英语论文The influences of bible on english culture.docx
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英语论文Theinfluencesofbibleonenglishculture
TheInfluencesofBibleonEnglishCulture
1.Introduction
Inwesterncountries,Christianityisthemaintypeofreligion.Withtheworldwidelyspread,Christianityactsanenormousimpactonwesternculture.TheinfluencesoftheBibleareworld-wide.Itsmightypowerhasaffectedeverydepartmentofhumanactivity.ThecontentsoftheScriptureshavesuppliedthemesforthegreatestpoets,artistsandmusicians,andhavebeenthemightiestfactorofallinshapingthemoralprogressoftherace.LetusconsiderafewexamplesoftheBible’sinfluencesasdisplayedinthevariousrealmsofhumanenterprise.ThisarticleexpoundstheinfluencesoftheBibleontheEnglishculturefromseveralaspects.
2.AgeneralstudyoftheBible
KnowledgeoftheBibleisaprerequisitetounderstandEnglishculture.
WhatexactlyTheBibleis?
Theexplanationintheencyclopediais“Bible,termusedsincethefourthcenturytodenotetheChristianScripturesandlater,byextension,thoseofvariousreligioustraditions.ThisarticlediscussesthenatureofreligiousscripturegenerallyandtheChristianScripturesspecifically,aswellasthehistoryofthetranslationoftheBibleintoEnglish.ForthecompositionandthecanonoftheHebrewandChristianBible,seeOldTestament;NewTestament;Apocrypha.”
2.1ThehistoryofhowtheBiblecreated
Christianitystartedinthemiddleofthe1stcenturyAD,itoriginatedfromtheearliestreligionwhichHebrewestablishedoftheworld—Judaism,theChristianityadmittedandcontinuedtouseJudaism’sreligionidea,anddevelopeditonthisfoundation.ExceptacceptingJehovahasGod,theChristianityalsobelievesSavioristhenameofGod’sson,anameofJesusChristwhowassentbyGodtosavethepeople.ChristianstakethewordsrecordedthathowChristianityspreadanddevelopintotheNewTestament.ThecombinationoftheNewTestamentandthescriptureofJudaism”OldTestament”becamethesacredwritingsofChristianity—“HolyBible”.During4thcenturyAD,theRomanEmpire’sConstantinemadetheChristianityasthenation’sreligion,sincethat,ChristianitystartedtospreadallovertheEuropeanarea.
PopeDamascusIassembledthefirstlistofbooksoftheBibleattheCouncilofRomein382AD.HecommissionedSaintJerometoproduceareliableandconsistenttextbytranslatingtheoriginalGreekandHebrewtextsintoLatin.ThistranslationbecameknownastheLatinVulgateBibleandin1546attheCouncilofTrentwasdeclaredbytheChurchtobetheonlyauthenticandofficialBibleintheLatinrite.
2.2TheversionsandtranslationsoftheBible
TheBibleisoftendescribedas"thegreatestbookeverwritten."Thisisbecauseofitsunendingsignificanceandinfluencesonpeoplethroughouttheages.NootherbookinhistoryhasimpactedpeoplesandculturesliketheBible.Sofar,theBiblehasbeentranslatedinto2,018languagesandeveryyearmorecopiesoftheBiblearesoldthananyothersinglebook.
Inscholarlywriting,ancienttranslationsarefrequentlyreferredtoas"versions,"withtheterm"translation"beingreservedformedievalormoderntranslations.TheBibleversionsarediscussedbelow,whileTheBibletranslationscanbefoundonaseparatepage.
TheChristianBibleconsistsoftheHebrewScriptures,whichhavebeencalledtheOldTestament,andsomelaterwritingsknownastheNewTestament.TheoriginaltextsoftheBiblewereinHebrew,althoughsomeportionswereinAramaic.ThereareseveraldifferentancientversionsoftheBibleinHebrew,mostlydifferingbyspelling,andthetraditionalJewishversionisbasedontheversionknownasOldTestament.TheprimarybiblicaltextforearlyChristianswastheSeptuagint.Inaddition,theytranslatedtheHebrewBibleintoseveralotherlanguages.TranslationsweremadeintoSyria,Coptic,Greek,Latin,andotherlanguages.TheLatintranslationswerehistoricallythemostimportantintheWest,whiletheGreek-speakingCountriescontinuedtousetheSeptuaginttranslationsoftheOldTestamentandretaintheNewTestament.
TheearliestLatintranslationwastheOldLatintext,orVetusLatin,whichseemstohavebeenmadebyseveralauthorsoveraperiodoftime.TheBibletranslationsformanylanguageshavebeenmadethroughthevariousinfluencesofCatholicism,Orthodox,Protestant,especiallysincetheProtestantReformation.TheBiblehasseenanotablylargenumberofEnglishlanguagetranslations.TheworkofTheBibletranslationcontinues,includingbyChristianorganizationssuchasWycliffeBibleTranslators,NewTribesMissionsandtheBibleSocieties.Oftheworld's6,900languages,2,400havesomeortheentireBible,1,600(spokenbymorethanabillionpeople)hastranslationunderway.
