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宗教的內容包含人生、自然、超自然1，佛教和基督教是最明显的例子。十诫说“当孝敬父母”，佛教有《父母恩深难报经》，这是人生。耶稣说，天国好比一粒芥子，种下去长成大树;佛教说，青青翠竹，郁郁黄花都是佛法，这是自然。耶稣是童贞女所生，佛陀是从肋下出生，这是超自然。2耶稣钉在十字架上不死，佛陀被肢解不死，这也是超自然。
Religion explores human life， as well as the natural and supernatural realms of existence. Buddhism and Christianity are the most obvious examples. On life， one of the Ten Commandments urges you to “honor thy father and mother”， and one of the Buddhist scriptures says that you can never pay back the debt you own your parents. On nature， Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a grain of mustard seed， which will grow and become a big tree， while Buddhist teachings claim that the spirit of the Buddha permeates green bamboo trees and yellow flowers. In a supernatural vein， the Bible insists that Christ was born of a virgin， and Buddhists believe that the Buddha was born from his mother’s right side below the ribs. Similarly， Christ would rise from the dead after being crucified， and the Buddha would not die after being dismembered.
这两大宗教的门徒常常讥笑对方的超自然，忘了彼此彼此。我曾对一位法师说：你能接受那个，我当然也可以接受这个3。只有无神论可以批判咱们，咱们何必同室操戈？
Christians and Buddhists often accuse each other of what they themselves are guilty of—exhibiting a supernatural bent. Once I tried to reason with a monk on the need for a ceasefire between the two belief systems. I told him that our quarrel is meaningless because only atheists are in a position to lash out against either of us for making supernatural claims.
人生，儒家说了很多，很少提到自然。自然，道家说了很多，很少提到超自然。他们对超自然都有不足。4佛教传入中国，超自然大量输入，对中国文化输血，也迫使道家创立道教，建立了一套自己的超自然系统。然后是基督教来了，起初，他以“人道”与儒家契合，得以立足，但是不久他的“神道”与儒家冲突，无法发展，于是传教自由与贸易自由挂钩，写入中国和列强订立的不平等条约，使许多中国人至今犹说“耶稣是坐在炮弹上来的5”。
Confucianism talked a lot about human life， but very little about nature. It didn’t really venture into the realm of the supernatural. Early Taoism was heavy on man’s relations with nature but very light on the supernatural. The arrival of Buddhism introduced a strong dose of the supernatural into the Chinese cultural bloodstream， leading to the emergence of a Taoist system of supernatural beliefs. Then along came Christianity. At first， it got blended nicely with Confucian humanism， and was able to establish its footing. Before long it got stuck， however， owing to its emphasis on God’s omnipotence， something in directly conflict with Confucian tenets. It later succeeded in expanding its reach only with the imposition upon China by foreign imperialist powers of unequal treaties that incorporated provisions ensuring freedom of Christian missionaries to propagate their faith， along with those on opium trade. Even today many Chinese believe that Jesus came on a gunboat. 超自然乃是宗教的頭等大事，超自然才是宗教的特色，失去超自然，宗教就成了艺术，失去自然，宗教就是教条，反对超自然，就是取消宗教。6这岂不成了迷信？不然，宗教的境界，宗教对教义的诠释，都借着超自然表现，超自然是宗教的载体，人心惟危，道心惟微7，教育家说得不清楚，艺术家表现得不准确，宗教最后领你进入超自然的境界，让你自己面对8上帝佛陀。
Exploring the supernatural tops any religious agenda， since religion is characterized by belief in supernatural beings. Without the supernatural， religion would become art， and devoid of the natural， it would become dogma. Any attempt to rid itself of the supernatural would negate its raison d’être. Doesn’t this mean that religion would be reduced to superstition？ Religious consciousness and interpretation of religious tenets rely on the supernatural as a vehicle for conveying ideas. The human mind is unfathomable， and the essence of nature is just as elusive. They stubbornly defy explanation by education experts or depiction by artists. Only religion is capable of ushering you into the realm of the supernatural and into the presence of a higher power.
