聖經異譯

小弟最近有機會，在很短的時間之間，讀過聖保祿宗徒致格林多人書信的兩種英譯本。有一處有趣的發現。

問題是發生在格林多人前書的第七章。保祿宗徒在這章中，特別推許守貞的生活。思高聖經譯本中的第36至38節是這樣讀的：

若有人以為對自己的童女待的不合宜，怕她過了韶華年齡，而事又在必行，他就可以隨意辦理，讓她們成親，不算犯罪。但是誰若心意堅定，沒有不得已的事，而又能隨自己的意願處置，這樣心裏決定了要保存自己的童女，的確做的好；所以誰若叫自己的童女出嫁，作得好；誰若不叫她出嫁，作得更好。

這是我們自幼從彌撒的讀經中，所聽到的傳統。Jerusalem Bible 亦是這麼譯的－－

Still, if there is anyone who feels that it would not be fair to his daughter to let her grow too old for marriage, and that he should do something about it, he is free to do as he likes: he is not sinning if there is a marriage. On the other hand, if someone has firmly made his mind up, without any compulsion and in complete freedom of choice, to keep his daughter as she is, he will be doing a good thing. In other words, the man who sees that his daughter is married has done a good thing but the man who keeps his daughter unmarried has done something even better.

不過，最近小弟所重讀的格林多人書信，是以 Revised Standard Version 的版本進行－－

If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry - it is no sin. But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. So that he who marries his betrothed does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do better.

再查考一下 New Jerusalem Bible 提供的版本：

If someone with strong passions thinks that he is behaving badly towards his fiancee and that things should take their due course, he should follow his desires. There is no sin in it; they should marry. But if he stands firm in his resolution, without any compulsion but with full control of his own will, and decides to let her remain as his fiancee, then he is acting well. In other words, he who marries his fiancee is doing well, and he who does not, better still.

到底這段聖經是指一段「父親應否嫁女」的勸籲，抑或是「明主有花者應否結婚」的勸籲？

搜尋之下，發現有本圖書。這幾頁裡的資料，似乎可為這問題的底蘊，透露多少端倪。