在这一部分中,该章谈到了人的天性:何时坚守正道,何时偏离正道,以及两种情况分别导向怎样的结局。它首先勉励人孝顺父母。《古兰经》中此类教诲常常出现在谈论信仰之后,或与相关论述并列。原因在于,子女与父母之间的纽带,在信仰的纽带之后最为坚固、最为重要,是最值得尊重的一种关系。

In this part the surah speaks of human nature when it sticks to the right track and when it deviates, and at what end it arrives in either case. It begins by urging man to remain dutiful to his parents. This instruction often comes in the Qur’an after it speaks about faith or in conjunction with such discourses. The reason for this is that the bond between children and parents is the strongest and most important after the bond of faith. It is the one that deserves to be honoured.

此外,《古兰经》将这两种纽带并列在一起,清楚表明信仰的纽带在人的生活中居于首位。随后才是最亲近形式的家庭纽带。

Furthermore, grouping the two bonds together in this way in the Qur’an makes it clear that the bond of faith takes precedence in human life. It is followed though by the family bond in its closest form.

这段经文描绘了两种人性的场景。在第一种情况中，信仰的纽带与父母和子女之间的血缘纽带朝着同一个方向共同作用，追求真主的喜悦。在第二种情况中，这两种纽带彼此分离，再无交汇之处。前者中的子女被告知将进入天堂的喜讯，而后者中的子女则注定要在火狱中受苦。经文还描绘了火狱中所施加的刑罚，叙述了那些犯下过犯的傲慢者所遭受的结局。

This part of the surah gives us a scene portraying two types of human nature. In the first, the two bonds of faith and the one between parent and offspring work together in the same direction, seeking God’s acceptance. In the second, the two bonds separate and have no meeting point. In the first case, the children concerned are given the good news of being admitted into heaven, while in the second, they are destined to suffer in hell. An image of the punishment meted out in hell is given, describing the end suffered by the arrogant who are guilty of transgression.

“我们已经命令人要善待他的父母。”（第15节）这是向全人类发出的命令，其依据仅仅在于他们是人，无需任何其他条件。他们都被命令以绝对、无限制的意义善待父母。

“ We have enjoined upon man to show kindness to his parents.” (Verse 15) This is an order given to all mankind, based on the very fact of their being human with no need for any further qualification. They are all enjoined to show kindness in its absolute, unrestricted sense.

仅仅做父母，就需要如此绝对的仁慈。这一命令来自人类的造物主，而且似乎特别适用于人类这一族群。在鸟类、动物或昆虫中，幼崽照顾老年个体的现象是不为人知的。在这些生物中可以清楚地观察到的是：依照天性，老者照顾幼者。然而，这种情况只适用于某些物种。因此，这一神圣的命令似乎只适用于人类。

Mere parenthood requires such absolute kindness. This order comes from the Creator of man, and it appears to apply to the human race in particular. It is unknown among birds, animals or insects for the young to take care of the old. What is clearly observed among these creatures is that by nature the old take care of the young. Nevertheless, this applies only to some species. Hence, the Divine order seems to apply only to man.

这种善待父母的命令在《古兰经》和先知的训示中多次重复出现。相比之下,父母善待子女的记载则很少,只针对某些特定情况。人的天性本身就确保父母会好好照顾子女,无需任何其他动机。父母常常表现出非凡的意愿,为了子女而牺牲所拥有的一切,甚至愿意为他们献出生命。他们在这一切中毫不犹豫,不求回报,不索恩惠,也不期望感谢。然而,新一代却很少回过头来照顾曾为他们做出巨大牺牲的老一辈。

This instruction to be kind to one’s parents is repeated several times in the Qur’an and in the Prophet’s pronouncements. By contrast, kindness by parents to children occurs only rarely, addressing particular situations. Human nature itself ensures that parents take good care of their children, without the need for any other motivation. Parents often show a remarkable readiness to sacrifice whatever they have for their children, to the point of being willing to die for them. They show no hesitation in all this, seek no recompense, press no favour and expect no thanks. The new generation, however, rarely turns back to take care of the older one who had made such great sacrifices.

诚然，年轻一代继续前行，培育新的一代并悉心照料，在这一过程中同样做出类似的牺牲。

Indeed, the younger generation moves forward to bring up another new generation and take care of it, making similar sacrifices in the process.

