John Bunyan 约翰班扬生平 及天路历程

JohnBunyan(1628~1688)JohnBunyan’slifeJohnBunyanwasbornin1628toThomasandMargaretBunyan,inBunyan'sEndintheparishofElstow,Bedfordshire,England.Hismotherdiedwhenhewas15,and13-year-oldsisterdiedafewweekslater.AfewmonthslaterwhenJohnwas16hewasdraftedintoCromwell’sarmy(warbetweenparliamentandtheKingCharlesI)Hewastaughtthetradeofatinkerbyhisfather(amenderofpots,utensils,)thiswasnotahighlyregardedtrade.Hewasmarriedatabout20tohisfirstwife(aboutwhichweknowlittle,notevenhername).Shebroughtlittletothemarriageexceptfortwobooks,oneofwhichwasanallegory.In1658hiswifedied,leavingJohnwith4children,oneofwhomwasblind.Aged30,hewasarrestedforpreachingatEatonSoconandindictedforpreachingwithoutalicense,butthisoffencedidnotresultinimprisonmentandhecontinuedpreaching.In1659,Bunyanmarriedagain,toElizabeth(surnameunknown),bywhomhehadtwomorechildren-Sarah(born1667)andJoseph(born1672).TheBedfordJailwaslikeallEnglishjailsoftheday,astinkhole,filthy,nosanitation,littlewaterorfood,littlewarmthinthewinter.In1666,Johnwasbrieflyreleasedforafewweeks,beforebeingre-arrested-again,forpreaching-andsentbacktoBedford'sCountygaol,whereheremainedforafurthersixyears.Duringthattime,hewovetaglacestosupporthisfamilyandpreachedtohisfellowprisoners-acongregationofaboutsixty.Inhispossessionweretwobooks,JohnFoxe'sBookofMartyrs,theBible,aviolinhehadmadeoutoftin,aflutehe'dmadefromachairlegandasupplyofpenandpaper.BothmusicandwritingwereintegraltoJohn'sPuritanfaith.JohnBunyanwasreleasedinJanuary1672,whenCharlesIIissuedtheDeclarationofReligiousIndulgence.Inthesamemonthashisrelease,JohnBunyanbecamepastorofStJohn'sChurchand,onthe9May,Bunyanwastherecipientofoneofthefirstlicencestopreachasanindependentpreacher,underthenewlaw.Becauseofhispreaching,BunyanbecamepopularinBedfordshireandseveralsurroundingcounties,andhespoketolargecrowdsandcongregationsinplacesasfarawayasLondon.HisowncongregationattheindependentBaptistchurchinBedfordgrewstronglyandmanyvillagechapels,formilesaroundBedford,owetheirrootstoBunyan'sinfluence.Ashisfameandpopularityasapreacherincreased,hebecameaffectionatelyknownas'BishopBunyan'.InMarch1675,followingCharlesII'swithdrawaloftheDeclarationofReligiousIndulgence,Johnwasagainimprisonedforpreaching.Atsometimeduringtheseimprisonmentshewrotethisbook,ThePilgrim'sProgress.Itwaspublishedin1678andBunyanwasshockedathowsuccessfulitwas.Bythetimeofhisdeath,eighteditionshadappearedaswellasaFrenchandDutchedition.Bunyan’sDeathJohnwenttoLondontosettleadisputebetweenasonandafather,aswellastopreach.Afterreconcilingthetwomen,hewasunabletopreachbecauseofthetorrentialrain.Hebecamesoakedintherain,fellsickwithafeveranddiedatage60.In1874,abronzestatueofJohnBunyan,sculptedbySirJosephEdgarBoehm,waserectedinBedford.Thisstandsatthesouth-westerncornerofStPeter'sGreen,facingdownBedford'sHighStreet.ThesitewaschosenbyBoehmforitssignificanceasacrossroads.《天路历程》ThePilgrim'sProgressfromThisWorldtoThatWhichIstoComeisaChristianallegorywrittenbyJohnBunyanandpublishedinFebruary,1678.ItisregardedasoneofthemostsignificantworksofreligiousEnglishliterature,hasbeentranslatedintomorethan200languages,andhasneverbeenoutofprint.BriefIntroductionChristianallegoryTwopartsThePilgrim’sProgressfromThisWorldtoThatWhichIstoCome.Touchesoftendernessandquainthumor,burstsofheart-movingeloquence,andpureidiomaticEnglish.ContentsThisnoveltoldastorycombinedbytwoparts,bothofwhichwererelatedtothearduousjourneysofChristians.TheprotagonistinformerpartwasnamedChristian,whooriginallylivedintheCityofDestruction,determinedtotakeofftheburdenonhisbackandavoidbeingdestroyedinhishometown,sohesetouttoseekfortheCelestialCity.Hemetwithdifferentpeopleandvariousthingsontheway,whichmightguidehim,misleadhim,hurthim,helphimorfrightenhim.Fortunately,heovercameallthedifficultiesandtemptations,andeventuallyreachedtheCelestialCity.ThelatterpartwasaboutChristian’sfamily,hiswifeandchildren.Theyalsoconfrontednumeroussimilarchallenges,butourheroinesucceededwithother’shelpsandarrivedinthesameplaceasChristian.BunyanwasaChristian,andhewrotetoannouncehispiety.Althoughtheworld,notonlyinthenovelbutalsointherealsociety,wasmuchwickedandimmoral,thereligiousChristianchosetokeeppietyandpursuebeautyandkindness.TheytrustedtheGodandtheybelievedtheworldwouldbecomeidealonedaywiththeirsincereprayersanddevotion.KnowledgeGainedThroughTravelknowledgeisgainedthroughtravelbyportrayingChristianandhiscompanionslearningfromtheirmistakesontheirjourney.Pilgrimagedependsontravel,andsoapilgrimmustbeavoyagerpreparedtogofarandwide.THEMESLIVESTheImportanceofReadingEmphasizedthroughoutThePilgrim'sProgressbecausethepilgrimsreachsalvationandhappinessbyunderstandingtheBible.ThepilgrimswhohavenotreadanddonotunderstandtheBibleareviewedasdisappointments,whowillnotgainentrytotheCelestialCity.TheValueofCommunityThevalueofcommunityisportrayedinPartIIthroughChristiana'sjourneytotheCelestialCitywithherchildrenandafewothercompanions.Asaresult,Christianaexperiencespilgrimageitselfasacommunalactivity.WhyisThePilgrim’sProgresssosuccessful?Thesecretofitssuccessisprobablysimple,Itisnot