Chapter 25
第二十五章
Joshua of Nazareth
拿撒勒的约书亚
The story of Joshua of Nazareth Whom the Greeks Called Jesus
拿撒勒人约书亚,也就是希腊人所称的耶稣的故事
In the autumn of the year of the city 783 (which would be 62 A.D., in our way of counting time) Aisculapius Cultellus, a Roman physician,
罗马建城第815年的秋天,即公元62年,罗马外科医生埃斯库拉庇俄司·卡尔蒂拉斯
wrote to his nephew who was with the army in Syria as follows:My dear Nephew,
写信给正在叙利亚步兵团 服役的外甥,全信如下:我亲爱的外甥:
A few days ago I was called in to prescribe for a sick man named Paul.
几天前,我被请去为一个名叫保罗的病人诊病。
He appeared to be a Roman citizen of Jewish parentage, well educated and of agreeable manners.
他是犹太裔的罗马公民,看上去教养良好,仪态优雅。
I had been told that he was here in connection with a law-suit,
我听说他是因为一桩诉讼案来到这里的。
an appeal from one of our provincial courts, Caesarea or some such place in the eastern Mediterranean.
该案是由该撒利亚或者某个东地中海地区法庭起诉的,具体地方我不太清楚。
He had been described to me as a"wild and violent" fellow who had been making speeches against the People and against the Law.
人们曾向我形容说,这位保罗是个"野蛮且凶狠"的家伙,曾经四处发表反对人民与违反法律的讲演。
I found him very intelligent and of great honesty.
可当亲眼看见他的时候,我发现此人才智出众,诚实守信。
A friend of mine who used to be with the army in Asia Minor tells me
我的一位朋友过去曾在小亚细亚的驻军中服役,他告诉我
that he heard something about him in Ephesus where he was preaching sermons about a strange new God.
曾听说过一点保罗在以弗所传教的事情,好像他在宣扬一位新上帝。
I asked my patient if this were true and whether he had told the people to rebel against the will of our beloved Emperor.
我问我的病人,此说是否属实,还有他是不是真的号召过人民起来反抗我们所敬爱的皇帝陛下的意志?
Paul answered me that the Kingdom of which he had spoken was not of this world
保罗回答说,他所宣讲的国度并不属于这个世界。
and he added many strange utterances which I did not understand, but which were probably due to his fever.
另外,他还讲了许多奇奇怪怪的言辞,我一点都听不明白。我暗地想,他讲这些胡话大概是由于发高烧的缘故。