伊斯兰教视家庭为社会结构的基本单位。家庭是抚育幼儿的摇篮，孩子在其中得到应有的爱，并学会相互合作与关怀的价值。没有家庭照料的孩子，即便周围环境中各种舒适条件俱全，其生活的某些方面往往仍会有所缺失。这类孩子在家庭之外的环境中成长，首先缺乏的是爱。已有研究证明，孩子天性上在最初两年里需要母亲全心全意的关注。在非家庭环境中，一名照料者要照顾多个孩子，这种关注无法给予。在这种情况下，嫉妒之心必然滋生，怨恨的种子便会取代爱的种子。同样，孩子在人生的某一阶段需要处于单一的监护权威之下，以使其性格保持稳定。这同样只有家庭环境才能提供，而在儿童之家中，这样的权威是缺失的，因为监护人员是轮班工作的。

Islam considers the family the basic unit in its social structure. It is the nest where the young are reared, receiving their share of love, and learning the value of mutual cooperation and care. A child who does not have a family to look after it often suffers deprivation in some aspects of its life, even though all sorts of comfort remain available in its environment. The first thing such a child lacks as it grows up in an environment other than that of a family is love. It has been proven that by nature a child loves to have its mothers complete attention during its first two years of life. This cannot be provided in a non-family environment where one carer has to look after several children. In this situation, jealousy is bound to surface, and a grudging seed replaces that of love. Similarly, a child needs to be under one supervisory authority during a certain period of its life; this so that its character remains stable. Again, this cannot be provided anywhere other than the family environment. In a childrens home, such an authority is lacking because supervisors work in shifts.

与此相反的，便是错误与越界。

The converse of all this is error and transgression:

但是有人对他的父母说："呸！你们两个！你们向我许诺，说我将被复活，而在我之前，许多世代已经逝去了吗？"当他们二人向真主祈求帮助时（并对他说）："唉，你真可悲！你要信仰！真主的应许永远是真实的。"他却回答："这些都不过是古人的神话罢了。"这些人，就是那些应受判决的人，他们与以前已经逝去的各民族的精灵和人类一样，注定要彻底毁灭。（第17-18节）

But there is one who says to his parents: Tie on you both! Do you promise me that I shall be resurrected, when generations have passed away before me? And while they both implore God for help, [and say to him]: Alas for you! Believe! God's promise always comes true,' he answers: All this is nothing but fables of ancient times. 'Such are the ones upon whom the verdict is passed, together with other communities of jinn and humans that have passed away before their time. They will be utterly lost. (Verses 17-18)

父母是信士,而孩子却悖逆不顺。他的第一个特征是不孝敬父母,对他们态度傲慢、粗暴无礼,伤害他们的感情:"你们俩都该死!"接着,他否认复活,引用一个站不住脚的论据,说从前的世代没有任何人复活过来:"你们许我从坟墓里复活出来吗?在我以前已经有许多世代过去了。"(第17节)复活的时间由真主决定,届时在此世完成其期限之后,所有人将在同一时刻一同复活。从来没有人说复活会分批进行,即某一代在后一代在世时就先行复活。这不是游戏;相反,当旅程抵达终点时,这是对最终账目的清算。

The parents are believers, but the child is disobedient. His first characteristic is that of being undutiful to them, addressing them with arrogance and insolence, hurting their feelings: “Fie on you both." He then denies the resurrection, citing the hollow argument that no one from past generations has ever come back to life: “Do you promise me that I shall be resurrected, when generations have passed away before (Verse 17) The time of resurrection is determined by God, when all will be resurrected at the same time after this present world has completed its term. No one has ever said that resurrection will take place in instalments, with one generation resurrected during the lifetime of a later one. It is not a game; rather, it is a submitting of final accounts once the journey has come to its final destination.

父母对儿子所说的话感到震惊，这些话清楚地表明他已成为一个明显的不信者。他们担心他所说的话会带来怎样的后果，无论是对真主还是对他们自己。因此，他们一方面恳切地劝导他，一方面向真主祈求帮助。

The parents are shocked by their sons words that mark him out to be a clear disbeliever. They fear the outcome of what he says to God and to them. Therefore, they appeal to him and pray to God for help:

