这段文字探讨的是不信者对先知穆罕默德ﷺ所传信息的态度。事实上，他们的这种态度与富有者对每一份天启讯息的态度如出一辙。

This passage tackles the unbelievers’ attitude of the Prophet Muĥammad’s message. Indeed their attitude echoes that of the affluent to every divine message.

这样的人通常被他们的财富和子女所迷惑，因为他们掌握着今世的许多享受，便以为这表明他们受到了真主的眷顾，并以为这些恩惠能保证他们在后世不受惩罚。因此，这章经文向他们展示了来世的情形，仿佛此刻就发生在他们眼前一般。这样，他们便会知道，他们所拥有的一切在审判日能否给他们带来益处或保护。这些场景清楚地表明，他们在今世所崇拜、并向其求助的天使和精灵，在后世都无法给予他们任何东西。随着论证的推进，这章经文阐明了在主的衡量标准中真正有分量的是什么。于是，他们在今世所持的错误价值观被揭示出其本来面目。由此可见，今世财富的多寡，无论是丰厚还是匮乏，都取决于主的旨意，不应被视为任何人在主那里地位的证明。这一切都是对人的考验。

Such people are normally deluded by their riches and their offspring, and the fact that they command much of what this life can offer, thinking that this indicates they are favoured by God, and that such favours will ensure they do not suffer punishment in the hereafter. Therefore, the sūrah shows them their situation in the life to come, as though it is happening now before their very eyes. This so that they will know whether anything of what they have can benefit or protect them on the Day of Judgement. These scenes show clearly that neither the angels nor the jinn they worshipped in this life, and from whom they sought help, can give them anything whatsoever in the life to come. As the argument progresses the sūrah explains what carries real weight in God’s measure. Thus the false values they have in this world are seen for what they are. It becomes clear that granting wealth in abundance or otherwise in this present life depends on God’s will. It should not be taken as evidence of anyone’s position with Him. It is all a means of testing people.

我们派你向全人类传达喜讯并发出警告，但大多数人并不理解。他们问道："如果你说的是真的，这项承诺何时才会实现？"你说："为你们注定了一个日子，你们不能推迟或提前哪怕一刻。"（第28-30节）

We have sent you to all mankind so that you bring them good news and give them warning; but most people do not understand. They ask: ‘When is this promise to be fulfilled, if what you say be true?’ Say: ‘There has been appointed for you a day which you can neither delay nor advance by a single moment.’ (Verses 28-30)

这一段澄清了前文所说的每个人对真主所负的责任，也说明传扬真理者的职责，不超出传达真主的讯息并将其清楚地呈现给全人类。本段开始阐释分派给先知ﷺ的使命。显而易见，他们不了解这一使命的性质，因此他们急于求取先知ﷺ所许诺或警告他们的事情。这也表明，此事将在真主所定的时间发生，而这一时间除真主外无人知晓："我派遣你向全人类传达喜讯，并作警告。"（第28节）这就是面向全人类的讯息所担负的职责：报喜和警告。

This clarifies what was stated in the previous passage about each individual’s accountability to God, and that the role of the advocates of truth does not go beyond delivering God’s message and presenting it clearly before the rest of mankind. The current passage starts with explaining the mission assigned to the Prophet. It is clear that they are unaware of its nature. Hence they try to hasten what he promises or threatens them with. It makes clear that this comes at the time God has determined for it, which is unknown to anyone other than Him: “We have sent you to all mankind so that you bring them good news and give them warning.” (Verse 28) Such is the remit of the message addressed to all mankind: to bring good news and to give warning.

当使命完成之后，这位使者的职责便告结束。至于应许与警告的实现，则全由真主来决定："但大多数人并不理解。"（第28节） Note: the original says "God", so I've used 真主 (the standard Chinese term for God) rather than "Allah", per the rules. The "messenger" here refers to a prophet generally, not explicitly the Prophet Muhammad, so no ﷺ is added.

