15Januaryянваря · 15-е января
Основной смысл учения Христа — в устанавливании непосредственного общения человека — сына божия — с отцом богом.
The fundamental meaning of Christ’s teaching lies in establishing the direct communion of the human being — a son of God — with God the Father.
1. Вы спрашиваете, в чем главная сущность характера Христа. Я отвечаю, что это — его уверенность в величии человеческой души. Он видел в человеке отражение и образ божества и потому любил человека, кто бы он ни был, какие бы ни были условия его жизни и характера. Иисус смотрел на людей взором, пронизывающим материальную оболочку, — тело исчезало перед ним. Он смотрел сквозь наряды богатого и лохмотья нищего в душу человека; и там, среди мрака невежества и пятен греха, он находил зачатки силы и совершенства, которые могут бесконечно развиваться, духовную, бессмертную природу. В самом низко падшем, развращенном человеке он видел существо, которое может превратиться в ангела света. Даже более того: он чувствовал, что в нем самом нет ничего такого, чего бы не мог достигнуть каждый человек.
1. You ask what the chief essence of Christ’s character is. I answer that it is his confidence in the greatness of the human soul. He saw in man the reflection and image of divinity, and therefore he loved man, whoever he might be, whatever the conditions of his life and character. Jesus looked on people with a gaze that pierced the material shell — the body vanished before him. He looked through the finery of the rich and the rags of the beggar into the soul of man; and there, amid the darkness of ignorance and the stains of sin, he found the seeds of strength and perfection, which can develop without end: a spiritual, immortal nature. In the most deeply fallen, depraved man he saw a being who could be transformed into an angel of light. Even more than that: he felt that there was nothing in himself that any man could not attain.
From Character of Christ, a sermon on Matthew 17:5 · shortened by Tolstoy .
Channing’s own wordsDo you ask what this deep principle was ? I answer, it was his conviction of the greatness of the human soul. He saw in man the impress and image of the divinity, and therefore thirsted for his redemption, and took the tenderest interest in him, whatever might be the rank, character, or condition in which he was found.
Jesus looked on men with an eye which pierced beneath the material frame. The body vanished before him. The trappings of the rich, the rags of the poor, were nothing to him. He looked through them as though they did not exist, to the soul ; and there, amidst clouds of ignorance and plague-spots of sin, he recognised a spiritual and immortal nature, and the germs of power and perfection which might be unfolded for ever. In the most fallen and depraved man he saw a being who might become an angel of light. Still more, he felt there was nothing in himself to which men might not ascend.
Source text: archive.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Character of Christ, a sermon on Matthew 17:5 ('This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'), in The Complete Works of W. E. Channing (London: Christian Life Publishing Co., 1884), Near the end of the sermon, after 'We have not yet reached the depth of Christ's character'.
Close, with the opening adapted and two cuts. Channing's question 'Do you ask what this deep principle was?' (the principle on which Christ's sympathy was founded) becomes 'You ask what the chief essence of Christ's character is'. 'thirsted for his redemption, and took the tenderest interest in him' becomes 'loved man'. Left out: 'This spiritual view of man pervades and distinguishes the teaching of Christ', and 'were nothing to him. He looked through them as though they did not exist' is joined into 'He looked through the finery of the rich and the rags of the poor into the soul'. 'plague-spots of sin' becomes 'stains of sin'.
2. Для народов, как и для личностей, освобождение от предрассудков не уменьшает нравственных преград, но только заменяет более грубые руководства жизни более возвышенными. Многие бедные души теряют при этой замене свою поддержку. Но в этом нет ничего дурного или опасного. Это только рост. Ребенок должен выучиться ходить один. Сначала человек, лишившийся привычного суеверия, чувствует себя потерянным, бездомным. Но это отнятие от него внешних поддержек загоняет его внутрь себя и этим самым укрепляет его. Он чувствует себя лицом к лицу с богом: он читает не по книге, а в душе своей смысл учения, и его маленькая часовня расширяется до величественного храма небесного свода.
2. For nations, as for individuals, liberation from prejudices does not lessen moral barriers, but only replaces the cruder guides of life with loftier ones. Many poor souls lose their support in this exchange. But there is nothing bad or dangerous in this. It is only growth. A child must learn to walk alone. At first a man deprived of his accustomed superstition feels lost, homeless. But this taking away of his outward supports drives him into himself and thereby strengthens him. He feels himself face to face with God: he reads the meaning of the teaching not from a book but in his own soul, and his little chapel widens into the majestic temple of the vault of heaven.
