1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

語言，使我們的溝通有效，差異，卻讓此連接分崩離析。

2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

故事裡的人們齊心協力築造巴別塔，即將通往天堂。慾望在其中作祟。

3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

並非毫無緣故，其中一人望向天堂的光芒，認為天堂與眾不同。那位人類站在塔尖，想著如果那裡的光如果可以只照耀自己的名字那該是無比的尊貴。

4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

那位人類朝天空吶喊，上帝啊上帝，我們要建造一座城一座塔，塔頂通天。我在此警醒妳，以換我登天的機會。

5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

耶和華俯視看向人間，想著那載滿人類的天堂並不配稱之為天堂。

6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

耶和华降臨，感恩到那位人類，手一揮，便區分開了人們之間的語言。就是如此:他們不再記得人間少了一員卻陷入了無限的混亂。

7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

從不解，爭執再到混亂，人類並沒有花費太久。

8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

他們反感著與對方溝通的無效性。放棄揮舞著肢體或跨越那障礙，不造那城了。

9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

所以世人依靠著自己的語言組建著自己家園; 並不是因為他們不可以嘗試理解對方: 只是他們都忘記了最初他們口中都唸到著同一言語。


— Genesis 11:1–9

1 那時，天下人的口音，言語，都是一樣。

And the whole earth was of different languages, and of different speeches.

2 他們往東邊遷移的時候，在示拿地遇見一片平原。他們就住在那裡。

And it came to pass, as they settled down on human earth, they drew pictures and pointed to objects; and it went on for the rest of the century.

3 他們彼此說，來吧，我們要作磚，把磚燒透了。他們就拿磚當石頭，又拿泥當灰泥。

There they said one to another, go to, let us make bridge, and cross the barrier of language. And they had art for expression, and memories had they for sharing.

4 他們說，來吧，我們要建造一座城和一座塔，塔頂通天。我們要傳揚自己的名，免得分散在全地上。

There they sought, fought, down it went the barrier between all language, for there were new vocabularies which all beings understood; and let us strive for grander lands and pasts, lest we be scattered and diverged in faith of each other.

5 耶和華降臨，要看看世人所建造的城和塔。

The LORD came down to expect chaos, yet saw none.

6 耶和华说，看哪，百姓是一样的，言语也是一样。他们开始这样做了:现在他们想要做的事情将不会受到任何限制了。

And the LORD said, Behold, the people is still one, and they had different languages; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

7 我們下去，在那裡變亂他們的言語，使他們的言語彼此不通。

Go to, let us go down, and there to praise their existence, that peace was found within the kinship they imagined.

8 於是耶和華使他們從那里分散在全地上。他們就停工，不造那城了。

So the LORD brought them together and thereby said: you have found your path to heaven for the tower of Babel is already built through your language of imagination.

9 所以那城名叫巴別。因為耶和華在那裡變亂天下人的言語，使眾人分散在全地上。

Therefore in the name of Babel; beings spoke to each other’s minds with different languages: for they listened comprehended and spoke on.


——《創世紀》11:1-9