2.3ThemainformationsoftheBible
TheBibleasweknowittodayisdividedintotwomainsectionsorcollectionsofbookscalledtheOldTestamentandtheNewTestament.Theword'testament'literallymeans‘somethingthatservesasprooforapersonalwitnesseitherverballyorwritten’.Sothesetestamentsarethewritingsofpeopleandtherecordingsofeventsthatserveasproof.TheclimaxorpinnacleoftheBibleisJesus-God'scomingtoearthasaman(incarnate).TheOldTestamentisthehistoryofGod'sworkthroughthenationofIsrael(ortheHebrewpeople)totheworldinpreparationforJesus.TheNewTestamentisthewitnessofJesus'cominglife,teachings,work,andtheramificationsofthesetothepeopleofthattimeandinthefuturetilltheendoftime.Thebiblewaswrittenfrom50A.D.orsoandwascompletedinthesecondcentury.TheoriginsandformationsoftheBible,Testaments,andbooksincludedarecoveredindetailinthespecificTestamentsections.
ThewritersofthebooksoftheBiblewerejustordinaryhumans,butitisthehistoricChristianbelief,thattheywroteundertheinfluencesoftheHolySpirit,thatisunder'inspiration'.ThisinspirationfactormakestheBibledifferentfromanyotherbookthatexists-past,presentorfuture.Itthereforebearsunlimitedimportanceforustostudyandunderstand.Althoughmanyotherbooksexistedatthattime,theBiblebookswerestillthemainchoiceofpeople.PersonsspirituallyguidedbytheHolySpiritchosethebook.Thisenabledthemtochoosewhatwasspirituallytrueandwhatwasfalseandthereforeshouldorshouldnotbeincludedas'scripture'.Thecollectionofbooksrecognizedasauthoritativeanddivinelyinspired,werecanonized.CanonisaGreekwordwhichmeansruleormeasuringline.Thebooksthatpassedthecanonwereconsideredscripture.Otherbooksthatdidnotpassthecanon,maybeofinteresttoread,andsuitableforlearning,butarenotregardedasonthesamelevelasBiblicalor'canonical'booksinthattheycarrynoauthority.
3.TheinfluencesoftheBibleonEnglishculture
WhentheBible'sinfluencesareprofoundinasociety,itwillaffectallaspectsofthatcultureinapositiveway.Howwedress,whatweeat,whatmusicwelistento,andwhatwechooseforentertainment,areallreflectionsofhowstronglytheBibleaffectsourlives.TheideaoftheBiblehasbecomefirmlyestablishedinwesternsocietytoday.Thisinfluencehasbeendemonstratedinallaspectsoftheirdailylife.
Itisconsideredasanimportantsourceofwesternlanguagecultureaswellasaclassicalreligiousmasterpiece.JustlikehowConfucius’philosophyandworkshasaffectsChinese’sideasprofoundly,theBibleisafoundationofideasandprinciplesuponwhichwesternsocietyrests.Forhundredsofyears,theBiblehasbeenpenetrateddeeplyintowesternfamilies’dailylife,andbecametherulesofpeople’slife.TheBiblehasshapednotonlyreligiousthought,butalsopolitics,law,education,literature,culture, flavoredEnglishlanguagewithwordsandphrasesetc.Indeed,forAmericansofmanydenominations,theBiblewasconsideredasthewellspringofnationalmythology,astheprevailingbiblicalstoriesandimageryspreadwiththechangeoftimeandcircumstance.
3.1TheinfluencesoftheBibleonCeremony
EnglishcountriesareChristiancountries,bothpresidentsandfarmersgotothechurcheveryweekend.AlmostalltheimportantceremonyisheldinaChristianway.It’ssafetosaythatalltheceremoniesareoriginatedfromtheBible,Suchas,wedding,funeralandsoon.Inmanycountriesofthewesternworld,newly-bornbabiesusuallyreceivedthebaptism.
Theparentsbringthebabiestothechurch,orinvitethepastorstotheirhome,toholdasimpleandsolemnceremony.AfterthepastorchantedthescriptureoftheBible,hegentlysprayswaterontheheadofthebaby,saying:
“IbaptizeyouinthenameoftheFather,andtheson,andoftheHolySpirit”.
3.1.1WeddingCeremony:
Weddingsaretreatedasabigoccasion.TheBiblereputesthatmarriageisaneternalrelationship.InTheBibleitisdescribedlikethis,“theLordGodsaid:
‘itisnotgoodforthemantobealoneIwillmakeasuitablepartnerforhim’”(Genesis2:
18).GodthinksAdamislonelywhenhewasalone,sohetookoneofAdam’sribsandcreatesEvawithit.Adamsaid:
“Thisone,atlastisboneofmybones,andfreshofmyfresh.-(Genesis2:
23-24)”.Husbandandwifeisnolongertwopeople,butone.Christianityholdsthat,marriageismatchedbyGod,andmarriageshouldbefoundedonthereverenceofGod.PeopleshouldworshipGodinmarriageandfamilylife.Therefore,weddingisoneofthemostimportantceremoniesofEnglishcountries.Soallclosefamiliesandfriendswouldbeinvitedtothechurchtowitnessthisstatelymoment.Withtheholymusicgoingon,thebrideinalongwhiteweddingdressandwhiteveiltakesherfather’srightarmwalkstothealtar.Andthevicarasksherfather:
“Who