该章以一段界定这一神圣信仰信息之源的陈述开始:"我确已派遣努哈到他的民众那里。"(第1节)这一源头为真主的使者们派定使命,他们也从这里学到信仰的真理。它是一切存在和一切生命的源头。正是他创造了人类,赋予他们的天性认识并崇拜他的能力。当他们偏离这条正道时,他派遣使者引导他们回归。努哈是阿丹之后的第一位使者。《古兰经》并未提及阿丹堕落到大地、开始在地上生活之后所获得的启示。或许他曾是一位教导子孙的老师。随着时间推移,他们迷失了方向,将偶像当作神灵来崇拜。起初,这些偶像只是他们视为神圣的某些力量的象征;之后,他们忘记了这些象征的含义,直接崇拜偶像本身。本章提到的五尊偶像是其中最重要的。真主派遣努哈,引导他们重新信奉他的独一性,并给予他们关于真主、生命和存在的正确观念。早期经典提到伊德里斯是努哈之前的真主使者。然而,这些经典所记载的内容并不属于伊斯兰信仰,因为它们曾遭受篡改、增添和删减。

The surah begins with a statement defining the source of this message of divine faith: “We sent Noah to his people." (Verse 1) This is the source that assigns tasks to Gods messengers and from whom they learn the truth of faith. It is the source of all existence and all life. It is He who created mankind, giving their nature the ability to know and worship Him. When they deviated from this straight path, He sent them messengers to bring them back to Him. Noah was the first of these messengers after Adam. The Qur’an does not mention a message given to Adam after his fall to earth and life thereon. Perhaps he was a teacher who taught his children and grandchildren. With the passage of time, they went astray and adopted idols as deities. These were at first symbols of certain forces they considered holy. Then, they forgot what the symbols signified and worshipped the idols themselves. The most important of those idols were the five mentioned in this surah, God sent them Noah to bring them back to believing in His oneness and give them the right concept of God, life and existence. Earlier scriptures mention Idris as a messenger of God prior to Noah. However, what such scriptures mention is not part of the Islamic faith, because they were subject to distortion, addition and omission.

当我们阅读《古兰经》中关于先知的故事时，我们往往会相信，努哈（Noah）生活在人类尚处于黎明时期的年代。他用九百五十年的时间向他的族人传播真主的讯息，而那些族人想必也同样活得很长。这表明当时人类的数量仍然很少。我们之所以这样说，是基于这样一种观察：数量少的物种寿命长，而数量多的则相反。也许这是一条平衡的法则。这仅仅是个人的看法，但真主最为知晓。

When we read the stories of earlier prophets given in the Qur’an, we tend to believe that Noah lived when humanity was still in its dawn period. He spent 950 years of his life advocating Gods message to his people who must have lived a similarly long life. This suggests that humans were still few in number. In saying this we draw on the observation that species that are small in number live long, and that the reverse is true. Perhaps this is a rule of balance. This is merely a personal point of view, but God knows best.

在确立了信息的来源之后，这一章用几句话作了总结，我们得知努哈（Noah）被命令去传达警告。

Having established the source of the message, the surah sums it up in a few words, and we learn that Noah was instructed to deliver a warning:

“你要在痛苦的刑罚降临他们之前，警告你的people。”(第1节) 这一章经文所叙述的，努哈向他的主所呈报的情况表明，他所见到的族人那种疏忽与傲慢的状态，使得警告成为他传达信息的核心。事实上，他以劝导所做的第一件事，就是警告他们将遭受严厉的惩罚，无论是今世、后世，还是两者兼有。

努哈开始为了把正道引领给他的人民而付出崇高的努力。他对此事没有任何个人私利，也不谋求任何回报来补偿他所忍受的傲慢与嘲笑。他这样坚持了一千年减五十年，而积极响应的人几乎没有增加。另一方面，拒绝的程度以及坚持走旧有错误道路的态度却在加深。最终，努哈向派给他这项艰巨任务的真主呈报了自己的经过。尽管他知道真主完全清楚他所做的一切，他仍然详述了自己的努力。他这样做，只是在向真主倾诉内心的苦衷，因为真主是先知、使者和真正的信士们唯一会向其诉说苦衷的对象：

Noah began his noble efforts to present guidance to his people. He had no personal interest in the matter, and stood to make no gain to compensate for all the arrogance and ridicule he had to put up with. He continued to do this for a thousand years minus fifty, with the number of those who responded positively hardly increasing. On the other hand, however, the level of rejection and insistence on following old erring ways did increase. At the end, Noah presented his account to God, who had assigned him this arduous task. He described his efforts even though he knew that God was fully aware of all that he had done. He is, therefore, simply making his heart-felt complaint to God, the only One to whom prophets, messengers and true believers ever complain:

“我的主啊!我日夜劝导我的族人,但我越是召唤他们,他们越是逃避。每当我召唤他们,好让你宽恕他们,他们就把手指塞进耳朵里,用衣服蒙住头,固执不化,变得更加傲慢、更加悖逆。我公开地召唤他们,我当众宣讲,我也私下里秘密地劝导他们。我说:你们应当向你们的主求饶,他是至宥的。他将为你们降下丰沛的雨露,赐你们财产和子孙,并为你们安排花园和河流。你们怎么了?你们为何对你们的主如此狂妄?他是在多个阶段中创造你们的啊。你们没有看见吗?真主是如何层层地创造了七重天,在其中安置月亮作为光明,安置太阳作为明灯的吗?真主使你们从大地中生长出来,如同植物一般;然后他将使你们回归大地,又将使你们再次复活出来。真主为你们铺设了大地,使你们可以在其宽广的道路上行走。”(第5-20节)

My Lord! I have been pleading with my people night and day, but the more I call them, the further they run away. Whenever I call on them, so that You may forgive them, they thrust their fingers into their ears, draw their garments over their heads, grow obstinate and become even more arrogant and insolent. I have called them openly; I have preached to them in public, and I spoke to them secretly, in private. I said: Ask your Lord for forgiveness: He is ever forgiving. He will let loose the sky over you with abundance, and will give you wealth and children; and will provide you with gardens and rivers. What is the matter with you? Why do you behave with such insolence towards your Lord, when it is He who has created you in successive stages? Do you not see how God has created seven heavens in layers, placing in them the moon for a light and the sun for a lantern? God has made you spring from the earth like a plant, and He will return you into it and then bring you out again. God has made the earth a vast expanse for you, so that you may walk along its spacious paths? (Verses 5-20)

因此,努哈(Noah)在他漫长而艰辛的旅程终点描述了自己不知疲倦的努力:"我的主啊!我昼夜不停地召唤我的族人,"(第5节)面对顽固且日益增长的反对,他从未松懈,也从未表现出任何厌倦或绝望的迹象:"然而我越是召唤他们,他们就越是逃避。"(第6节)他们逃离了那位召唤他们信仰真主的使者,真主是赐予生命的主,是给予他们所拥有一切的主,是一切光明与指引的源泉。然而,这位他们逃离的使者,从未因他所传递或教导的一切而向他们索取任何回报。他只是召唤他们去信仰,以使他们的罪过得以获得宽恕。

Thus, Noah describes his untiring efforts at the end of his long, long journey: “My Lord! I have been pleading with my people night and day?" (Verse 5) He never slackened or showed any sign of boredom or despair in the face of determined and increasing opposition: "but the more I call them, the further they run away? 6) They ran away from the messenger who called on them to believe in God, the Giver of life, the Provider of everything they had and the Source of every light and guidance. Yet this messenger from whom they ran away never asked for anything in return for what he presented or taught them. He only called on them to believe so that they might be forgiven their sins.

在努力履行使命的过程中，努哈使用了各种方法：有时公开地对他们讲话，有时则私下里与他们交谈。他说："我曾公开地召唤他们，我曾当众向他们传教，我也曾秘密地、私下里与他们交谈。"（经文8-9）在这一切之中，他向他们展示了今世与后世中无法估量的益处。他向他们提出的第一个前景是宽恕他们的罪过，他说："我说："

In his strenuous efforts to fulfil his mission, Noah used every method, addressing them openly at times, and speaking to them in private on others: "I have called them openly; I have preached to them in public, and I spoke to them secretly, in private? (Verses 8-9) In all this, he put before them immeasurable gains both in this life and in the life to come. The first prospect he put before them was forgiveness of their sins: “I said:

"向你的主求饶恕吧，祂是至为宽恕的。"（第10节）祂还向他们展示了丰沛的给养前景：借着倾盆大雨降下，使植物生长，河流流淌。祂还赐予了他们其他种类的恩典，都是他们所钟爱的。

Ask your Lord for forgiveness: He is ever forgiving? (Verse 10) He also put before them the prospect of abundant provisions to be granted through rain pouring down in plenty, so that plants can grow and rivers run. He also added other types of Gods grace, ones they loved dearly:

儿女与财富：“他将为你们降下丰沛的雨水，赐你们财富和儿女，并为你们安排园圃和河流。”（第11至12节）

children and wealth: “He will let loose the sky over you with abundance, and will give you wealth and children; and will provide you with gardens and rivers” verses 11-12)