所以宗教强调“悟”，你在人生9里头不能悟，在自然里头只能若有所悟，超自然摆脱了约定俗成，超出老生常谈10，你失去了在家庭学校社会养成的固定反应、条件反射、逻辑思考，你才可能大彻大悟。悟了就不是迷信，不悟才是迷信。超自然成为迷信的时候，其中没有上帝也没有佛陀。11
Religion emphasizes the importance of transcendental awareness， which is often drowned out in the worldly bustle， and only faintly brought to the fore in nature. Embracing the supernatural helps you transcend convention and venture off the beaten track. Only in the absence of the response mechanisms and logical reasoning conditioned and cultivated in family， school or social settings， can you ascend to a higher state of awareness. Transcendental awareness stands in direct contrast with superstition， and failure to achieve it would land you in a superstitious trap. The descent of the supernatural into superstition is accompanied by the absence of a higher being， be it God or the Buddha.
我们在超自然里感动觉悟，我们不在超自然里生活。《圣经》说，你凭着信心可以在海上行走，你去跳海，结果淹死了。佛经说，房子失火的时候你打坐念阿弥陀佛，火自然熄灭，你不逃走，不打电话给消防队，结果烧死了。这不是信仰，这是考验上帝佛陀，要挟上帝佛陀，不管是佛陀还是上帝，他不接受你我的要挟。12
We reach a higher level of awareness in a supernatural world， but we don’t live there. The Bible claims that as long as you have confidence you can walk on the water. But if you do jump into the sea， you’ll get drowned. According to Buddhist scriptures， if your house is on fire， you can just sit there chanting the name of Buddha Amitabha， and the fire will be extinguished. But the fact is that if you don’t run for your life or call the fire department for help in a fire emergence， you’re sure to meet your fiery end. Literal interpretation of religious parables isn’t a manifestation of faith. Rather it’s a pathetic test of or a malicious challenge to the power of a higher being. Your challenge will however be simply cast aside. 宗教门派的碉堡也因超自然而筑成，他们在人生和自然的这一部分，原来也有共同目标，共同语言，有时降低层次，各教派也可以一同救灾或祈祷世界和平，那深沟高垒的，还是一意与人隔绝。有位学者指出美国华人之所以不能团结，原因之一在宗教信仰，其实何止华人？何止美国？
The citadels of religious sects are also built on the supernatural. In daily life and in interaction with nature， different religious groups have a lot in common. On an earthly level， they often work towards common goals and avail themselves of common approaches to issues they all face. They coordinate with each other in disaster relief efforts and unite in praying for world peace. On issues that bear on dogmatic purity， however， they tend to wall themselves off from each other and the rest of the world. One pundit cited religion as one of the culprits thwarting unity among Chinese Americans. But is sectarian discord unique to the Chinese American community or to American society in general？
有人自以為活在超自然之中，可以用自己特殊的方法解决自己的问题，因而与其他人极不兼容。其实我们活在人生和自然之中，面对共同的问题，需要一直努力。有些宗教家说，我们在未生之前，已死之后，完全相同，今生今世才有重大的分歧;也许不然，我们生前死后彼此不同，一世为人，这才有了共同的命运。我们好比一个工作团队，日出而作，照着一张蓝图，日入而息，各有各的卧榻。
Some may harbor the illusion that they’re living in a supernatural world， where all problems can be addressed through supernatural means， and they can simply stay far from the madding crowd. But reality proves otherwise. There’s no escape from our worldly existence or our natural environment. We all have to work hard to tackle mankind’s woes. Some religious scholars claim that we were all the same before we were born and will be the same after we’re dead， and that our discord occurs only when we’re alive. That isn’t true. On the contrary， we were not the same before we were born and won’t be the same after we die; but we do share this world and this destiny. We are a team， so to speak. Team members go to work at sunrise and retire to their own living quarters at sundown， as if following a universally applicable schedule.
