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192.Reverend Jessie Johnson
192.牧師杰西·約翰遜
Reverend Jessie Johnson is a revival minister. He travels from town to town holding vigorous religious meetings in tents with the intention of reviving the souls of those who attend. His sermons are often filled with rhetoric that vergeson the ridiculous, yet people do not revolt, nor do they ridicule him because the rigorous religious principles laid out in his sermons are tempered by rhythmical gyrations that the congregation finds inspirational. This is a sample from one of his sermons:
牧師杰西·約翰遜是一個專做復興活動的牧師。他到各個城鎮(zhèn)旅行，在帳篷里召開生機勃勃的宗教會議，目的是振奮與會者的心靈。他的布道總是富有修辭藝術，有時甚至近乎荒唐可笑，但民眾并不反對這種做法，也不嘲笑他，因為那些嚴格的宗教條例在他的布道中變得富于節(jié)奏旋律，而且總能給人以靈感。下面是一個他布道時的例子：
"My fellow brethren and sisteren, I have come here to pose a riddle of life. The time is ripe for each one of us to answer this riddle. Are you gonna rifle across the ridge of the tops of the mountains of life, or are you gonna rip open a big rift in the earth and ride on the rim of the gullies? Do I hear an amen?"
"親愛的兄弟姐妹們，我來這兒主要是為了給大家出一個生活之謎。現(xiàn)在回答這個謎團的時機已經(jīng)成熟了。你們愿不愿意挺槍跨過生命之峰的山脊？或者寧愿在地球上撕開一個大裂縫，站在溝壑的邊緣呢？我能聽見'阿門'的聲音嗎？"
"Amen?" replied the congregation.
"阿門！"教眾回答道。
The Reverend shot his hands in the air, wiggled his bum, and gave a "woa!"
牧師揮舞著雙手，扭動著臀部，激動地喊了一聲"哇！"
"It's time for everyone here to rinse his soul in the blood so that the fruit of your spirit may ripen in the sunshine of the Lord. Do I hear an amen?"
"現(xiàn)在是在座的每一位用血沖洗靈魂的時候了，只有這樣你的生命之果才可能在主的光芒照耀下成熟。我能聽見'阿門'的聲音嗎？"
"Amen?" replied the congregation.
"阿門！"民眾回答道。
The reverend flapped his arms like a chicken and turned around three times saying, "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!"
牧師像小雞一樣揮了揮臂膀，他轉(zhuǎn)身三次也重復了三次同樣的話："贊美主！贊美主！贊美主！"
"There ain't no risk involved. There ain't nothin' risky. You don't have to worry about no spiritual rigor or rigidity. All you got to do is say YES! Do I hear a YES?"
"參加進來不是冒險，沒有任何危險可言。不用擔心宗教的嚴厲和死板。你所做的就是說一聲'行'！我能聽到一聲'行'嗎？"
"Yes!" replied the congregation.
"行！"教眾回答道。
"Do I hear a YES?"
"我能聽到一聲'行'嗎？"
"Yes!" The congregation, now with all the fervor of a riot, was waving their arms in excitement.
"行！"教眾再次回答道。所有的人都熟情奔放地騷動起來，興奮無比地揮動著手臂。
The Reverend, pleased with the revitalization, did a back flip off the stage, and, dancing to the rhythm of the music, passed around the offering plate, saying "Open up them rigid wallets of yours and give your money to the Lord. Give it all now, you hear. Don't be stingy with the Lord. If you're stingy with the Lord, the Lord's gonna be stingy with you."
牧師對于教眾的復興非常滿意，他從臺上跳了下來，隨著音樂韻律歡快地舞動著，繞過捐獻盤，說道："現(xiàn)在把你們堅硬的錢夾打開，把錢獻給上帝吧！聽到了嗎？把錢都獻給上帝吧！對上帝可不能小氣。如果你對上帝小氣，上帝就會對你小氣。"
