本章以一段极具力量的开篇而著称，震撼那些沉迷于今世琐碎之事、漠不关心的人，而清算的时刻正一步步逼近他们。种种迹象和征兆呈现在他们面前，他们却依旧背离神圣的引导。局势十分严峻，他们却全然不觉其严重性。每当他们接到一条新的古兰经警示，便以嘲讽作答，继续玩忽而轻浮地疏忽下去。他们的心只顾着自己的享乐。这里需要指出，在古兰经的用语中，“心”一词与“心智”同义，指的是思考、反省和推理的能力。“人们的清算已逼近他们，他们却仍漠然地转身离去。每当有新的来自主的教诫降临他们，他们听了却当作儿戏；他们的心只追求享乐。不法者们却暗中彼此私语：‘这个人不过是和你们一样的人，难道你们明知是妖术还要跟随他吗？’”（第1-3节）
The sūrah is distinguished by a very powerful opening that shakes the careless who are preoccupied with the petty concerns of this world while the reckoning draws ever closer to them. Signs and indicators are given to them while they continue to turn their backs on divine guidance. The situation is grave, yet they remain totally unaware of its seriousness. Whenever they receive a new Qur’ānic warning, they respond with ridicule, persisting in their playful negligence. Their hearts can only attend to their own pleasure. It should be pointed out here that in Qur’ānic usage, the term, ‘heart’, is synonymous with mind as it refers to the faculty of contemplation, reflection and thought. “Closer to people draws their reckoning, yet they continue to blithely turn away. Whenever there comes to them any new reminder from their Lord, they listen to it but take it in jest; their hearts set on pleasure. Yet, concealing their inner thoughts, the wrongdoers say to one another: Is this man anything but a human being like yourselves? Will you, then, follow his sorcery with your eyes open?’” (Verses 1-3)
这是一幅画面：一些不知严肃为何物的心，在最严肃的场合却嬉笑玩闹，对神圣之事轻慢戏谑。此处给予他们的提醒源自“他们的主”，他们听到时却玩笑嬉闹，丝毫不见敬畏。一颗不知严肃、敬重与神圣为何物的灵魂，最终陷入一种贫瘠的轻浮状态，使其无法胜任任何有益之事。它的生命似乎毫无敬意，显得廉价。一个对神圣之物漠不关心的灵魂是有病的。漫不经心与坚忍恰恰相反。
This is a picture of hearts that know no seriousness, jesting when the situation is most serious, and trifling with what is sacred. The reminder given to them here originates with ‘their Lord’, yet they are playful as they listen to it, showing no respect whatsoever. A soul that knows no seriousness, respect or sacredness ends up in a condition of barren triviality which makes it unsuitable for the fulfilment of any task of merit. Its life seems devoid of respect, cheap. A spirit which cares little or nothing for what is held as sacred is sick. Carelessness is the opposite of endurance.
后者是一种认真的努力，表明坚强；而前者则表明缺乏敏感。
The latter is a serious effort indicating strength, while the former indicates insensitivity.
这些人对《古兰经》的启示作出了不恰当的回应，而这些启示本意是作为规范人类生活的宪章，并构成人际交往的准则。因此，他们被警告即将到来的清算，但他们仍然对此毫不在意。
Such people responded inappropriately to Qur’ānic revelations that are meant to be a constitution regulating human life, and form a code for human dealings. They are hence warned of the imminent reckoning, but still they remain oblivious to it.
这样的人随时都能见到。每当一个人的内心缺乏严肃与敬畏，它便会陷入一种病态，把生活当作儿戏，失去真正的目标。
Such people can be seen at all times. Whenever a person’s spirit is devoid of seriousness and respect, it ends up in such a sick state that it makes of life a matter of jest, lacking real purpose.
与此相反,信士们领受这一章经文时都极其郑重,以至于他们很少在意今世。阿米迪在其关于阿米尔·本·拉比尔（`Āmir ibn Rabī`ah）的传记札记中记述,他曾接待过一位贝都因客人,一向对他十分好客。过了一段时间,那位贝都因人购得了一块土地,便来拜访他。他对阿米尔说:“先知ﷺ在阿拉伯地区附近的一处地方赐给了我一条山谷。我想把其中的一部分送给你,让你留给你的继承人。”阿米尔说:“我不需要你的赠予,因为今天有一章经文降示了,它使我们忘却了今世的一切事务。”
By contrast, the believers received this sūrah with a due seriousness that made them care little for this world. In his biographical notes on `Āmir ibn Rabī`ah, al- Āmidī says that he once received a bedouin guest and was typically very hospitable to him. Some time later, the Bedouin called on him after having acquired a plot of land. He said to him, ‘The Prophet has given me a valley in a nearby place of the Arab land. I would like to give you a piece of it to be yours to bequeath to your heirs.’ `Āmir said: “I have no need for your gift, because today a sūrah has been revealed which leaves us oblivious to all concerns of this life.
这指的是以“人们的清算日益临近，他们却仍漫不经心地背转过身去”开头的那一章。这正是有生命的心与死寂的心之间的明显区别：有生命的心会与所接收到的事物产生互动，而死寂的心则用嬉戏与游乐来掩盖其死气。后者对提醒毫无反应，因为它已缺乏生命的要素。
It is the sūrah that starts with, “Closer to people draws their reckoning, yet they continue to blithely turn away.’” This is the marked difference between a living heart which interacts with what it receives and a dead one which covers its lifelessness in a shroud of jest and play. The latter type does not respond to reminders because it is devoid of the elements of life.
