我并不需要以复活日起誓,我也不需要以自责的灵魂起誓!人以为我不会把他的骨头重新聚集起来吗?不然!我们甚至能够把他的指尖都完整地复原!然而人却想要否认他面前的未来。
I need not swear by the Day of Resurrection and I need not swear by the self reproaching soul! Does man think that We will not put his bones together again! Yes, indeed! We are able to put in perfect order his very fingertips! Yet man wants to deny what lies ahead of him.
他问道：“这复活日究竟何时到来？”当目光炫目，月亮黯淡，日月合而为一，那一天，人会说：“我往哪里逃？”不！没有避难之所。那一天，一切都要归于你的主。那一天，人将被告知他所先行的和所遗留的一切。即使他找出种种借口，人自己也将成为自己的见证。
He asks: 'When will this Day of Resurrection be!' When the sight is dazzled and the moon eclipsed, when the sun and the moon are brought together, on that day man will say: 'Where to flee!'But no! There is no refuge. On that day, to your Lord all shall return. Man will be told on that day all that he put forward and all that he put back. Man will be a witness against himself, even though he may put up his excuses.
这一章开头提到起誓，但随后又决定不起这个誓。这样做的效果比一般的起誓更深远，这正是其用意所在。确实，更字面的译法是："我不以……起誓。"此话说出之后，复活的真理与自责的灵魂便呈现在眼前。
The surah starts with a reference to making an oath, but then decides not to make it. This has a deeper effect than a straightforward oath, and this is what is intended. Indeed, a more literal rendering would be: ‘I do not swear by...’ When this has been stated, the truths of the resurrection and self-reproaching soul appear in view.
这一章中有大量关于复活的论述。至于“自责的灵魂”，各种传述对此作了解释。哈桑·巴士里说：
There is much discussion of resurrection in the surah. As for the self reproaching soul, various reports explain this. Al-Hasan al-Basri says:
“你总会看到一个信士在自我反省：‘我这句话是什么意思？我吃这食物是为了什么？我这样自言自语是什么意思？’而越轨者则始终不会责备自己。”哈桑说：“在审判日，天地间的每一个灵魂都会责备自己。”伊克里玛说：“灵魂会为善与恶的事情责备自己，说：‘我要是做了这个或那个就好了。’”赛义德·本·朱拜尔也这样说。伊本·阿拔斯说：“它总是在责备。”他又说：“它常常责备，并且很受指责。”穆扎希德说：“它为已经过去的事感到后悔，并为此责备自己。”戈塔德说：“它是倾向于恶的那一个。”扎里尔说：“所有这些解释基本上是同一个方向。然而，更接近古兰经经文表面含义的说法是：灵魂因人所做的任何事情责备他，无论善恶，并为已经过去的事感到后悔。”至于我们自己，我们倾向于哈桑·巴士里所陈述的第一种解释。
“You will always find a believer questioning himself: ‘What did I mean by this word? What did I eat this food for? What do I mean by speaking to myself thus?’ A transgressor will go on never blaming himself.” Al- Hasan says: “Every single soul in the heavens and earth will be blaming himself on the Day of Judgement.” Tkrimah says: “It is the soul that blames itself for good and bad things, saying: if only I did this or that.” Sa‘id ibn Jubayr said the same. Ibn ‘Abbas says: “It is always blaming.” He also says: “It is often blaming, much criticized.” Mujahid says: “It regrets what has passed and blames for it.” Qatadah says: “It is the one tending towards evil.” Jarir says: “All these definitions are in practically the same vein. However, what is closer to the apparent meaning of the Quranic statement is to say that it is the soul that blames a person for whatever he does, good or bad, and regrets what has passed.” For our self, we prefer the first definition stated by al-Hasan al-Basri.
这样一个虔诚、自我反省的灵魂，畏惧真主的惩罚，时刻保持警觉，四处留意，检视自己的行为，辨别自己的私欲，确保不欺骗自己，必定会受到真主的尊崇，甚至值得与复活日并提。它与那种想要毫无顾忌地沉溺于罪恶的灵魂恰恰相反：此人说谎，背离真理，然后带着傲慢返回他的族人之中，从不审视自己的行为，也不理会真理。
Such a pious, self-reproaching soul, one that fears God’s punishment, and is always cautious, looking around, reviewing its actions, identifying what it desires, making sure not to cheat itself, is certainly so honoured by God as to warrant mention alongside the Day of Resurrection. It is the opposite of the soul of one who wants to indulge in sin undeterred; who lies, turns away from the truth and then returns to his people full of arrogance, never taking stock of his actions and paying no heed to the truth.