那在超自然里无法合作的，在人生和自然之中可以合作，也必须合作。我想起台湾在大逮捕的年代，治安当局把许多人拘禁在学校的大礼堂内，其中有许多基督徒，他们把胸前的十字架取下来，挂在东面的墙上，跪下祈祷，还有一些佛教徒，把胸前的佛像取下来，挂在西面的墙上合十膜拜，这时他们背对背，各自皈依自己的信仰。然后他们转过脸来，各人在人丛中找各人的同事，找各人的亲友，共谋如何送出消息，取保释放，这时他们面对面，对付共同的困境。
Conflicts over issues concerning the supernatural often give way to cooperation in overcoming challenges facing humanity and our natural environment， challenges that require a coordinated response. Back in the days when a sweeping crackdown on dissent was in full force in Taiwan， many people were locked up by the security authorities in a school auditorium serving as a makeshift detention center. Among them were Christians and Buddhists. Some Christians took off the crosses they wore and hanged them on the east wall， and knelt down to pray. Some Buddhists took off the Buddhist images they wore and hanged them on the west wall， and put their palms together at the center of their chests to pray. At that moment members of the two groups were facing opposite directions and were in the embrace of different higher beings. Then they turned around to look for their colleagues and friends to discuss ways to get messages out to their loved ones and secure their release on bail. Now they were standing face to face， united in their desire to get out of the same dilemma. 有些宗教不是说天地一监牢、人生一囚徒吗，何不看看这个真实的故事？
Does this episode lend credence to the idea that the world is but a prison and every person spends his or her life as a prisoner？
1翻译“宗教的内容包含人生、自然、超自然”这句话时，一个陷阱可能是“内容”和“包括”。追求字字对应的人很可能首先想到content和consists of，于是就把这句话译成：The content of religion consists of life， the natural and the supernatural. 必须指出的是，content用在这里完全不合适。该词是指substantive information，与之相对的是form or style，如the content of an essay、the content of the message等，而此处的“内容”与substantive information无关。“宗教的内容包含……”更接近于“宗教涵盖……”“宗教涉及……”“宗教探讨的是……”“宗教事关……”等。我们可以将其译成“Religion covers…”或“Religion is about…”等。 2原文里“……这是人生”“……这是自然”“……这是超自然”形成排比。“这是”放在句尾，作为对前文所述基督教和佛教情况的归纳（当然，这不是对内容的归纳，而是说明这是关于哪一方面的问题）。这种结构在中文里使用别有风味，既整齐，又明了。但在此语境里，这个结构估计无法照搬到英文里。首先，中文的“这”字指代能力很强，“这是”前面既有基督教的说法，也有佛教的说法，“这”指代两者，而英文里的this指代能力没有这么强，如果前面有两样东西，用了this就不知道指代的是何者。其次，“人生”“自然”“超自然”这三者并不是对内容的总结，而是反映内容的属性，在英文里用this is life/nature/supernature来表示无疑是不合理的（而且如果说this is life，其含义往往是坏事或不幸的事情已经发生）。因此，翻译时不得不放弃中文的结构，跳出框框，另辟蹊径。
3“你能接受那个，我当然也可以接受这个”是一种非常特殊的表达方式，根据上下文，意思非常清楚，因为前面谈到双方相互指责，这里无非是说不要相互指责了。在中文里这样说很清楚，不意味着在英文里这样说也会清楚。翻译这句话如果不从内在含义着手，恐怕很容易造成不知所云的结果。 4“人生，儒家说了很多，很少提到自然。自然，道家说了很多，很少提到超自然。他们对超自然都有不足。”这段话中文读起来挺顺的，但笔者觉得如果按中文的逻辑关系译成英文，恐怕有问题。原因是：第一句里谈儒家时提到人生和自然两点，第二句里谈道家时提到自然和超自然两点;这两句是对称的，而第三句称儒家和道家对超自然都有不足，其中关于儒家对超自然的不足是新信息，而关于道家對超自然的不足则在重复第二句中的内容。用英文表达时，对逻辑的要求高于中文，如果照搬中文句式，最后一句总结中的部分内容就是重复，而如果我们尊重正常的逻辑思维方式，在英文里一般不容这种重复。笔者认为，我们不得不调整结构，把关于儒家对超自然不足的信息放在前面叙述，同时鉴于第二句里已经述及关于道家在这方面的情况，此处就不便重复。 5“坐在炮弹上来的”似乎也无法按字面直译，came on a bomb说不通，只能换一种说法，比如came on a gunboat。这样译虽然跳出了单词字面含义的框框，但“炮弹”的形象依然存在于gunboat之中，所以意思不变，意境也不变。