From Character · shortened by Tolstoy .
Emerson’s own wordsOf course each poor soul loses all his old stays; …
Is not this wrong? is not this dangerous? ’Tis not wrong, but the law of growth. It is not dangerous, any more than the mother’s withdrawing her hands from the tottering babe, at his first walk across the nursery-floor: the child fears and cries, but achieves the feat, instantly tries it again, and never wishes to be assisted more. And this infant soul must learn to walk alone. At first he is forlorn, homeless; but this rude stripping him of all support drives him inward, and he finds himself unhurt; he finds himself face to face with the majestic Presence, reads the original of the Ten Commandments, the original of Gospels and Epistles; nay, his narrow chapel expands to the blue cathedral of the sky, …
To nations or to individuals the progress of opinion is not a loss of moral restraint, but simply a change from coarser to finer checks.
Source text: gutenberg.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Character (North American Review, 1866), in Lectures and Biographical Sketches (1883), Paragraph beginning 'In the present tendency of our society, in the new importance of the individual'.
One paragraph, condensed, with its last sentence moved to the front: 'To nations or to individuals the progress of opinion is not a loss of moral restraint, but simply a change from coarser to finer checks' opens Tolstoy's version, 'the progress of opinion' becoming 'freedom from prejudices'. Left out: the list of old stays (bishop, confessor, class-leader, fagot, penance), the simile of the mother withdrawing her hands from the tottering babe, the Ten Commandments and Gospels and Epistles, and the verse quoted at the end. 'he finds himself unhurt' becomes 'and so strengthens him'; 'the majestic Presence' becomes 'God'; 'reads the original' becomes 'reads the meaning of the teaching, not in a book, but in his own soul'; 'the blue cathedral of the sky' becomes 'the majestic temple of the vault of heaven'.
Translation note. «Предрассудки», “prejudices”, are received notions; the word is kept apart from «суеверие», “superstition”, later in the passage.
3. Познание бога может быть или умственным, или нравственным, основанным на вере. Умственное познание ненадежно и подвержено опасным ошибкам; нравственное же познание приписывает богу только такие свойства, которые требуют нравственных поступков. Такая вера естественна и сверхъестественна.
3. The knowledge of God can be either intellectual or moral, founded on faith. Intellectual knowledge is unreliable and subject to dangerous errors; moral knowledge, on the other hand, ascribes to God only such attributes as require moral acts. Such faith is natural and supernatural.
From Fragmente aus dem Nachlasse · close to the original .
Original · GermanDie Erkenntnis von Gott ist entweder spekulativ, und diese ist ungewiß und gefährlichen Irrtümern unterworfen, oder moralisch durch den Glauben, und die denkt keine andern Eigenschaften von Gott, als die auf Moralität abzielen. Dieser Glaube ist natürlich und übernatürlich.
Source text: archive.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Fragmente aus dem Nachlasse (Kant's posthumous fragments), as excerpted in Raoul Richter, Kant-Aussprüche (1901), Kant-Aussprüche no. 38; Richter's register: Fragmente, Hartenstein VIII, 630.
Richter no. 38, sentence for sentence: knowledge of God is either speculative, and then uncertain and subject to dangerous errors, or moral, through faith, and this conceives no attributes of God but those that aim at morality; this faith is natural and supernatural. Tolstoy calls the speculative knowledge "intellectual" (умственным), and the attributes are those "that demand moral acts". No public-domain English of the Fragmente was found.
4. Ищите не только нравственной жизни, но стремитесь к тому, чтò выше нравственности.
4. Seek not only a moral life, but strive toward what is higher than morality.
From Letter to Harrison Blake, Concord, 27 March 1848 · reworded by Tolstoy .
What changed“Do not be too moral” is softened to “seek not only a moral life.”
Thoreau’s own wordsDo not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life so. Aim above morality.
Source text: gutenberg.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Letter to Harrison Blake, Concord, 27 March 1848 (Familiar Letters, Writings vol. VI, 1906; first printed in Letters to Various Persons, 1865), Third paragraph from the end of the letter, after 'Know your own bone; gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw it still'.
'Aim above morality' is rendered closely ('strive for what is higher than morality'); Tolstoy puts before it 'Seek not only the moral life', which softens Thoreau's 'Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life so.' The same letter gave November 26 and December 12 their Thoreau entries.
Translation note. The Russian italic is broken only at the comma before «чтò», “what”; it is set here as one span.
Бойтесь всего, что становится между вами и богом — духом, живущим в вашей душе.
Fear everything that comes between you and God — the spirit living in your soul.
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