努哈将获得这些给养与寻求真主宽恕罪过和过失联系起来。遵循真主的引导与获得心灵的纯洁，与丰饶富足的生活之间的这种关联，在《古兰经》多处都有述及：“假若那些城市的居民信道并敬畏，我必定从天上和地下为他们开启许多福利。但他们否认，所以我因他们所作的罪恶而惩罚他们。”（7:96）“假若先前的启示的信徒信道并敬畏，我必定赦宥他们的罪恶，并使他们入乐园。假若他们遵行《讨拉特》《引支勒》，以及他们的主所降示给他们的一切，他们必定从天上和地下获得充足的给养。”（5:65—66）“你们应当只崇拜真主。我奉他的命令，给你们作警告者和报喜者。你们应当向你们的主求饶，然后向他悔罪，他将使你们在一个定期内享受美好的生活，并将赐予每个有善功的人应得的报酬。”（11:2-3）

Noah linked granting such provisions to seeking Gods forgiveness of sins and misdeeds. This correlation between following Gods guidance and attaining purity of heart on the one hand and a life of plenty and prosperity on the other is stated in several places in the Qur’an: “had the people of those cities believed and been God fearing, We would indeed have opened up for them blessings out of heaven and earth. But they disbelieved, so We smote them on account of what they had been doing.” (7: 96) “If only the people of earlier revelations would believe and be God fearing, We should indeed efface their [past] bad deeds, and bring them into gardens of bliss. If they would observe the Torah and the Gospel and all that has been revealed to them by their Lord, they would indeed be given abundance from above and from beneath.” (5: 65—66) “Worship none but God. I come to you from Him as a warner and a bearer of glad tidings. Seek forgiveness of your Lord, and then turn towards Him in repentance, and He will grant you a goodly enjoyment of life for an appointed term. He will grant everyone with merit a full reward for his merit” (11: 2-3)

努哈引导他的族人去关注宇宙这部公开的书。

Noah directs his peoples attention to the open book of the universe:

“你们没有看见真主如何分层创造了七重天,并在其中安置月亮作为光,太阳作为灯吗?”(第15-16节)我们不能依据关于宇宙的科学理论来确定"七重天"的具体含义,因为这些只是理论。努哈只是提醒他们注意天空。他按照真主所教导他的那样告诉他们,天有七重,分层而立,其中包括太阳和月亮,这是他们显然能看到的,正如他们看到所谓的天空,即那片熟悉的蓝色空间一样。要确切地知道它究竟是什么并非必要,即便在今天也未得到充分证明。然而,让人观察本身已足以让人思索创造如此伟大造物的至高权能。这正是努哈希望他的民众去做的。他接着请他们观察自身的被造过程:从尘土开始,死后又回归尘土,并强调复活的真实性:"真主使你们从大地生长,如同植物一般,然后他将使你们回归其中,再把你们重新带出来。"(第17-18节)

you not see how God has created seven heavens in layers, placing in them the moon for a light and the sun for a lantern?” (Verses 15-16) We cannot specify a meaning for the 'seven heavens on the basis of scientific theories about the universe, for these are only theories. Noah simply draws their attention to the skies. He tells them, as God taught him, that there are seven heavens in layers, and that they include the sun and the moon, which they could obviously see, just as they saw what they called the sky, which is that familiar blue coloured space. To know what it is exactly is not necessary. Nor has it been properly proven even today. The invitation to look though is enough to reflect on the supreme power that has brought such great creatures into existence. This is what Noah wanted his people to do. He then invites them to look at their own creation, starting from dust and returning to it after death, and emphasizing the truth of resurrection: "God has made you spring from the earth like a plant, and He will return you into it and then bring you out again? (Verses 17-18)

《古兰经》以多种形式反复提到人类由土而生，这一比喻既令人惊叹，又发人深省。

The reference to man originating from the earth like a plant is both amazing and inspiring. It is repeated in the Qur’an in various forms:

"良田生长的植物茂盛，依主的许可而生长；而恶劣的土地，只长出稀少贫瘠的植物。"（7:58）这节经文比喻了人与植物在起源上的相似之处。

"Good land brings forth its vegetation in abundance, by its Lord's leave, but from the bad land only poor and scant vegetation comes forth” (7: 58) This verse refers to the similarity of the origin of both man and vegetation.