“我不需要以复活日起誓，我也不需要以自责的灵魂起誓！”（第1-2节）这段开头的核心是复活日的降临，但在这个誓言被搁置之后，本章并没有进一步提及该誓言的主题。相反，它以另一种形式接续下去，仿佛是在用这一清晰的开头唤起我们的思考，然后开始展开论述：“人以为我不能把他的骨骼聚拢起来吗？不然！我能把他的指尖都复原得完好无缺。”（第3-4节）
“I need not swear by the Day of Resurrection and I need not swear by the self reproaching soul!” (Verses 1-2) What is at the centre of this opening is the arrival of the Day of Resurrection, but when the oath is left aside, the surah does not mention the subject of that oath further. Instead, it picks it up in another form, as if to start a discourse having alerted our minds to it with this clear opening: “Does man think that We will not put his bones together again? Yes, indeed! We are able to put in perfect order his very fingertips!” (Verses 3-4)
对于不信道者而言，最根本的困难在于，他们无法想象：骨头化为尘土、被大地吞没之后，还能被重新聚集起来，使人复活。今天也有一些人很可能仍是这样想的！这一章正是针对这种想法作出回应，确认将每个人的骨骼重新聚合，必定会发生：“不然！我们能够把他的指尖也重新整治好。”（第4节）
这一章通过更为精细的说法，重申这一骨骼重聚的过程，即把指尖放回各自的位置，恰如它们在生前的样子。这意味着，人将被复活，身体的每一个细小部分和细微之处都将恢复到完美的秩序。纵然微小，也没有一样会丢失！这里的重申已经足够。在本章末尾，还有另一个证据，来自人类最初被创造的事实。
The essential difficulty for the unbelievers was that they could not imagine that bones becoming dust and being swallowed by the earth could then be gathered together again to bring a human being back to life. This is also most probably true of some people today! The surah responds to this sort of thinking, confirming that putting everyone's bones back together will assuredly take place: “ Yes, indeed! We are able to put in perfect order his very fingertips!” (Verse 4) The surah reasserts this process of putting bones back together by stating something more complex, which is to put fingertips in their respective positions, just as they were in life. This implies that man will be brought back to life, with every little detail or small aspect of his physique put back in perfect order. Nothing is lost, however small! This reconfirmation is enough here. Towards the end of the surah, we have another proof derived from the fact of mans first creation.
然而，这一章揭示了导致这种想法的心理缺陷：这种人无法想象骨头能够重新聚合。人只是想坚持其否认，以便肆意妄为，没有任何东西能约束或阻止他的前进。他不愿面对任何清算或报应。因此，他既不期望复活，也不期望受到追问：“然而人想要否认他面前的事。他问道：”
Here, however, the surah exposes the mental flaw leading to this sort of thinking that cannot conceive of bones being put back together. Man simply wants to persist in his denial so that he goes on the loose, with nothing to check or restrain his march. He does not want to face any reckoning or requital. Therefore, he expects no resurrection and no answerability: “ Yet man wants to deny what lies ahead of him. He asks:
"当这复活日何时来临呢？"（第5-6节）这个问题在阿拉伯语原文中用了疑问代词 ayyana，它在通常表示"何时"的 ayna 之上，加上了 y 音的重叠和长音 a；这种形式暗示事情发生的可能性很小。这与提问者的心态相符：他想要放纵自己，继续其罪恶的行径，不为对后世的任何念头所动。事实上，后世常常起到约束作用，抑制人们沉溺于罪恶的欲望。而此人正是想要除去这一约束，以便不受阻碍地继续其罪恶行为。
'When will this Day of Resurrection be?*” (Verses 5-6) This question is stated in the Arabic with the interrogative pronoun ayyana, which adds to the normal equivalent of when, which is ayna, the doubling of the y sound and a long 'a; a form that suggests the improbability of happening. This is in line with the desire of the questioner to run loose and continue with his sinful ways, undeterred by any thought of the hereafter. Indeed, the hereafter often acts as a restraint checking the desire to indulge in sin. Now this person tries to remove this restraint so that he can go ahead with sinful practices undeterred.