6译文结构的安排依据的首先不是原文的结构，而是原文意义上的逻辑关系。我们来分析一下这句话：“超自然乃是宗教的头等大事，超自然才是宗教的特色，失去超自然，宗教就成了艺术，失去自然，宗教就是教条，反对超自然，就是取消宗教。”第一分句与第二分句可被视为因果关系，第三分句（失去超自然，宗教就成了艺术）与第四分句（失去自然，宗教就是教条）为并列关系，而这两个分句与前两个分句的关系不是特别密切，不必合并成一句，最后一个分句的情况也一样。参考译文中的处理方式就是以此分析为基础的。 7“人心惟危，道心惟微”的出处是《尚书·虞书·大禹谟》：“人心惟危，道心惟微;惟精惟一，允执厥中。”百度百科的解释是：“人心变化莫测，道心中正入微;惟精惟一是道心的心法，我们要真诚地保持惟精惟一之道，不改变、不变换自己的理想和目标，最后使人心与道心和合，执中而行。”实际上，这八个字确实含义晦涩，学者的解释各种各样，对“道心”的解释尤其有分歧。不过，“道”为天地之始，包罗万象，这一点或许没有疑问。有人认为，“道心”乃天地自然之心[见“人心惟危，道心惟微，惟精惟一，允执厥中：十六字心传如何理解”（中华诗文学习）https：//read01.com/oAMM4M.html（2017年12月10日访问）]。当然，这八个字本来就可以有多种解读方式，很难说谁家的解释是最标准的。如果按照字面解读，其意思可以是“人的心理、人的思想是最可怕的，天地自然之心是最微妙的”。那么，我们应该如何翻译呢？其实，要考虑如何翻译，我们不必追究何种解读最权威或最合理，因为对这八个字本身的解读是否权威或是否合理并不重要，重要的是要确定这八个字在这篇散文的特定语境里应该如何理解比较合理。中文词语在特定语境里的特定含义不一定等同于孤立时解读的一般含义，这是常见的现象，在引用诗句、典故、成语等时尤其如此。不少译者见到名句，往往先找现成译本。可是，就算原来的名句译文本身问题不大，插入新的语境多半是格格不入的。如果按照一般解读，“人心惟危”似可译成the human heart is deceitful/treacherous，但这种说法没有意义，与上下文格格不入。既然明明知道是deceitful/treacherous，教育家就能说得清楚，艺术家也能表现得准确。“道”经常被译成Tao或the Way，如果按此把“道心惟微”译成the heart of Tao（或the Way）is subtle，那就完全不知所云，莫名其妙。然而，如果纵观全文，我们会注意到文章开宗明义就说过“宗教的内容包含人生、自然、超自然”，文中多次提及“人生、自然、超自然”，全文的主题就是谈这三者的关系，在引用了“人心惟危，道心惟微”之后，作者紧接着说“教育家说得不清楚，艺术家表现得不准确”，于是我们便可断定此处的“惟危”和“惟微”就是学者说不清楚、艺术家无法表现的，也就是高深莫测、无法理解的。另外，“人心”当然与人生有关，与全文主旨相呼应;“道”作“自然”解是合理的，也是全文探讨的三方面关系的一个方面。 8“面对”一词如何翻译，是一个陷阱，跳不出字面含义框框的人会用face，但face用在这里带有confront的意思，而原文里的“面对”完全没有confront的意思。所以，如果用了face，在表面上似乎很忠实原文，实质上则偏离甚远。 9“人生”一词含义十分丰富，在不同语境可作不同的解释，即使有时差别细微，翻译时也不能掉以轻心。用词不当，经常会造成令人哭笑不得的后果。“人生”在这篇散文里作为主题所涉的一个方面，也用得很多，许多时候译成human life不成问题，可是在以上例子里如果称you cannot have transcendental awareness in human life，那就完全说不通了，因为只要人活在世上，无论是沉浸在超自然之中还是在日常生活中，都属于human life的范畴。所以，这里的“人生”应被视为人生的某一个方面。
10“老生常谈”原指老书生经常谈论的事物或观点，作为成语，泛指毫无新意的老话，如陈词滥调，如果在英文里找对应词，那可以是clichés或platitudes，但无论clichés还是platitudes都是话语，即remarks或statements，而在此语境里称“超自然超出（某种）话语”，那是没有意义的。 11参考译文没有照搬原文句式。 12原文是：“这不是信仰，这是考验上帝佛陀，要挟上帝佛陀，不管是佛陀还是上帝，他不接受你我的要挟。”前面谈过，中文里“这”字的指代范围很广（此处的“这”是指圣经和佛经里分别提及的两件事以及相应的实际生活中的假设情况），而英文里this所指代的一般相对具体。这里显然无法按照中文表达方式用“This is not…”，那样指代会很不清楚。这个问题是一个过渡衔接的问题，中文过渡时经常可以有较大的跳跃，但在英文里不行。为了确保译文的衔接正常，此处似有必要添加过渡成分，参考译文为：Literal interpretation of religious parables isn’t a manifestation of faith. Rather it’s a pathetic test of or a malicious challenge to the power of a higher being. Your challenge will however be simply cast aside.