两者在同一节经文中被提及，以强调复活的真实性：

Both are referred to in the same verse stressing the truth of resurrection:

"人类啊！如果你们对复活有所怀疑，那么请想一想：我曾用泥土创造你们，继而用精液，继而用凝血，继而用不完整和完整的肉团创造你们，以便向你们阐明。我使我所意欲的胎儿在子宫中停留到一个预定的期限，然后让你们作为婴儿降生，好使你们成长，达到壮年。你们中有人早逝，有人活到衰老昏聩的境地，以至于他们曾经知道的一切都不再知道。你看大地干枯荒芜，但当我降下雨水于其上时，它便萌动、膨胀，并生出各种美丽的植物。"（22：5）在下一章中，胎儿的各个阶段以与上节经文相似的方式加以阐述。随后又有这样的陈述："我借此水为你们生长出椰枣园和葡萄园。"（23：19）

"Mankind! If you are in doubt as to the resurrection, remember that We have created you out of dust, then out of a gamete, then out of a clinging cell mass, then out of an organized and unorganized embryo, so that We might make things clear to you. We cause to rest in the [mothers] wombs whatever We please for an appointed term, and then We bring you forth as infants, that you may grow up and attain your prime. Some of you die young, and some live on to abject old age when all that they once knew they know no more. You can see the earth dry and barren; and [suddenly,] when We send down water upon it, it stirs and swells and puts forth every kind of radiant bloom." (22: 5) In the following surah,1 the stages of the embryo are outlined in similar terms to the verse above. It is then followed by this statement: “And by means of this water We bring forth for you gardens of date-palms and vines." (23: 19)

我们看到努哈试图以各种方式向他的人民传达信息，运用了多种多样的方法。我们也看到他的耐心、坚持和尽心尽力。他持续付出这些努力长达950年，之后才向他的主汇报，抱怨他所遭遇的回应。从他简洁而准确的叙述中，我们看到他所做出的伟大努力的壮丽图景。然而，这一切只是真主向人类传递的启示之链中的一环。那么，接下来会发生什么呢？

We see how Noah tried to address his people in various ways, employing a wide range of methods. We also see his patience, perseverance and conscientiousness. He continued to exert these efforts over 950 years before giving this report to his Lord, complaining of the response he had had to contend with. From his succinct and accurate account we see a splendid image of the great efforts he made. Yet all this is merely one ring in the chain of divine messages to mankind. So, what happens next?

挪亚说:"我的主啊!他们违抗了我,并追随那些财富和子女只会使他们愈加走向毁灭的人。他们策划了一个巨大的阴谋,并彼此说:'你们绝不可放弃你们的神明!不可舍弃旺德、苏瓦尔、雅古斯、雅乌格和奈斯尔。'他们已使许多人迷失。主啊,求你只让不义者在迷误中越陷越深。"(第21-24节)

Noah said: 'My Lord! They have disobeyed me and followed those whose wealth and children lead them increasingly into ruin. They have devised a mighty plot, and said to each other: “Do not ever renounce your gods! Do not abandon Wadd, Suwd(, Yaghuth, Ya'uq or Nasr.” They have led many astray. Lord, grant the wrongdoers increase in nothing but error.1 (Verses 21-24)

这是一段发自内心的控诉。努哈(Noah)付出了一切努力,给予了引导和诚恳的劝告,并许诺他们生活安逸、富足,然而他们却选择不听从,只因那些已经严重迷失的人享有财富、子嗣和权势,他们便追随这些人。然而,这些领袖并没有因这一切恩赐而获得任何益处。的确,他们的"财富和子嗣只会使他们日益走向毁灭"。(第21节)他们所拥有的财富和子嗣,诱使他们愈加迷失,这种情形只会以痛苦和毁灭告终。然而,这些领袖并未止步于迷失。相反,"他们策划了一个极大的阴谋"。(第22节)

It is a heart-felt complaint. After all Noah’s endeavours, guidance and sound advice and the promise of an easy, plentiful life, they chose to disobey and follow the lead of those who had gone far astray, only because the latter enjoyed wealth, children and power. Yet such leaders benefit nothing by all these blessings. Indeed, their “ wealth and children lead them increasingly into ruin.” (Verse 21) What they possessed of wealth and children tempted them to go further astray, a scenario that could only end in misery and ruin. Yet these leaders did not stop at just going astray. Instead: “ They have devised a mighty plot.” (Verse 22)

