保罗·卡卢斯：佛陀的福音 生命的束缚 The Ties of Life

　　The Ties of Life

　　5．生命的束缚

　　When Siddhattha had grown to youth, his father desired to see him married,

　　and he sent to all his kinsfolk, commanding them to bring their princesses

　　that the prince might select one of them as his wife. [1]

　　悉达多长大成人了，他父亲希望看到他结婚成家。他传令给他的亲戚，让这些亲戚将他们的女儿带到王宫，以便太子从中选择一位做他的妻子。 1

　　But the kinsfolk replied and said:

　　"The prince is young and delicate;

　　nor has he learned any of the sciences.

　　He would not be able to maintain our daughter,

　　and should there be war he would be unable to cope with the enemy." [2]

　　但是亲戚们这样答复国王：“太子年纪尚幼，身体瘦弱，也没有学到其他任何技艺，他没有能力供养我们的女儿，如果战争爆发，他也不知如何对付敌人。” 2

　　The prince was not boisterous, but pensive in his nature.

　　He loved to stay under the great jambu-tree in the garden of his father,

　　and, observing the ways of the world,

　　gave himself up to meditation. [3]

　　太子生性不喜喧闹而爱静思。他喜欢在父亲花园的一棵大阎浮树下坐着，观察世间种种现象，让自己陷入沉思之中。 3

　　And the prince said to his father:

　　"Invite our kinsfolk that they may see me and put my strength to the test."

　　And his father did as his son bade him. [4]

　　太子对父亲说：“邀请我们的亲戚们来吧，他们可以看看我，我可以在考试中展示我的强壮。”于是国王照他儿子的话去做了。 4

　　When the kinsfolk came, and the people of the city Kapilavatthu had assembled

　　to test the prowess and scholarship of the prince,

　　he proved himself manly in all the exercises both of the body and of the mind,

　　and there was no rival among the youths and men of India

　　who could surpass him in any test, bodily or mental. [5]

　　这些亲戚来了之后，迦毗罗卫城的居民们都聚到考试场四周来观看太子的技艺和学识考试，太子在身体和学识两方面的考试中证明了自己的勇敢和智慧，印度的男子没人能够在这两种考试中胜过他。 5

　　He replied to all the questions of the sages;

　　but when he questioned them,

　　even the wisest among them were silenced. [6]

　　他回答了哲人们问的所有问题，但当他向他们问问题时，甚至他们中最睿智的哲人，也沉默以对，无法回答。 6

　　Then Siddhattha chose himself a wife.

　　He selected Yasodhara, his cousin, the gentle daughter of the king of Koli.

　　And Yasodhara was betrothed to the prince. [7]

　　于是悉达多自己挑选了一位妻子。他选他的表妹耶输陀罗为妻，耶输陀罗是拘利国国王温柔的女儿。耶输陀罗被许配给了太子。 7

　　In their wedlock was born a son whom they named Rahula which means "fetter" or "tie",

　　and King Suddhodana, glad that an heir was born to his son, said: [8]

　　婚后他们生了一个儿子，他们叫他“罗睺罗”，意思是“脚镣”或者“束缚”。净饭王对这个继承人的降生非常高兴，他说： 8

　　"The prince having begotten a son, will love him as I love the prince.

　　This will be a strong tie to bind Siddhattha's heart to the interests of the world,

　　and the kingdom of the Sakyas will remain under the sceptre of my descendants." [9]

　　“太子生了一个儿子，他将会像我爱他一样爱他的儿子。这将是有力的束缚，能将悉达多的心和俗世的事情捆在一起，我的后人将继续统治释迦王国。” 9

　　With no selfish aim, but regarding his child and the people at large,

　　Siddhattha, the prince, attended to his religious duties,

　　bathing his body in the holy Ganges

　　and cleansing his heart in the waters of the law.

　　Even as men desire to give happiness to their children,

　　so did he long to give peace to the world. [10]

　　悉达多太子没有任何自私的想法，为了他的儿子和全国人民，他履行他的宗教义务，在神圣的恒河中沐浴身体，在正道之水中洗涤心灵。正当人们希望将幸福给予他们的孩子时，悉达多太子渴望将和平带给世界。 10