“然而，他们暗藏心思”，彼此密谋，互相鼓励，采取否认真主信息的态度。关于真主的使者（愿主赐其平安）ﷺ，“不义者彼此说：‘这个人不过是和你们一样的人，难道你们明知是妖术还要跟从他吗？’”（第3节）
“Yet, concealing their inner thoughts,” they plot among themselves and encourage one another in adopting an attitude that denies God’s message. In reference to God’s Messenger (peace be upon him), “the wrongdoers say to one another: ‘Is this man anything but a human being like yourselves? Will you, then, follow his sorcery with your eyes open?” (Verse 3)
尽管他们的心已经死寂，却仍不免被《古兰经》所触动。因此他们试图用虚假的借口来抵抗它的影响。他们彼此耳语说，穆罕默德ﷺ也只是个凡人，并疑惑自己怎能信从一个与他们一样的人所传讲的信息。他们声称他所说的不过是明显的魔术，并且问道：自己有眼睛可以观看，怎能向巫术投降呢？
Dead as their hearts were, they could not but be shaken by the Qur’ān. Hence they try to resist its influence with false excuses. They whisper to one another that Muhammad is a man, and wonder how they could believe a message preached by a human being like themselves. They allege that what he says is plain magic, and ask how they could surrender themselves to sorcery when they have eyes with which to look.
先知被指示将他与不信者之间的整件事交由真主处理，并表明祂知道他们私下里彼此所说的话。祂还告知他，他们曾策划阴谋，企图使《古兰经》的影响从自己身上转移开，也从其他人身上转移开。
The Prophet is instructed to leave the whole matter between him and the unbelievers to God, making it clear that He knows what they secretly say among themselves. He also informs him of their scheming by which they tried to divert the effect of the Qur’ān on themselves and on other people.
他说:“我的主知道天地间一切的言论。他是听得全、知道全的。”(第4节)人们私下里说的任何话,真主都知道,因为天地间发生的一切事情,祂无所不知。他们密谋策划时,祂完全洞察他们的图谋。没有任何事能逃过祂的知识。
他们不知该如何描述《古兰经》,才能消除它的感染力。因此,他们有人说它是巫术,有人说它是穆罕默德讲述的一系列混乱梦境,有人说它是诗歌,有人说它不过是捏造。《古兰经》记载了他们当时说出的这些说法。他们说:“不然,这不过是杂乱的梦境!——不然,他是自己编造的!——不然,他只是一个诗人!”(第5节)对于《古兰经》为何能吸引人心,他们无法对任何一种观点或说法达成一致。
“He says: My Lord knows whatever is spoken in heaven and earth. He is the One who hears all and knows all.” (Verse 4) Whatever people may say in private is known to God, because He knows everything that takes place in heaven and earth. When they conspire and scheme, He is fully aware of their scheming. Nothing escapes His knowledge. They were at a loss as to how they should describe the Qur’ān in order to neutralize its appeal. Hence they variously alleged that it was sorcery, a series of confused dreams related by Muhammad, poetry, or mere fabrication. The Qur’ān reported their claims as they uttered them. They say: “Nay, it is but a medley of dreams! – Nay, he has invented it himself – Nay, he is only a poet!” (Verse 5) They could not agree on any one view or description to explain the magnetism the Qur’ān had on people.
他们的一切指控和辩解都毫无价值。因此,他们在各种说法之间来回摇摆,暴露出内心的困惑。他们感到自己陷入了极大的困境,于是决定绕开整个问题,要求得到一个类似于早期某些先知所获得的神迹:"那么,让他给我们显示某种迹象吧,就像从前的使者们被派遣时那样。"(第5节)
None of their allegations or justifications had any value. Hence, they roamed from one claim to another, betraying their puzzlement. Feeling themselves at a terrible loss, they decided to get around the whole question by demanding a miracle similar to those given to some early prophets: “Let him, then, bring us some sign, as the prophets of old were sent with.” (Verse 5)
过去曾显现过神迹与奇事，但那些民众见证之后并未因此信道。因此，依照真主的常道，这些民族被毁灭了。真主的常道决定了任何在见到了神迹之后仍然拒绝真理的民族的命运。"在我所毁灭的城镇中，没有一个会信道。"（第6节）当顽固地拒绝真理达到如此地步，即使在有了可以触摸、可以感知的具体神迹之后仍然持续，那么一切借口都将无效。持续这种拒绝的人，是自取灭亡，并因此而被毁灭。
Miraculous signs and events were given in the past, but the communities to which they were shown did not believe as a result. Hence they were destroyed in accordance with God’s law which seals the fate of any community which continues to reject the truth after having been given a miraculous sign of it. “Not one of the communities whom We destroyed in bygone days would ever believe.” (Verse 6) When stubborn rejection of the truth reaches a point that it continues even after a tangible, physical, miraculous sign is given, then all excuses are invalid. People who continue with such rejection seal their own fate and they are destroyed as a result.
奇迹被大量地赐予，但人们仍然拒绝真理，于是一个又一个民族被毁灭了。那么，那些阿拉伯人既然与先前的民族相似，他们会因神迹的证据而顺服并接受真理吗？“难道他们会信吗？”（第6节）
Miracles were given in plenty, but people still rejected the truth, and they were destroyed, one community after another. Is it likely then that those Arabs, similar as they were to earlier communities, would submit to miraculous evidence and accept the truth? “Will these, then, believe?” (Verse 6)