人类最大的问题
Mankind’s Greatest Question
在解答问题之前,我们应当先确立一些基本原则。
Before solving the question we should set some ground rules.
首先:任何答案都应当全面。我们必须得到关于人、生命与宇宙整体问题的答案。若缺少这一点,由生命引发的任何相关问题或难题,都可能无法得到解答。
Firstly; any answer should be comprehensive. We must have the answer to the whole question of man, life and the universe. Without this any related questions or problems stemming from life, may be left unanswered.
任何回答都必须符合现实,并且是可以核实的事实。为了符合这一标准,答案必须与人的天性相合,并能满足我们的心智或理智。
Any answer must agree with the reality and be a verifiable fact, to meet this criteria, the answer must agree with man's nature and satisfy our mind or intellect.
要理性地回答一个问题,我们就必须把自己限定在我们能够感知和觉察的范围之内。对于假设性的东西,或是超出我们感知能力之外的东西,我们无法进行理性的评判。
To answer a question rationally requires that we limit ourselves to what we can perceive and sense. We cannot rationally assess something which is hypothetical or beyond our capacity to perceive it.
以此标准为基础,我们便可着手应对这一最为重要的问题。若能以百分之百的确定性解决此问题,便能走出黑暗;否则,我们将始终处于迷茫之中,并不断受到怀疑所带来的低效与忧虑之苦。
With these criteria in mind, we can proceed to challenge ourselves in this most important of questions. A challenge which can solve this issue with 100% certainty, or else we remain in the dark, and with the constant inefficiency and worry that doubt brings.
一个出发点 要解答人、生命与宇宙的问题,让我们先观察我们确知的关于这三者的事实。我们目前所掌握的关于这三者的一切信息都表明,它们具有某些共同之处和恒定不变的规律。人、生命与宇宙都是有限的,实际上,我们所能感知的一切都是有限的。所谓有限,是指它们都有一个起点和一个终点,并非无限且永恒。
A Starting Point To solve the question of man, life and the universe let us start by observing what we know in certainty about these three. All of the previous information we have of these three, tells us that they have certain similarities and unchanging rules. Man, life and the universe are limited, indeed all that we can perceive is limited. What we mean by limited is that it all has a starting point and an end point, and is not unlimited and infinite.
我们可以看到,人是会出生也会死亡的,人的身高和体重也无法超越某个限度。一切生命同样都是有限的,地球、月亮和星辰也同样有其起点和终点。一颗恒星或一个星系的寿命可能极其漫长,但它们无疑都是有限的,都有开始也有结束。宇宙是一个非常广大的地方,但它是有限的空间,并非无限。没有任何科学家能够拿出确凿的证据表明宇宙没有边界。因此,若要断言宇宙是无限的,就等于超出了我们理性所能评估的范围。这样的想法要求我们去寻找,在我们的感知世界中是否存在任何无限的事物,然而无论我们如何努力搜寻,都找不到这样的例子。我们所能感知的一切都是有限的、有尽的。 人、生命和宇宙的第二个特性是,它们都是有所需求、依赖他者的。之所以说有所需求,是因为它们要存在,就必须依靠其他事物的协助,它们并非自我维持的。人需要食物和水才能生存。同样,植物和动物依赖水循环,而水循环又依赖太阳,太阳则依赖与星系的关系以及燃烧的物质。在我们所能感知的事物中,没有任何一样能够脱离其他事物而独立存在,我们的感知中不存在任何自存之物。
We can see that man is born and dies, and man cannot grow beyond a certain size in height and weight. All of life is similarly limited, and the earth, moon and stars likewise have a starting and end point. The life of a star or galaxy may be a very long period of time, but they are definitely limited in that they all have a starting and ending. The universe is a very large place but it is a finite space, and is not unlimited. No scientist has been able to bring a definite evidence that suggests the universe has no limits. So to suggest that it is infinite means we are going beyond the bounds of what we can rationally assess. Such a thought requires us to challenge ourselves to find any example in our world of perception that is unlimited, no matter how hard we search we cannot find such an example. All we can perceive is limited, finite. A second attribute of man, life and the universe is that all of these are needy and dependent. Needy in that to exist, they must have assistance from something else, they are not self sustaining. Man needs food and water to survive. Plants and animals similarly are dependant on a water cycle, which in turn is dependant upon the sun, which is dependant upon the relationship with the galaxies, and burning mass. Nothing that we can perceive can survive independent of other things, there is nothing in our perception that is selfsubsistent.
所以事物存在,却不具有存在的能力。
So things exist but do not have the power of existence.
与这些有限、有期、依赖和需要的事实密不可分的一点是:归根结底,必定存在一位创造者或发起者来造就这一切。所有有限且依赖的事物之总和,本身也是有限且依赖的,那么它依赖于什么?依赖于某种开始并维持生命的力量,依赖于某种规划并发展一切生物之间复杂相互关系的力量。我们看到事物存在,毫无困难,也无需质疑;然而,没有任何事物是凭其自身本性独立存在、完全掌控自身的创造、或能够自我维持的。关于创造的问题,只可能有一个答案:有一位无限的创造者,安排了我们所见所感的一切。任何有限的事物,都必须有一种能动的力量来创造它,否则它不可能存在。所有有限之物都依赖于某种事物而维持其存续。对于这些论点,不可能有任何怀疑;你不妨挑战自己,举出任何一个例子,所有有限且依赖的事物都是被造的。
The fact that is inextricably interwoven with these facts of being limited, finite, dependent, and needy is that ultimately there has to be a Creator or initiator for it all. The sum of all finite and dependant things is something that is finite and dependant, dependant on what? Dependant upon something to start, and sustain life, and something to plan and develop the complex interrelationship between all living things. We see things that exist without any difficulty or question, but nothing exists of its own nature as independent and in complete control of its own creation, or able to sustain itself. There can only be one solution to the question of Creation, that an unlimited Creator has accounted for all we see and perceive. Anything that is finite must have a dynamic force to create it, otherwise it cannot come into existence. All limited things depend upon something for their sustenance. There can be no doubt over these points, challenge yourself to bring any example, all limited and dependant things are created.
第二种看待这一论证的方式表明:如果我们思考我们所感知到的一切有限且依赖他者的事物,那么只能以两种方式加以解释;要么是——我们所感知的一切,其存在依赖于某种他物,而该他物又依赖于另一物,如此无穷推演下去;要么是——我们所感知的一切,其存在源于某种自身本性即存在、因而是永恒、无限的事物。
A second way of looking at this argument shows that if we contemplate about all we perceive as being limited and dependant we can only explain it in two ways; either - All we perceive depends for its existence on something else, which in turn depends on still another thing, ad infinitum; - All we perceive derives its existence from something else that exists by its own nature and that is accordingly eternal, unlimited.
第一种假设是站不住脚的,因为它并没有解释任何事物最初是如何产生的,只是把解释推迟了。
The first alternative is false because it does not provide an explanation of how anything came into existence to begin with, it simply puts off giving a reason.
它没有说明有限和受限之物为何存在,也没有说明它们从何而来,因此它是不合逻辑的、不完整的,并且对我们而言没有答案。因此,我们推断,一切受限且依赖他物的事物都依赖于某种本身就存在的事物。当人们想要对造物主进行描述或形成认识时,争论便由此开始。
It does not provide a reason why finite and limited things exist, or from whence they came, it is therefore illogical, incomplete and without an answer for us. Therefore we deduce that all limited and dependant things depend upon something that exists by its own nature. The arguments start when a description or perception of the Creator is desired.