Religion explores human life， as well as the natural and supernatural realms of existence. Buddhism and Christianity are the most obvious examples. On life， one of the Ten Commandments urges you to “honor thy father and mother”， and one of the Buddhist scriptures says that you can never pay back the debt you own your parents. On nature， Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a grain of mustard seed， which will grow and become a big tree， while Buddhist teachings claim that the spirit of the Buddha permeates green bamboo trees and yellow flowers. In a supernatural vein， the Bible insists that Christ was born of a virgin， and Buddhists believe that the Buddha was born from his mother’s right side below the ribs. Similarly， Christ would rise from the dead after being crucified， and the Buddha would not die after being dismembered.
这两大宗教的门徒常常讥笑对方的超自然，忘了彼此彼此。我曾对一位法师说：你能接受那个，我当然也可以接受这个3。只有无神论可以批判咱们，咱们何必同室操戈？
Christians and Buddhists often accuse each other of what they themselves are guilty of—exhibiting a supernatural bent. Once I tried to reason with a monk on the need for a ceasefire between the two belief systems. I told him that our quarrel is meaningless because only atheists are in a position to lash out against either of us for making supernatural claims.
人生，儒家说了很多，很少提到自然。自然，道家说了很多，很少提到超自然。他们对超自然都有不足。4佛教传入中国，超自然大量输入，对中国文化输血，也迫使道家创立道教，建立了一套自己的超自然系统。然后是基督教来了，起初，他以“人道”与儒家契合，得以立足，但是不久他的“神道”与儒家冲突，无法发展，于是传教自由与贸易自由挂钩，写入中国和列强订立的不平等条约，使许多中国人至今犹说“耶稣是坐在炮弹上来的5”。
Confucianism talked a lot about human life， but very little about nature. It didn’t really venture into the realm of the supernatural. Early Taoism was heavy on man’s relations with nature but very light on the supernatural. The arrival of Buddhism introduced a strong dose of the supernatural into the Chinese cultural bloodstream， leading to the emergence of a Taoist system of supernatural beliefs. Then along came Christianity. At first， it got blended nicely with Confucian humanism， and was able to establish its footing. Before long it got stuck， however， owing to its emphasis on God’s omnipotence， something in directly conflict with Confucian tenets. It later succeeded in expanding its reach only with the imposition upon China by foreign imperialist powers of unequal treaties that incorporated provisions ensuring freedom of Christian missionaries to propagate their faith， along with those on opium trade. Even today many Chinese believe that Jesus came on a gunboat. 超自然乃是宗教的頭等大事，超自然才是宗教的特色，失去超自然，宗教就成了艺术，失去自然，宗教就是教条，反对超自然，就是取消宗教。6这岂不成了迷信？不然，宗教的境界，宗教对教义的诠释，都借着超自然表现，超自然是宗教的载体，人心惟危，道心惟微7，教育家说得不清楚，艺术家表现得不准确，宗教最后领你进入超自然的境界，让你自己面对8上帝佛陀。
Exploring the supernatural tops any religious agenda， since religion is characterized by belief in supernatural beings. Without the supernatural， religion would become art， and devoid of the natural， it would become dogma. Any attempt to rid itself of the supernatural would negate its raison d’être. Doesn’t this mean that religion would be reduced to superstition？ Religious consciousness and interpretation of religious tenets rely on the supernatural as a vehicle for conveying ideas. The human mind is unfathomable， and the essence of nature is just as elusive. They stubbornly defy explanation by education experts or depiction by artists. Only religion is capable of ushering you into the realm of the supernatural and into the presence of a higher power.
所以宗教强调“悟”，你在人生9里头不能悟，在自然里头只能若有所悟，超自然摆脱了约定俗成，超出老生常谈10，你失去了在家庭学校社会养成的固定反应、条件反射、逻辑思考，你才可能大彻大悟。悟了就不是迷信，不悟才是迷信。超自然成为迷信的时候，其中没有上帝也没有佛陀。11
Religion emphasizes the importance of transcendental awareness， which is often drowned out in the worldly bustle， and only faintly brought to the fore in nature. Embracing the supernatural helps you transcend convention and venture off the beaten track. Only in the absence of the response mechanisms and logical reasoning conditioned and cultivated in family， school or social settings， can you ascend to a higher state of awareness. Transcendental awareness stands in direct contrast with superstition， and failure to achieve it would land you in a superstitious trap. The descent of the supernatural into superstition is accompanied by the absence of a higher being， be it God or the Buddha.