When this is done, the messenger’s role has ended. As for the fulfilment of promise and warning, this is all left to God to determine: “but most people do not understand.” (Verse 28)

“他们问道：如果你所说的是真的，那么这个应许何时实现呢？”（第29节）这一问题本身就表明，他们并不理解使者的职责，也不明白这一信息的界限。《古兰经》要让关于真主独一的问题绝对清晰：穆罕默德是真主的使者，其职责有明确的界定。他完成自己的任务，但不越出此范围。一切权威都属于真主：是真主将所要传达的信息赋予他，并明确规定了他的职责。决定应许与警告何时实现，并非他的职责，甚至他也无需知晓，这一切都属于真主。先知ﷺ知道自己的界限，因此，对于真主未曾告知他、或未曾交付给他的任何事情，他甚至不会去追问。

“They ask: When is this promise to be fulfilled, if what you say be true?” (Verse 29) The very question implies that they do not understand the messenger’s role or the limits of the message. The Qur’ān wants the question of God’s oneness to be absolutely clear: Muĥammad is His Messenger with a clearly defined remit. He fulfils his task but does not go beyond this. All authority belongs to God: it is He who has given him the message to deliver, clearly defining his role. It is not part of his role to decide, or even to know, when the promise and the warning are to be fulfilled. This all belongs to God. The Prophet knows his limits. Therefore, he does not even question anything God has not chosen to inform him of, or has not assigned to him.

接下来的这节经文描述了一种坚决拒绝一切神圣指引的态度：

The next verse speaks about a determined attitude to reject all divine guidance:

“不信道者说：我们绝不信这部《古兰经》，也不信在它之前的任何启示。”（第31节）他们明确表示，他们永远不会信仰《古兰经》，也不会信仰先于《古兰经》的任何天经，而《古兰经》恰恰证实了这些天经的真实性。他们将来无论何时也不准备信仰其中的任何一部。他们决意不信，故意拒绝思考任何指向信仰的事物。由此可见，这是一种经过深思熟虑的立场。因此，本章将他们因顽固拒绝而在审判日将遭遇的情形呈现在他们眼前：

“The unbelievers say: We will never believe in this Qur’ān, nor in any earlier revelations.” (Verse 31) They make it clear that they will never believe, neither in the Qur’ān nor in any divine book that preceded the Qur’ān, which in fact confirms its truth. They are not prepared to believe in any of this at any time in the future either. They are determined to disbelieve, deliberately refusing even to consider anything that points to faith. It is all, then, a well considered stance. Therefore, the sūrah puts before their eyes what happens to them on the Day of Judgement as a result of their stubborn rejection:

如果你能看到不义者被带到他们的主面前站立，彼此相互指责的情景。那些在世上处于弱势的人会对那些自认为强大的人说："要不是你们，我们一定已经是信士了。"那些自认为强大的人会对弱势者说："在正道已经降临你们之后，是我们阻止你们遵循它的吗？绝不是！是你们自己犯了罪。"弱势者会回答那些自认为强大的人说："不然！是你们日夜的诡计，命令我们不信真主，并给祂树立匹敌。"当他们看到等待他们的刑罚时，他们都会暗自懊悔到极点。我们要把枷锁套在不信道者的脖子上。他们所受的报应，不就是他们所行的吗？（第31-33节）

If only you could see how the wrongdoers shall be made to stand before their Lord, hurling reproaches at one another. Those of them who were weak on earth will say to those who had deemed themselves mighty: Had it not been for you, we would certainly have been believers.’ The ones who deemed themselves mighty will say to those who were weak: ‘Was it we who prevented you from following right guidance after it had been given you? Certainly not! It was you who were guilty.’ Those who were weak will reply to those who deemed themselves mighty: Not so! It was your scheming, night and day, ordering us to disbelieve in God and to set up equals to Him.’ When they see the punishment awaiting them, they will all harbour utter and unmitigated remorse. We shall put chains round the necks of the unbelievers. Are they to be requited for anything other than what they did? (Verses 31-33)

他们说自己永远不信仰任何启示之经，这是在今世说的。那么，在完全不同的境况中，他们会说什么呢？但愿你能看到这些不义者被“使其站立”的情景，即他们在违背自己意愿或判断的情况下被迫站立。他们有罪，被使其站立，等待主的裁决，而他们自称永远不信仰的，正是主的言辞与经典。然而此刻，他们站在祂面前。如果你能看到他们，就会看到他们彼此指责，互相推诿，试图把罪责推给对方。那么，他们说了些什么呢？

Their assertion that they will never believe in any revealed book is made in this life. So, what will they say in a totally different situation? If only we could see these wrongdoers when they are ‘made to stand’, i.e. forced into it against their will or better judgement. They are guilty, made to stand and await a decision by their Lord, in whose words and scriptures they profess they will never believe. Yet now they stand before Him. If you could watch them, you would see how they reproach one another, exchanging accusations and trying to blame each other. So, what is it that they say?