他们的阴谋规模宏大，其目的是挫败努哈的努力，压制他的使命，并阻止其触动人心。他们策划为自己的不信和无知披上诱人的外衣。因此，他们督促人们坚持他们的错误信仰，继续崇拜他们称为神明的那些偶像。他们“彼此说：‘你们绝不要舍弃你们的神明！’他们试图激起人们的私人情感，让人们觉得这些偶像是‘他们自己的神明’。他们提到了最重要的几位神明的名字，以激起人们对它们的虚假骄傲：“你们不要舍弃旺德、苏瓦尔、雅各斯、叶欧格和奈斯尔。”（第23节）这些确实是他们最大、最重要的偶像。事实上，直到伊斯兰使命降临之时，它们仍在其他蒙昧的群体中被崇拜。

Their plot was on a grand scale, and its aim was to foil Noahs efforts, to suppress his message and to prevent it from addressing peoples hearts. They schemed to give their disbelief and ignorance an attractive colour. Therefore, they urged people to adhere to their false beliefs and to continue to worship those idols whom they called gods. They “said to each other: ‘Do not ever renounce your gods! They sought to arouse peoples personal emotions, making them feel that these idols were ‘their own gods. They mentioned the names of the most important ones, so as to stir peoples false pride in them: “Do not abandon Wadd, Suwd' Yaghuth, Ya'uq or Nasr” (Verse 23) These were indeed the largest and the most important of their idols. Indeed, they continued to be worshipped in other ignorant communities until the time of the Islamic message.

然后，努哈以热切的祈祷反对那些压迫者、那些以自己炮制的诡计和阴谋使人误入歧途的不义之人：“主啊，求你只让不义者的迷误增加。”（第24节）这是一个长期努力、竭尽全力、用尽各种方法之人的祈祷。然而，他最终得出结论：那些迷失、作恶的心灵完全没有善良，不配得到神圣的引导。

A passionate prayer is then voiced by Noah against the oppressors, the wrongdoers who lead people astray through plots and schemes of their own devising: “Lord, grant the wrongdoers increase in nothing but error.” (Verse 24) It is the prayer of one who has tried for a long time, making every effort and using every method. Eventually, however, he came to the conclusion that those erring, wrongdoing hearts were altogether devoid of goodness, undeserving of divine guidance.

在完成努哈的祈祷之前，这一章给我们展现了那些不义者在今世和后世所遭受的结局。

Before completing Noahs prayer, the surah gives us an image of the end suffered by those wrongdoers in this life and in the life to come.

两种情况都存在于真主的知识之中。它们是不会改变的事件。

Both situations are present in Gods knowledge. They are events that admit no change:

因为他们的罪孽，他们被淹没，并被投入火中。他们除了真主之外，找不到任何能够援助他们的人。（第25节）

Because of their sins, they were drowned, and were made to enter the fire. They found none besides God to support them, (Verse 25)

正是因为他们的罪过和悖逆，他们才被淹没并进入火狱。这两件事被刻意地连在一起、紧接着叙述，因为他们进入火狱与被淹没相关联。两者之间的时间间隔极其短暂，几乎不存在；按照真主的衡量，几乎可以忽略不计。这里的顺序是清晰的：他们在今世被淹没，在后世被使其进入火狱。两者之间或许就是坟墓中的刑罚，即两世之间那短暂的间隔。"他们除真主之外找不到任何援助者。"（第25节）毫无任何援助！没有子女，没有财富，没有权势，也没有他们所谓的神灵中的任何庇护者。

It is because of their sins and disobedience that they were made to drown and enter the fire. The two events are intentionally joined in succession, because their entry into the fire is connected to their drowning. The time gap between the two is so short that it is almost non-existent; according to Gods measures it is negligible.The sequence is there: they were drowned in this life and they are made to enter the fire in the life to come. What is in between is perhaps the torment in the grave during the short gap between the two lives. “ They found none besides God to support them.” (Verse 25) None whatsoever! No children, no wealth, no power and no patron from among their alleged deities.

在一节简短的经文中，这些有权势的人被一扫而空，人类的记忆中再也没有留下他们的痕迹。这里没有提及他们溺毙的细节，也没有描述将他们卷走的洪水。这是因为该章想让读者留下迅速降临惩罚的印象。事实上，经文用连词 fa（译作“然后”）连接他们溺毙与入火狱这两件事，略去了中间的过程。这是无可模仿的古兰经文体的常见特点。因此，我们在此不再对这一事件作进一步的细节阐述。

In a single short verse, these mighty ones are swept away and no mention is left of them in human memory. No details are given here of their drowning or the floods that swept them away. This because the surah wants to leave us with the impression of swift punishment. Indeed, it covers the gap between their drowning and their entry into hell with the conjunction fa, rendered in translation as and’. This is a common feature of the inimitable Qur’anic style. Therefore, we do not go into any further details of this event here.