我们在超自然里感动觉悟，我们不在超自然里生活。《圣经》说，你凭着信心可以在海上行走，你去跳海，结果淹死了。佛经说，房子失火的时候你打坐念阿弥陀佛，火自然熄灭，你不逃走，不打电话给消防队，结果烧死了。这不是信仰，这是考验上帝佛陀，要挟上帝佛陀，不管是佛陀还是上帝，他不接受你我的要挟。12
We reach a higher level of awareness in a supernatural world， but we don’t live there. The Bible claims that as long as you have confidence you can walk on the water. But if you do jump into the sea， you’ll get drowned. According to Buddhist scriptures， if your house is on fire， you can just sit there chanting the name of Buddha Amitabha， and the fire will be extinguished. But the fact is that if you don’t run for your life or call the fire department for help in a fire emergence， you’re sure to meet your fiery end. Literal interpretation of religious parables isn’t a manifestation of faith. Rather it’s a pathetic test of or a malicious challenge to the power of a higher being. Your challenge will however be simply cast aside. 宗教门派的碉堡也因超自然而筑成，他们在人生和自然的这一部分，原来也有共同目标，共同语言，有时降低层次，各教派也可以一同救灾或祈祷世界和平，那深沟高垒的，还是一意与人隔绝。有位学者指出美国华人之所以不能团结，原因之一在宗教信仰，其实何止华人？何止美国？
The citadels of religious sects are also built on the supernatural. In daily life and in interaction with nature， different religious groups have a lot in common. On an earthly level， they often work towards common goals and avail themselves of common approaches to issues they all face. They coordinate with each other in disaster relief efforts and unite in praying for world peace. On issues that bear on dogmatic purity， however， they tend to wall themselves off from each other and the rest of the world. One pundit cited religion as one of the culprits thwarting unity among Chinese Americans. But is sectarian discord unique to the Chinese American community or to American society in general？
有人自以為活在超自然之中，可以用自己特殊的方法解决自己的问题，因而与其他人极不兼容。其实我们活在人生和自然之中，面对共同的问题，需要一直努力。有些宗教家说，我们在未生之前，已死之后，完全相同，今生今世才有重大的分歧;也许不然，我们生前死后彼此不同，一世为人，这才有了共同的命运。我们好比一个工作团队，日出而作，照着一张蓝图，日入而息，各有各的卧榻。
Some may harbor the illusion that they’re living in a supernatural world， where all problems can be addressed through supernatural means， and they can simply stay far from the madding crowd. But reality proves otherwise. There’s no escape from our worldly existence or our natural environment. We all have to work hard to tackle mankind’s woes. Some religious scholars claim that we were all the same before we were born and will be the same after we’re dead， and that our discord occurs only when we’re alive. That isn’t true. On the contrary， we were not the same before we were born and won’t be the same after we die; but we do share this world and this destiny. We are a team， so to speak. Team members go to work at sunrise and retire to their own living quarters at sundown， as if following a universally applicable schedule.
