回想起那些夜晚,倾听贝都因老人
04:19
recite背诵 hours-long时间长 narrative叙述 poems
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背诵几小时的长篇叙事诗
04:22
entirely完全 from memory记忆.
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完全凭记忆。
04:25
And I began开始 to grasp把握
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然后我开始明白
04:27
why it's said
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为什么说
04:30
that the Koran可兰经 is really the Koran可兰经
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只有阿拉伯语的可兰经
04:33
only in Arabic阿拉伯.
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才是真正的可兰经。
04:35
Take the FatihahFatihah,
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拿Faatihah来说,
04:37
the seven-verse七诗 opening开盘 chapter章节
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七行的开篇,
04:39
that is the Lord's Prayer祷告 and the Shema Yisrael家园以色列 of Islam伊斯兰教 combined结合.
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由主祷文和伊斯兰的施玛篇组成。
04:44
It's just 29 words in Arabic阿拉伯,
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它只是29个阿拉伯语单词,
04:46
but anywhere随地 from 65 to 72 in translation翻译.
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但翻译都至少要用到65至72个单词。
04:50
And yet然而 the more you add,
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然而添加的越多,
04:52
the more seems似乎 to go missing失踪.
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本意似乎也丧失得越多。
04:55
The Arabic阿拉伯 has an incantatory咒语,
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阿拉伯语有一种咒语般的,
04:58
almost几乎 hypnotic催眠, quality质量
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近乎于催眠的特质,
05:00
that begs乞求 to be heard听说 rather than read,
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它祈求被聆听,而非阅读,
05:03
felt more than analyzed分析.
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被感受,多于解析。
05:06
It wants to be chanted高呼 out loud,
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它希望被大声吟咏,
05:08
to sound声音 its music音乐 in the ear and on the tongue.
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让它的旋律传出舌尖,传进耳朵。
05:11
So the Koran可兰经 in English英语
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所以英文版的可兰经
05:13
is a kind of shadow阴影 of itself本身,
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只不过是它的影子,
05:16
or as Arthur亚瑟 ArberryArberry called his version,
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或者如亚瑟.阿伯里所说,
05:19
"an interpretation解释."
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“一种释义”。
05:22
But all is not lost丢失 in translation翻译.
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但不是所有都会在翻译中被丢失。
05:25
As the Koran可兰经 promises许诺, patience忍耐 is rewarded奖励,
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正如可兰经承诺的那样,耐心会得到回报,
05:28
and there are many许多 surprises惊喜 --
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(读可兰经)会带来很多惊喜 --
05:30
a degree of environmental环境的 awareness意识, for instance,
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譬如一定程度上对环境的认知,
05:33
and of humans人类 as mere stewards管家 of God's creation创建,
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人类仅仅是上帝创造的副手,
05:36
unmatched独一无二 in the Bible圣经.
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这些都是圣经无法比拟的。
05:39
And where the Bible圣经 is addressed解决 exclusively to men男人,
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相对于圣经里那些仅仅是对男同胞的讲解,
05:42
using运用 the second第二 and third第三 person masculine男性,
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即以第二和第三男性人称的叙述部分,
05:44
the Koran可兰经 includes包括 women妇女 --
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可兰经顾及到了女同胞 --
05:47
talking, for instance,
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例如,
05:49
of believing相信 men男人 and believing相信 women妇女,
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信男和信女 --
05:51
honorable光彩 men男人 and honorable光彩 women妇女.
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可敬的男人和可敬的女人。
05:56
Or take the infamous臭名昭著 verse
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再比如那句臭名昭著的,
05:58
about killing谋杀 the unbelievers不信.
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关于杀死异教徒的句子。
06:00
Yes, it does say that,
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是的,可兰经里有这么说,
06:02
but in a very specific具体 context上下文:
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但是是在一个非常特定的情况下才被允许的:
06:05
the anticipated预期 conquest征服
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即将来临的
06:07
of the sanctuary避难所 city of Mecca麦加
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对圣城麦迦的入侵
06:09
where fighting战斗 was usually平时 forbidden被禁止,
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在这座禁止打斗的城市里。
06:12
and the permission允许 comes hedged对冲 about with qualifiers预选赛.
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而且这许可是带有限制的。
06:15
Not "You must必须 kill unbelievers不信 in Mecca麦加,"
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不是说,你一定要杀死麦迦城的异教徒,
06:18
but you can, you are allowed允许 to,
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而是说,你可以,你被允许这么做,
06:21
but only after a grace恩典 period is over
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但只有等到宽限期结束之后,
06:25
and only if there's no other pact协议 in place地点
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只有当没有其他条约存在的时候,
06:28
and only if they try to stop you getting得到 to the Kaaba天房,
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只有当他们企图阻止你到达克尔白天房,
06:31
and only if they attack攻击 you first.
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只有当他们先攻击你。
06:34
And even then -- God is merciful仁慈;
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就算到了那个时候 -- 上帝还是仁慈的,
06:37
forgiveness饶恕 is supreme最高 --
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宽恕至上 --
06:40
and so, essentially实质上,
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所以,本质上,
06:42
better if you don't.
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最好不杀。
06:44
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
06:47
This was perhaps也许 the biggest最大 surprise --
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这也许是最大的惊喜 --
06:50
how flexible灵活 the Koran可兰经 is,
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可兰经是多么变通啊,
06:52
at least最小 in minds头脑 that are not
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至少对那些
06:54
fundamentally从根本上 inflexible呆板.
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不是完全固不可化的人来说是这样的。
06:57
"Some of these verses经文 are definite in meaning含义," it says,
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“有些语句很明了”,它说,
07:00
"and others其他 are ambiguous暧昧."