回答迅速而果断，节奏明快，用词有力。它描绘了复活日的景象：人的感官与情绪，与天体的景象相结合，产生令人震撼的效果：*"当视觉为之眩晕，月亮被遮蔽，日月合而为一，那一日，人会说：'我往何处逃？'"（第7-10节）
此处的视线被迅速地从这里转向那里，如同闪电；月亮被遮蔽，不再反射任何光芒；而日月在长久分离之后重新合而为一。它们熟悉的运行被打乱了，因为以运行精确著称的整个天体系统已不再运作。在这一切的剧变之中，人惊恐地站立着，问道："往何处逃？"这个问题本身就传达出恐惧与彻底的惊慌。人显得迷失，无论把目光转向何方，所见的都只是被堵死的道路。
The answer that comes is swift, decisive, maintains a fast beat and uses hard-hitting words. It draws a scene of the Day of Resurrection in which human senses and feelings combine with celestial images to produce an awesome effect: * When the sight is dazzled and the moon eclipsed, when the sun and the moon are brought together, on that day man will say: "Where to flee?'" (Verses 7-10) The sight is very swiftly distracted here and there, like lightning, and the moon is eclipsed and no longer reflects any light, while the sun and the moon are brought together after they have long been parted. Their familiar operation is disrupted since the entire celestial system, known for its accuracy of movement, is no longer operating. In the midst of all this upheaval, man stands terrified, asking, ‘Where to flee?’ The very question imparts a feeling of fear and utter panic. Man looks lost, wherever he turns his eyes he sees nothing but a blocked way.
没有避难所，也没有庇护。无人能够抵挡真主的权能与惩罚，因为众生都要归于祂，除祂所定之外，再没有可以藏身的地方。"绝不！没有避难所。在那日，只有归于你的主。"（第11-12节）
因此，人所期望的那种情形——以为自己可以继续走错误的道路，既不畏惧清算，也不担心报应——并不会发生。相反，一切都将被清算，他会被提醒任何他可能忘记的事情。一切都将呈现在他面前，使他面对应得的报应："那日，人将被告知他所先做的和所遗留的。"（第13节）
他将被告知他死前所做的事情，也将被告知他死后其行为所产生的影响，无论是善还是恶。有些行为的影响是长久的，这些影响都会被计入做这些事情之人的账上。
There is no refuge or protection. No one can avert Gods power and punishment, since all return to Him and there is no hiding place to seek other than the one He determines: “But no! There is no refuge. On that day, to your Lord all shall return" (Verses 11-12) So what man has desired, hoping to be able to continue with his erring ways, fearing neither reckoning nor requital, is not what happens. On the contrary, everything will be reckoned, and he will be reminded of anything he may have forgotten. It will all be brought before him so that he faces his fair requital: “Man will be told on that day all that he put forward and all that he put back" (Verse 13) He will be told of what he did before his death, as also what effects his actions produced after his death, whether good or evil. Some actions produce long-lasting effects, and these effects are added to the account of the person who performed them.
无论人如何找借口为自己辩解，都不会被接受。
Whatever excuses man may try to put forward, none will be accepted.
他对自己负有责任，把自己引向神圣的指引是他的义务。当他任由自己沉沦于罪恶之中时，只有他自己应当为此承担后果：“人必定自己能判断自己，纵然他托词推诿。”（第14-15节）
He is responsible for himself, and it is his duty to bring himself to divine guidance. When he let himself sink into evil, only he himself can be answerable for this: “Man will be a witness against himself, even though he may put up his excuses." (Verses 14-15)
值得注意的是，到目前为止，这个章节中的每一个用语都简短而急促：经文、结尾、节奏、意象以及清算的过程。这似乎是对人们试图忽视整个清算日的观念、并认为它遥不可及的一种回应。
It is worth noting here that every expression in the surah thus far is short and quick: the verses, the endings, the rhythm, the images and the reckoning process. This appears to be a response to man’s attempt to disregard the whole idea of the Day of Reckoning and to think that it is too far off.