那在超自然里无法合作的，在人生和自然之中可以合作，也必须合作。我想起台湾在大逮捕的年代，治安当局把许多人拘禁在学校的大礼堂内，其中有许多基督徒，他们把胸前的十字架取下来，挂在东面的墙上，跪下祈祷，还有一些佛教徒，把胸前的佛像取下来，挂在西面的墙上合十膜拜，这时他们背对背，各自皈依自己的信仰。然后他们转过脸来，各人在人丛中找各人的同事，找各人的亲友，共谋如何送出消息，取保释放，这时他们面对面，对付共同的困境。
Conflicts over issues concerning the supernatural often give way to cooperation in overcoming challenges facing humanity and our natural environment， challenges that require a coordinated response. Back in the days when a sweeping crackdown on dissent was in full force in Taiwan， many people were locked up by the security authorities in a school auditorium serving as a makeshift detention center. Among them were Christians and Buddhists. Some Christians took off the crosses they wore and hanged them on the east wall， and knelt down to pray. Some Buddhists took off the Buddhist images they wore and hanged them on the west wall， and put their palms together at the center of their chests to pray. At that moment members of the two groups were facing opposite directions and were in the embrace of different higher beings. Then they turned around to look for their colleagues and friends to discuss ways to get messages out to their loved ones and secure their release on bail. Now they were standing face to face， united in their desire to get out of the same dilemma. 有些宗教不是说天地一监牢、人生一囚徒吗，何不看看这个真实的故事？
Does this episode lend credence to the idea that the world is but a prison and every person spends his or her life as a prisoner？
1翻译“宗教的内容包含人生、自然、超自然”这句话时，一个陷阱可能是“内容”和“包括”。追求字字对应的人很可能首先想到content和consists of，于是就把这句话译成：The content of religion consists of life， the natural and the supernatural. 必须指出的是，content用在这里完全不合适。该词是指substantive information，与之相对的是form or style，如the content of an essay、the content of the message等，而此处的“内容”与substantive information无关。“宗教的内容包含……”更接近于“宗教涵盖……”“宗教涉及……”“宗教探讨的是……”“宗教事关……”等。我们可以将其译成“Religion covers…”或“Religion is about…”等。 2原文里“……这是人生”“……这是自然”“……这是超自然”形成排比。“这是”放在句尾，作为对前文所述基督教和佛教情况的归纳（当然，这不是对内容的归纳，而是说明这是关于哪一方面的问题）。这种结构在中文里使用别有风味，既整齐，又明了。但在此语境里，这个结构估计无法照搬到英文里。首先，中文的“这”字指代能力很强，“这是”前面既有基督教的说法，也有佛教的说法，“这”指代两者，而英文里的this指代能力没有这么强，如果前面有两样东西，用了this就不知道指代的是何者。其次，“人生”“自然”“超自然”这三者并不是对内容的总结，而是反映内容的属性，在英文里用this is life/nature/supernature来表示无疑是不合理的（而且如果说this is life，其含义往往是坏事或不幸的事情已经发生）。因此，翻译时不得不放弃中文的结构，跳出框框，另辟蹊径。
3“你能接受那个，我当然也可以接受这个”是一种非常特殊的表达方式，根据上下文，意思非常清楚，因为前面谈到双方相互指责，这里无非是说不要相互指责了。在中文里这样说很清楚，不意味着在英文里这样说也会清楚。翻译这句话如果不从内在含义着手，恐怕很容易造成不知所云的结果。 4“人生，儒家说了很多，很少提到自然。自然，道家说了很多，很少提到超自然。他们对超自然都有不足。”这段话中文读起来挺顺的，但笔者觉得如果按中文的逻辑关系译成英文，恐怕有问题。原因是：第一句里谈儒家时提到人生和自然两点，第二句里谈道家时提到自然和超自然两点;这两句是对称的，而第三句称儒家和道家对超自然都有不足，其中关于儒家对超自然的不足是新信息，而关于道家對超自然的不足则在重复第二句中的内容。用英文表达时，对逻辑的要求高于中文，如果照搬中文句式，最后一句总结中的部分内容就是重复，而如果我们尊重正常的逻辑思维方式，在英文里一般不容这种重复。笔者认为，我们不得不调整结构，把关于儒家对超自然不足的信息放在前面叙述，同时鉴于第二句里已经述及关于道家在这方面的情况，此处就不便重复。 5“坐在炮弹上来的”似乎也无法按字面直译，came on a bomb说不通，只能换一种说法，比如came on a gunboat。这样译虽然跳出了单词字面含义的框框，但“炮弹”的形象依然存在于gunboat之中，所以意思不变，意境也不变。
