英语学习系列：源自《钦定版圣经》的英文典故（5）

《钦定版圣经》(the King James Bible)是英国在詹姆斯一世时期翻译的圣经，所用的语言是莎士比亚时代的英语，十分古雅。圣经中的许多典故成为西方文化、尤其是英语中的一个重要文学渊源（其余的还有古希腊罗马的神话、莎士比亚的著作等）。

基督教的圣经由旧约（Old Testament）和新约（New Testament）构成。旧约是犹太教的典籍。犹太教信仰唯一的神耶和华（Yahweh），他在七天内创造了整个世界，包括人类。由于人类的始祖亚当和夏娃在蛇的勾引下偷吃了禁果，他们被赶出了伊甸园。上帝通过摩西给人类传达了十戒（the Ten Commandments）。犹太民族在历史上曾在耶律撒冷立国，但分别被巴比伦和罗马帝国所灭。犹太民族从此在欧亚各国离散，靠着宗教一直维持着本民族的文化和传统。

请看以下从旧约中摘取的典故：

A mess of pottage

Sold his birthright

这条习语出自《旧约》第一卷中的《创世纪》（Genesis 25:19-34）。它们的含义就是：为了一碗红豆汤（A mess of pottage）出卖了自己的长子权。在钦定版圣经中的原文如下：

And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac:

And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuelthe Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.

And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was three score years old when she bare them.

And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:

And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold hisbirthright unto Jacob.

Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

在现代英语翻译的版本中如下：

This is the account of Abraham's son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac,

and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean.

Isaacprayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.

The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.

The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."

When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.

The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.

After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country,while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents.

Isaac,who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished.

He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom.)

Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright."

"Look,I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?"

But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then gotup and left. So Esau despised his birthright.

译文：

亚伯拉罕的儿子以撒后代的名字，都记录在下面：亚伯拉罕生以撒，

以撒迎娶利百加的时候正好四十岁，利百加是巴旦亚兰地的亚兰人彼土利的女儿，拉班的妹妹。

以撒因为利百加没有生育，就祈求上帝。上帝应允他的祈求，利百加就怀了孕。

两个胎儿在她腹中彼此纠缠，她忍受不了就说：“要是这样，生来有甚麽意上帝对她说：“你腹中的孩子要成为两个敌对国家的始源，其中一个要比另一个强，大的倒过来要服事小的。”

到了分娩的时候，利百加果然产下了双胞胎，

先出生的婴儿浑身红毛，好像穿了皮裘一样，所以给他起名叫以扫，以扫就是有毛的意思。

随后出生的弟弟，在出生的时候，紧紧抓着以扫的脚跟，因此给他起名叫雅各，就是抓住的意思。那时以撒六十岁。

孩子渐渐长大，以扫擅长狩猎，常在田野走动；雅各生来爱静，喜欢留在家里。

以撒比较疼爱以扫，因为他喜欢吃以扫带回来的猎物，利百加却比较疼爱雅各。

有一天，雅各正在熬汤的时候，就看见以扫筋疲力尽地从田野回来。

以扫气急败坏地说：“唉，快饿死我了，你那些红色的东西，快给我喝一点儿吧！”因此，以扫又得了一个别号叫以东，以东就是红色的意思。

“好的，就用你长子的名分来交换吧！”雅各回答说。

以扫说：“我快要饿死了，长子的名分还有甚麽意思呢？”

雅各说：“好，你向我起誓保证吧！”这样，以扫便起誓把长子的名分卖给雅各了。雅各把饼和红豆汤给以扫。以扫吃完便走了，他一点也不重视自己那长子的名分。

这个故事的由来很有意思。亚伯拉罕（Abraham）是圣经记载的整个犹太民族的族长。他的正房妻子给他生了以撒，而他的妾给他生了以实玛利（Ishmael）。由于正房吃醋，妾和妾生的儿子都被赶了出去。不过以实玛利后来被奉为穆斯林的祖先。从中可以看出犹太教、基督教和伊斯兰教的同源之处。

以撒娶了利百加为妻后，利百加生了一对孪生子：以扫和雅各。他们名字的由来，在于哥哥以扫是红毛的意思，因为他刚生下来就是满身红毛。而弟弟雅各是抓住的意思，因为他出生时紧紧抓着哥哥的脚后跟。以扫喜欢狩猎而雅各则一直陪着妈妈利百加从事农耕。父亲喜欢以扫而母亲喜欢雅各。以扫由于无知，在一次饥肠辘辘的时候随随便便地把自己生于俱来的长子权让给了很有心计的雅各，以换取一碗红豆汤充饥。

当然，这只是他们的私下交易。其实雅各真正获得长子权还是在以撒临终之时。当时以撒告诉以扫，要他去抓一只猎物，以撒吃了以后就会向上帝为以扫祈福。不过利百加趁以扫去打猎的时候，把雅各的全身用羔羊皮裹住，并让他送上用羊做的食物给以撒吃，以冒充以扫获得祝福。以撒当时早已双目失明，把雅各误认为以扫，为他祝福，使他成为真正的长子。而雅各后来生了12个儿子，每个儿子都是一族的族长，也就是以色列人的12个支派的领袖。

从上文的圣经故事也可以看出，在父系社会中，长子的名分是非常重要的，因为它涉及财产和权力、权利的继承。对于该继承做出规定之后，等于确定了一种秩序，而这样有助于社会的稳定，可以避免兄弟之间为了上述财产、权力和权利而自相残杀。私有制是农耕社会的产物，财产变得日益重要。古代的埃及人为了保证肥水不流外人田，盛行兄妹通婚。而婚姻制度的出现，也是为了确保血统和财产。

当然，在人类进入工业社会乃至后工业社会之后，长子名分的重要性早已丧失。毕竟当今基本上所有国家的领导人都靠民主选举产生，除了少数几个依然生活在中世纪的国家。就连那些君主制国家，所谓的君主也只是名义上的，真正的实权在议会和政府手中。不过，对于财富的重视，则一直没有改变，依然是整个社会的重中之重。

（注：图片是Gerard Hoet的雕刻画《以扫为一碗红豆汤出卖长子权》）

上一篇该系列文章的链接：英语学习系列：源自《钦定版圣经》的英文典故（4）