Unit-11-Open-the-Door-to-Forgiveness课文翻译综合教程二

1Unit11OpentheDoortoForgivenessLewisB.SmedesIt’ssurgeryofthesoul,theloving,healingwaytocreatenewbeginningsoutofpastpain.1.Someonehurtyou,maybeyesterday,maybelongago,andyoucannotforgetit.Youdidnotdeservethehurtandithaslodgeditselfinyourmemory,whereitkeepsonhurting.2.Youarenotalone.Weallmuddleourwaythroughaworldwhereevenwell-meaningpeoplehurtoneanother.Afriendbetraysus;aparentabusesus;aspouseleavesus.3.PhilosopherHannahArendtbelievesthattheonlypowerthatcanstopthestreamofpainfulmemoriesisthe“facultyofforgiving”.Inthatspirit,oneDecemberdayin1983,PopeJohnPaulIIwalkedintoacellofRebibbiaprisonoutsideRometomeetMehmetAliAgca.ThePopetookthehandofthemanwhohadtriedtokillhim,andforgavehim.4.Formostofus,however,itisnoteasytoforgive.Forgivingseemsalmostunnatural.Oursenseoffairnesstellsusthatpeopleshouldpayforthewrongtheydo.Butinforgivingwecanmovefromhurtingandhatingtohealingandreconciliation.5.Hateisournaturalresponsetodeepandunfairhurts.Awomanwishesherformerhusbandwouldbemiserablewithhisnewwife.Amanwhosefriendhasbetrayedhimhopesthefriendwillbefiredfromhisjob.Hateisamalignancythatfestersandgrows,stiflingjoyandthreateningourhealth.Ithurtsthehatermorethanthehated.Itmustbecutout—forourownsake.6.Howcanthisbedone?Howcanyouletgoofahurt,thewayachildopenshishandsandfreesatrappedbutterfly?Hereareguidelinestohelpyoubegintoforgive:7.Confrontyourmalice.Noneofuswantstoadmitthatwehatesomeone,sowehideitfromourselves.Butthefurydeniedragesbeneaththesurfaceandinfectsallourrelationships.Admittingourhatecompelsustomakeadecisionaboutthesurgeryofthesoulwecallforgiving.Wemustacknowledgewhathashappened,faceuptotheotherpersonandsay:“Youdidmewrong.”8.LizwasanassistantprofessorofbiologyatauniversityinCalifornia.Shewasagoodteacher,andthechairmanofherdepartmentpromisedtoaskthedeantopromoteher.Instead,hisreportwassocriticalofherperformancethatthedeanadvisedhertolookforanotherjob.9.Lizhatedthechairmanforbetrayingher,butsheneededarecommendationfromhim.Whenhesaidhowsorryhewasthathissupportcouldnotconvincethedean,shepretendedtobelievehim.Butshecouldnotkeepuptheduplicity.Onedaysheconfrontedhim.HisembarrasseddenialenabledLiztoseehimfortheweakpersonhewas.Shebegantofeelthepowersheneededtoforgivehimand,inherdecisiontodoso,wassetfreeofherhate.10.Separatethewrongdoerfromthewrong.TheBibledescribes,intheancientdramaof2atonement,howGodtookabundleofhumansinsoffman’sback,tiedittoagoat,andsentthe“scapegoat”toa“solitaryland”.Forgivingisfindinganewvisionofthepersonwhohaswrongedus,thepersonstrippedofhissins—whoreallylivesbeneaththecloakofhiswrongdoing.11.Thefirstgiftwegetwhenweseparatethewrongfromthewrongdoerisinsight.Aswecometoseethedeepertruthaboutpeople—thattheyarefallible—ourfeelingschange.At16myadopteddaughter,Cathy,wasahotheadwhobitterlyresentedhernaturalmotherforgivingheraway.Whyhadshenotbeenworthkeeping?Thenshefoundoutthatherparentshadbeenveryyoungandpoorandnotmarried.12.Aboutthistime,oneofCathy’sfriendsbecamepregnantand,infearanddoubt,gaveupherbabyforadoption.Cathysharedherfriend’sconflict,andwassureherdecisionhadbeenright.Graduallyshecametofeelthatherownmother,too,haddonetherightthing—shehadgivenherbabyawaybecauseshelovedhertoomuchtokeepher.Cathy’snewunderstandingbroughtherresentmentdowntoforgivingsize.13.Letgoofthepast.Afriendofmine,abeautifulactress,wasleftcrippledbyacaraccidentafewyearsago.Herhusbandstayedwithheruntilshehadpartiallyrecovered.Then,coldly,helefther.14.Shecouldhavemortgagedherfuturetohate.Instead,sheforgaveherhusbandandwishedhimwell.Iwasskeptical.“Supposehemarriedasexyyoungstarlet.Wouldyouwishhimtobehappywithher?”15.“Yes,Iwould,”sheanswered.16.Thisdoesnotmeanmyfriendhasentirelyforgottenthehurt.Infact,forgettingtoosoonmaybeadangerouswaytoescapeforgiving’sinnersurgeries.Oncewehaveforgiven,however,forgettingisasignofhealth.Wecanforget,eventually,becausewearehealed.17.Don’tgiveuponforgiveness—keepworkingatit.Asaboy,theBritishscholarC.S.Lewiswasbadlyhurtbyabullyofateacher.Formostofhislifehecouldnotforgivetheteacherandthistroubledhim.Butnotlongbeforehedied,hewrotetoafriend:“Onlyafewweeksago,IrealizedsuddenlythatIhadatlastforgiventhecruelschoolmasterwhosodarkenedmychildhood.I’dbeentryingtodoitforyears,andeachtimeIthoughtI’ddoneit,Ifoundithadtobeattemptedagain.ButthistimeIfeelsureitistherealthing.”18.Thehatehabitishardtobreak.Weusuallybreakitmanytimesbeforewefinallygetridofit.Andthedeeperthehurt,thelongeritcantake.Butslowlyithappens.19.Persuasiveargumentshavebeenmadeagainstforgiving.Somesaythatforgivenessisunjustbecausethewrongdoershouldnotbeletoffthehook.Otherssayforgivenessisasignofweakness.BernardShawcalledit“abeggar’srefuge”.20.Idisagree.Vengeanceneverevensthescore.Ittiesboththeinjuredandtheinjurertoan3endlessescalatorofretaliation.Gandhiwasright:Ifwealllivebythe“eyeforaneye”brandofjustice,thewholeworldwillbeblind.TheologianReinholdNiebuhrsaidafterWorldWarII:“Wemustfinallybereconciledwithourfoe,lestwebothperishintheviciouscircleofhatred.”Forgivenessbreaksthegripthatpastwrongandpainhaveonourminds.21.Tounderstandforgiveness,weshouldkeepinmindthatwear