“他们二人都向真主祈求帮助，[并对他说]：唉，你这可怜的人！你应当信道！真主的应许永远是真实的。”（第17节）这些话清楚地让我们感受到他们对事态结局的畏惧。然而，那孩子却仍然坚持不信与否认，说：“这一切不过是古代的神话罢了。”（第17节）他无可避免的结局降临到他身上：“这些人就是那些应受判决的人，与在他们之前已经逝去的那些民族中的精灵和人类一同受判决。他们必将彻底丧失。”（第18节）对此人以及像他一样的人所作的判决，就是不信道者应受的刑罚。这样的人在许多代的人类和精灵中数量众多。真主那永远实现的应许表明，这些人“必将彻底丧失”。还有什么样的丧失比得上今世丧失信仰、后世丧失真主的喜悦更大呢！这样的丧失意味着这些不信道者必然遭受痛苦。

“they both implore God for help, [and say to him]: Alas for you! Believe! God's promise always comes true.'” (Verse 17) These words give us a clear impression of their dread at the outcome of all this. The child, for his part, however, persists with disbelief and denial, saying: “All this is nothing but fables of ancient times." (Verse 17) His inevitable end overwhelms him: “Such are the ones upon whom the verdict is passed, together with other communities 0/jinn and humans that have passed away before their time. They will be utterly lost." (Verse 18) The verdict passed on this person and others like him is the punishment incurred by unbelievers. There are large numbers of these across many generations of humans and jinn. God’s promise which always comes true states that these 'will be utterly lost'. What greater loss is there than the loss of faith in this life and the loss of God’s pleasure in the life to come! Such a loss means inevitable suffering for such unbelievers.

随后，这一章将不信道者自己的结局摆在他们面前：他们将面对复活日的清算，而他们过去惯常否认这一天。

The surah then puts before the unbelievers their own fate as they face the reckoning on the Day of Resurrection which they were wont to deny:

在那一天，当不信道者被带到火狱之前时，将会对他们说："你们在今世已耗尽了你们的好东西，并尽情享受了乐趣。所以今天，你们将因在大地上无理地傲慢，以及因你们一切的罪过，而受到屈辱的刑罚作为报应。"（第20节）

On the Day when the unbelievers will be brought before the fire, they will be told: 'You have exhausted your share of good things in your worldly life and took your fill of pleasure. So, today you shall be requited with the suffering of humiliation for having been arrogant on earth without any right, and for all your transgression] (Verse 20)

这是一个节奏很快的场景，但它产生了深刻而耐人寻味的效果。场景把他们带到火前，然而就在他们被驱赶进火中之前，他们被告知了决定其命运的种种缘由，正是这些缘由使他们落得如此下场。

This is a fast moving scene, yet it has a profound, telling effect. The scene brings them before the fire, but just before they are driven into it, they are told the reasons which determined their fate in this way:

“你们在今世已经耗尽了你们的美好事物，并享尽了欢愉。”他们确实拥有属于自己的美好事物，但他们在今世全部用尽，没有为来世留下任何东西。事实上，他们甚至不认为会有来世。因此，他们尽情享用这些美好事物，对它们毫无感恩之心，也不向真主表示感谢，感谢祂的赐予。为了享受这些欢愉，他们也不克制自己去触犯禁令。所以，他们在今世享尽了美好事物，却在后世一无所有。他们用后世永恒的生命，换取了今世短暂的时光。“因此，你们将因在大地上无理地傲慢，以及因你们的罪恶，而受到屈辱的惩罚。”（第20节）凡在大地上傲慢的人，都是无理地傲慢。一切骄傲唯属真主，任何受造物都不配拥有，无论他处于何种地位。因此，遭受屈辱正是对傲慢以及偏离真主所指引之道的公正报应。

“ You have exhausted your share of good things in your worldly life and took your fill of pleasure.” They had their fair share of good things, but they used them all up in the life of this world, keeping nothing back for their future life. In fact, they did not reckon that there would even be a future life. Therefore, they enjoyed these good things to the full, showing no gratitude for them and expressing no thanks to God for granting them. They did not refrain from committing what is forbidden in order to enjoy such pleasures. Therefore, they had their full share of good things in this world, leaving themselves nothing in the life to come. They exchanged the endless life of the hereafter for the short span of life on earth. Therefore, shall be requited with the suffering of humiliation for having been arrogant on earth without any right, and for all your transgression” (Verse 20) Everyone who behaves with arrogance on earth does so without any right. All pride belongs to God; none belongs to any creature, no matter what position he holds. To suffer humiliation is, therefore, a just reward for arrogance and deviation from the path God has charted.