The preacher(传道士、牧师) preached a wonderful rhythmical sermon(布道),all moans and shouts and lonely cries and dire(可怕的) pictures of hell, and then he sang a song about the ninety and nine safe in the fold, but one little lamb was left out in the cold. Then he said: “Won't you come? Won't you come to Jesus? Young lambs, won't you come?” And he held out his arms to all us young sinners there on the mourners'(忏悔者)bench. And the little girls cried. And some of them jumped up and went to Jesus right away. But most of us just sat there.
传道士对地狱里所有的悲叹、喊叫、孤独的哭泣及种种悲惨的景象进行了精彩的、有韵律的布道。接着,他又唱了一首歌,歌的内容是有九十九只羊羔平安地待在羊圈里,只有一只被丢在冰冷的外面。然后,他说:“你们不来吗?你们不到耶稣身旁吗?孩子们,你们不来吗?”他双臂伸向我们这些坐在忏悔席长橙上的小罪人。小女孩们都哭了,有些立即跳起来走到耶稣身旁。但我们大部分孩子仍坐在那儿。
A great many old people came and knelt around us and prayed, old women with jet-black(乌黑发亮的) faces and braided(编成辫子的) hair, old men with work- gnarled hands. And the church sang a song about the lower lights are burning, some poor sinners to be saved. And the whole building rocked(剧烈震动) with prayer and song. Still I kept waiting to see Jesus.
许多老人走来,跪在我们周围祈祷。老妇人面部乌黑发亮,头上编着辫子,上岁数的男人因劳作而双手粗糙。全体信徒唱了一首关于微小的灵光在燃烧,一些可怜的罪人便可得救的歌。祈祷声及歌声震撼着整个教堂。我仍旧等着见耶稣。
注:Let the Lower Lights Be Burning是一首圣歌,歌中上帝为灯塔,众信徒可发出Lower lights拯救罪人。
Finally all the young people had gone to the altar(圣坛) and were saved, but one boy and me. He was a rounder's(浪子,酒鬼) son named Westley. Westley and I were surrounded by sisters and deacons(会吏) prying. It was very hot in the church, and getting late now, Finally Westley said to me in a whisper: “God damn! I'm tired o' sitting here. Let's get up and be saved.” So he got up and was saved.
最后,除了我和一个男孩外,所有的孩子都走到圣坛前,得到了拯救。这个男孩是个酒鬼的儿子,叫韦斯特利。我们俩被口念祷词的女会员和教吏包围着。教堂里很热,时间也很晚了。终于,韦斯特利低声对我说:“该死!我坐在这儿都厌烦了。我们起来被拯救吧。”因而,他站起身,得到了拯救。