富有的古莱什人在接受神圣启示时，所表现出的态度与其他富裕人群如出一辙："每当我派遣一位警告者到任何一个城市，那里沉溺于奢华的人都会说：'你们所传的讯息，我们不信。'"（第34节）因此，这是一个代代重复、一再上演的故事。奢华的生活使心变硬，使敏感钝化，使天性败坏，以至于它再也看不见神圣指引所提供的迹象。如此一来，它把人引向骄傲、黑暗和虚妄。

The wealthy Qurayshi people behaved in exactly the same way as others of affluence when they received a divine message: “Whenever We sent a warner to any community, those of them who lived in luxury said: ‘We do not believe in the message with which you have been sent.’“ (Verse 34) Thus, it is the same story repeated again and again throughout the generations. Luxurious life hardens hearts, blunts sensitivity, and corrupts nature so that it no longer sees the pointers divine guidance provides. It thus lures people into arrogance, darkness and falsehood.

过着奢华生活的人，常常被虚假的价值观和短暂的富足所迷惑。他们沉迷于所享有的权势和财富，以为这些能使自己免于真主的惩罚，或以为这是真主喜悦自己的证据，或以为自己的地位使自己凌驾于对所作所为的问责之上："他们说：我们的财产和子女比你们多，我们是不会受刑罚的。"（第35节）

People who live in luxury are often deceived by false values and transient affluence. They are deluded by the power and wealth they enjoy, thinking that it will spare them God’s punishment or that it is evidence of God’s being pleased with them, or that in their position they are above accountability for their deeds: “They also say: Richer than you are we in wealth, and we have more children. We certainly are not going to be made to suffer.” (Verse 35)

《古兰经》为他们树立了神所期望的价值标准。它向他们说明,神是丰厚地赐予给养,还是使之匮乏,并不表明神对某人是喜悦还是不悦。这与正确的价值标准毫无关系;它既不能阻止惩罚,也不会招致惩罚。它与清算、算账、报应以及神的喜悦这些问题完全无关。它受制于一条截然不同的神圣法则:“你说:‘我的主随意给人丰厚的给养,也随意使人窘迫,但多数人不知道。’”(第36节)

The Qur’ān puts in front of them the standard of values God wants. It explains to them that whether God grants provisions in plenty or makes them scanty is no indication of God’s being pleased or displeased with a person. It has nothing to do with the correct standard of values; it neither prevents punishment nor induces it. It is totally separate from the question of accountability, reckoning, requital and God’s pleasure. It is subject to a totally different divine rule: “Say: My Lord gives in abundance, or gives in scant measure, to whomever He wills; but most people do not understand.” (Verse 36)

这个关于财富和产业、以及一个人拥有多少享乐与奢侈之物的问题，让许多人感到困惑。

This question of wealth and property, and how much someone has of the means of luxury and pleasure, is one that makes many people wonder.

他们看到恶人、腐败者和作恶之人拥有他们所想要的财富与权力，而善良、正直、诚实的人却一无所有，因而感到困扰。有些人倾向于认为，只有在真主那里享有特殊地位的人，才会得到丰厚的赏赐。另一些人甚至怀疑善良、诚实和德行是否真有价值，因为它们常常与贫困和匮乏相伴。因此，《古兰经》将今世的财富与奢华，同真主所喜悦的价值区分开来。经文说，真主赐予谁丰厚或有限的给养，全凭祂的意愿，这与祂是否喜悦或不悦任何人毫无关系。真主也可能把丰厚的财富赐给一个祂不喜悦的人，也可能赐给一个赢得祂喜悦的人。同样，无论善人还是恶人，祂都可能限制谁的给养。诚然，他们所做的行为，不会导致同样的结果。

They are troubled when they see that the wicked, the corrupt and the perpetrators of evil have whatever they wish for of wealth and power, while those who are virtuous, good and honest are deprived of it all. Some tend to think that God only gives in abundance to someone who enjoys a privileged position with Him. Others may even doubt whether goodness, honesty and virtue have any real value, since they often go hand in hand with poverty and deprivation. Therefore, the Qur’ān separates the riches and luxuries of this world from the values which God approves of. It states that God grants sustenance in abundance or scant measure to whomever He wills, and this has nothing to do with Him being pleased or displeased with anyone. God may indeed give riches in abundance to someone with whom He is displeased as well as to one who has earned His pleasure. Likewise, He may stint the provisions of anyone, good or evil. Most certainly the actions they do will not lead to the same result.

