巴别塔(也有翻译成通天塔)
圣经创世记记载,在人类历史初期,曾有一时「天下人的口音言语都是一样」(创11章1节)人类语言相通,能够合作,便十分骄傲,自以为无所不能,可与神相等。因此"他们彼此商量说:『我们要建造一座城和一座塔,塔顶通天,为要传扬我们的名,免得分散在全地。』"(创11章4节)。但神不容许人类离开本位,破坏神所定的纪纲(就如神将不守本位的天使拘锁留待将来的审判);因此在一夜之间变乱他们的口音,使他们无法继续建造而告终止!人类自此开始分散全地。那城便叫"巴别",就是"变乱"的意思。建造中断的塔便叫"巴别塔"。巴别塔事件分开人类语言的统一与变乱时代,也成为人类文明由统一而变为多元的分水岭。自此以后,世界大一统便一直成为人类的普遍梦想。使这梦想无法实现的最大阻碍便是语言的障碍。什么时候人类有办法将语言的隔阂除去,便有可能恢复到巴别塔时代。
创世纪 第11章有载
11.1 那时,天下人的口音,言语,都是一样。
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
11.2 他们往东边迁移的时候,在示拿地遇见一片平原,就住在那里。
And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
11.3 他们彼此商量说,来吧,我们要作砖,把砖烧透了。他们就拿砖当石头,又拿石漆当灰泥。
And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
11.4 他们说,来吧,我们要建造一座城和一座塔,塔顶通天,为要传扬我们的名,免得我们分散在全地上。
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
11.5 耶和华降临,要看看世人所建造的城和塔。
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
11.6 耶和华说,看哪,他们成为一样的人民,都是一样的言语,如今既作起这事来,以后他们所要作的事就没有不成就的了。
And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
11.7 我们下去,在那里变乱他们的口音,使他们的言语彼此不通。
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
11.8 于是,耶和华使他们从那里分散在全地上。他们就停工,不造那城了。
So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
11.9 因为耶和华在那里变乱天下人的言语,使众人分散在全地上,所以那城名叫巴别(就是变乱的意思)。
Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
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没错,最近有部美国大片也叫 [巴别塔]
影片讲述的是墨西哥沙漠上发生的故事。皮特和布兰切特扮演的一对美国夫妻在非洲旅途中遭遇不测。摩洛哥的牧羊少年持枪闯天下,他发现自己射出的子弹远得超出了想象。墨西哥保姆准备带着两个孩子非法穿越国境……
“巴别塔”的原意就是指人类为了见到上帝,准备建造一座通天塔,上帝为了阻止人类,让他们语言变的不同。于是,人类开始有了文化差异,从而导致了冲突……墨西哥导演阿利杭德罗•雷伊纳利图的这部野心之作,被看作是一个乱世寓言。 |