6译文结构的安排依据的首先不是原文的结构，而是原文意义上的逻辑关系。我们来分析一下这句话：“超自然乃是宗教的头等大事，超自然才是宗教的特色，失去超自然，宗教就成了艺术，失去自然，宗教就是教条，反对超自然，就是取消宗教。”第一分句与第二分句可被视为因果关系，第三分句（失去超自然，宗教就成了艺术）与第四分句（失去自然，宗教就是教条）为并列关系，而这两个分句与前两个分句的关系不是特别密切，不必合并成一句，最后一个分句的情况也一样。参考译文中的处理方式就是以此分析为基础的。 7“人心惟危，道心惟微”的出处是《尚书·虞书·大禹谟》：“人心惟危，道心惟微;惟精惟一，允执厥中。”百度百科的解释是：“人心变化莫测，道心中正入微;惟精惟一是道心的心法，我们要真诚地保持惟精惟一之道，不改变、不变换自己的理想和目标，最后使人心与道心和合，执中而行。”实际上，这八个字确实含义晦涩，学者的解释各种各样，对“道心”的解释尤其有分歧。不过，“道”为天地之始，包罗万象，这一点或许没有疑问。有人认为，“道心”乃天地自然之心[见“人心惟危，道心惟微，惟精惟一，允执厥中：十六字心传如何理解”（中华诗文学习）https：//read01.com/oAMM4M.html（2017年12月10日访问）]。当然，这八个字本来就可以有多种解读方式，很难说谁家的解释是最标准的。如果按照字面解读，其意思可以是“人的心理、人的思想是最可怕的，天地自然之心是最微妙的”。那么，我们应该如何翻译呢？其实，要考虑如何翻译，我们不必追究何种解读最权威或最合理，因为对这八个字本身的解读是否权威或是否合理并不重要，重要的是要确定这八个字在这篇散文的特定语境里应该如何理解比较合理。中文词语在特定语境里的特定含义不一定等同于孤立时解读的一般含义，这是常见的现象，在引用诗句、典故、成语等时尤其如此。不少译者见到名句，往往先找现成译本。可是，就算原来的名句译文本身问题不大，插入新的语境多半是格格不入的。如果按照一般解读，“人心惟危”似可译成the human heart is deceitful/treacherous，但这种说法没有意义，与上下文格格不入。既然明明知道是deceitful/treacherous，教育家就能说得清楚，艺术家也能表现得准确。“道”经常被译成Tao或the Way，如果按此把“道心惟微”译成the heart of Tao（或the Way）is subtle，那就完全不知所云，莫名其妙。然而，如果纵观全文，我们会注意到文章开宗明义就说过“宗教的内容包含人生、自然、超自然”，文中多次提及“人生、自然、超自然”，全文的主题就是谈这三者的关系，在引用了“人心惟危，道心惟微”之后，作者紧接着说“教育家说得不清楚，艺术家表现得不准确”，于是我们便可断定此处的“惟危”和“惟微”就是学者说不清楚、艺术家无法表现的，也就是高深莫测、无法理解的。另外，“人心”当然与人生有关，与全文主旨相呼应;“道”作“自然”解是合理的，也是全文探讨的三方面关系的一个方面。 8“面对”一词如何翻译，是一个陷阱，跳不出字面含义框框的人会用face，但face用在这里带有confront的意思，而原文里的“面对”完全没有confront的意思。所以，如果用了face，在表面上似乎很忠实原文，实质上则偏离甚远。 9“人生”一词含义十分丰富，在不同语境可作不同的解释，即使有时差别细微，翻译时也不能掉以轻心。用词不当，经常会造成令人哭笑不得的后果。“人生”在这篇散文里作为主题所涉的一个方面，也用得很多，许多时候译成human life不成问题，可是在以上例子里如果称you cannot have transcendental awareness in human life，那就完全说不通了，因为只要人活在世上，无论是沉浸在超自然之中还是在日常生活中，都属于human life的范畴。所以，这里的“人生”应被视为人生的某一个方面。
10“老生常谈”原指老书生经常谈论的事物或观点，作为成语，泛指毫无新意的老话，如陈词滥调，如果在英文里找对应词，那可以是clichés或platitudes，但无论clichés还是platitudes都是话语，即remarks或statements，而在此语境里称“超自然超出（某种）话语”，那是没有意义的。 11参考译文没有照搬原文句式。 12原文是：“这不是信仰，这是考验上帝佛陀，要挟上帝佛陀，不管是佛陀还是上帝，他不接受你我的要挟。”前面谈过，中文里“这”字的指代范围很广（此处的“这”是指圣经和佛经里分别提及的两件事以及相应的实际生活中的假设情况），而英文里this所指代的一般相对具体。这里显然无法按照中文表达方式用“This is not…”，那样指代会很不清楚。这个问题是一个过渡衔接的问题，中文过渡时经常可以有较大的跳跃，但在英文里不行。为了确保译文的衔接正常，此处似有必要添加过渡成分，参考译文为：Literal interpretation of religious parables isn’t a manifestation of faith. Rather it’s a pathetic test of or a malicious challenge to the power of a higher being. Your challenge will however be simply cast aside.