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“而另一些则有歧义。
07:03
The perverse at heart
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心术不正的
07:05
will seek寻求 out the ambiguities歧义,
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会去寻找有歧义的部分,
07:07
trying to create创建 discord不和
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用他们自己扭曲了的解释,
07:09
by pinning钉住 down meanings含义 of their own拥有.
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企图制造不和。
07:12
Only God knows知道 the true真正 meaning含义.
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只有上帝才知道真正的意义。”
07:16
The phrase短语 "God is subtle微妙"
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“上帝是不可捉摸的”这句话
07:18
appears出现 again and again,
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出现了一次又一次。
07:20
and indeed确实, the whole整个 of the Koran可兰经 is far more subtle微妙
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事实上,整个可兰经
07:22
than most of us have been led to believe.
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比我们中大多数所相信的要难以琢磨得多。
07:24
As in, for instance,
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譬如,
07:26
that little matter
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07:28
of virgins处女 and paradise天堂.
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处女和天堂的那个小议题中。
07:31
Old-fashioned过时 Orientalism东方 comes into play here.
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老式的东方主义发挥了它的作用。
07:35
The word used four times
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有个词被用了四次
07:37
is HourisHouris,
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那就是Houris,
07:39
rendered呈现 as
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意为
07:41
dark-eyed黑眼睛 maidens少女 with swelling肿胀 breasts乳房,
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有着深色眼睛、丰盈乳房的少女,
07:44
or as fair公平, high-bosomed高暗藏 virgins处女.
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或者是白皙而又胸部高挺的处女。
07:48
Yet然而 all there is in the original原版的 Arabic阿拉伯
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然而在阿拉伯语原版中,有的仅仅是
07:50
is that one word: HourisHouris.
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那一个词:Houris
07:54
Not a swelling肿胀 breast乳房 nor也不 a high bosom怀 in sight视力.
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根本没有任何暗示,提及丰盈的乳房或高挺的胸部。
07:57
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
07:59
Now this may可能 be a way of saying
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它也许是用来描述
08:01
"pure beings众生" -- like in angels天使 --
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纯洁生物 -- 如天使 -- 的一种方式,
08:03
or it may可能 be like the Greek希腊语 Kouros的Kouros or Kórē,
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或者它是类似于希腊语中的Kouros,亦写作Kórē,
08:06
an eternal永恒 youth青年.
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即长生不老的青年。
08:08
But the truth真相 is nobody没有人 really knows知道,
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但它真正的释义没人知道,
08:11
and that's the point.
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那就是它的本质。
08:13
Because the Koran可兰经 is quite相当 clear明确
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因为可兰经很明确地说
08:15
when it says that you'll你会 be
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你将会成为
08:17
"a new creation创建 in paradise天堂"
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“一个新的生命体出现在天堂”,
08:20
and that you will be "recreated重建
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你将被”重新创造成
08:22
in a form形成 unknown未知 to you,"
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一种未知的形式“,
08:25
which哪一个 seems似乎 to me a far more appealing吸引人的 prospect展望
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在我看来比成为一个处女
08:28
than a virgin处女.
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更具有吸引力。
08:30
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
08:38
And that number 72 never appears出现.
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还有,72这个数字从未出现过。
08:41
There are no 72 virgins处女
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在可兰经里,没有72个处女
08:43
in the Koran可兰经.
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这么一说。
08:45
That idea理念 only came来了 into being存在 300 years年份 later后来,
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这种说法是在可兰经写成后过了300年才出现的,
08:48
and most Islamic清真 scholars学者 see it as the equivalent当量
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大多数伊斯兰教学者把它等同于
08:51
of people with wings翅膀 sitting坐在 on clouds
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那些坐在云上,弹着竖琴
08:53
and strumming弹拨 harps竖琴.
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带着翅膀的人儿。
08:56
Paradise天堂 is quite相当 the opposite对面.
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天堂其实恰恰相反。
08:59
It's not virginity童贞;
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它不是童贞,
09:01
it's fecundity肥沃.
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它是富饶,
09:03
It's plenty丰富.
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是丰盛,
09:05
It's gardens花园 watered浇水
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是流水灌溉的
09:07
by running赛跑 streams.
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花园。
09:10
Thank you.
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谢谢。
09:12
(Applause掌声)
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(掌声)
Translated by Bowen Yang
Reviewed by Qian Yue

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Lesley Hazleton - Writer, psychologist
Writer, psychologist and former Middle East reporter Lesley Hazleton explores the vast and often terrifying arena in which politics and religion intersect.

Why you should listen

Lesley Hazleton has traced the roots of conflict in several books, including compelling 'flesh-and-blood' biographies of Muhammad and Mary, and casts "an agnostic eye on politics, religion, and existence" on her blog, AccidentalTheologist.com.

Her newest book, Agnostic: A Spirited Manifesto, celebrates the agnostic stance as "rising above the flat two-dimensional line of belief/unbelief, creating new possibilities for how we think about being in the world." In it, she explores what we mean by the search for meaning, invokes the humbling perspective of infinity and reconsiders what we talk about when we talk about soul.

Hazleton's approach has been praised as "vital and mischievous" by the New York Times, and as "a positive orientation to life, one that embraces both science and mystery ... while remaining intimately grounded and engaged."

More profile about the speaker
Lesley Hazleton | Speaker | TED.com