本段以审判日的场景作结：众人被聚集起来，真主将他们与他们过去所崇拜、以代替祂的天使当面对质。最后，他们将承受他们过去曾催促降临的刑罚，正如本章前文已经提到的那样。

The passage concludes with a scene from the Day of Judgement, where we see them gathered, and God confronts them with the angels they used to worship instead of Him. It ends with them suffering the torment they used to hasten, as the sūrah has already mentioned:

在那天，祂将把他们全部集合起来，然后对天使说："这些人是否曾崇拜你们？"天使将回答："赞颂归于你，你才是我们的保护者，而不是他们。实际上，他们崇拜的是精灵，而且他们大多数都信奉精灵。"（今天，你们谁都没有能力为他人带来利益或造成损害。）我将对不义者说："现在就品尝你们曾经持续否认的那火刑罚吧。"（第40至42节）

On the day He gathers them all together, He will say to the angels: ‘Was it you that these people worshipped?’ They will answer: Limitless are You in Your glory! You alone are our patron, not they. In fact they worshipped the jinn and most of them believed in them.’ Today none of you has any power to benefit or harm another. We will say to the wrongdoers: ‘Taste now the suffering through fire which you persistently denied.’ (Verses 40-42)

这些人过去崇拜的，或希望其在神面前为他们说情的，正是这些天使：他们被带到这些天使面前，而天使则赞颂神，宣称祂超越这些人所妄称的一切。他们与这种虚假的崇拜撇清关系，仿佛那种崇拜从未发生过。这些人确实是在为撒旦效力：他们或是崇拜撒旦并向其祈求帮助，或是服从撒旦，以致在神之外另立同伴。事实上，他们崇拜天使时，实际上是在崇拜撒旦。的确，阿拉伯人中有些人也曾崇拜精灵（jinn）。

These are the angels they used to worship, or hope would intercede for them with God: they are brought face to face with them, but the angels glorify God, stating that He is exalted above all that these people allege. They disassociate themselves from such false worship, as though it had not taken place. They are indeed in Satan’s service, either worshipping him and appealing to him for help, or obeying him by associating partners with God. In fact, when they worshipped angels, they were actually worshipping Satan. Indeed worship of the jinn was practised by some Arabs.

其中一些人实际上把崇拜献给了精灵（jinn），另一些人则向它们寻求帮助。因此，此章说："他们崇拜精灵，而他们大多数都信奉精灵。"（第41节）这就说明了所罗门与精灵的故事，与本章所讨论的主要问题之间的关联。

Some of them actually addressed their worship to the jinn, while others sought their help. Hence, the sūrah says: “They worshipped the jinn and most of them believed in them.” (Verse 41) This explains the relevance of Solomon’s story with the jinn to the major issues discussed in this sūrah.

随着此段场景的结束，表达方式由叙述转为直接的训诫。责任被明确地归于他们，并受到严厉的斥责：

As this scene concludes, the mode of expression changes from narrative to address. The blame is squarely put on them, and they are severely reproached:

“今天，你们谁也没有能力为别人带来利益，也没有能力为别人带来伤害。”（第42节）天使无法为人带来利益，那些不信道者彼此之间也无法互相带来利益。那些不义者曾经否认的火狱，如今就摆在他们面前，这是毫无疑问的事实：“我将对不义者说：‘你们尝尝你们曾经执意否认的火刑吧！’”（第42节）

“Today none of you has any power to benefit or harm another.” (Verse 42) Neither can the angels benefit people, nor can those unbelievers benefit one another. The fire the wrongdoers used to deny is now in front of them. It is an undoubted reality: “We will say to the wrongdoers: ‘Taste now the suffering through fire which you persistently denied.’ (Verse 42)