of the Ten Commandments. In Christian tradition it is the First Commandment.

在基督教實為第一戒律。

The most common translation begins: "You shall have no other gods before me."

簡而言之，其大意為：「不可敬拜其他神明」。

The commandment then goes on to prohibit both making idols and worshiping idols.

這條戒律延伸至禁止塑造與崇拜偶像。

Most people, when they think of this commandment understandably think that it only prohibits

當提到這條戒律時，許多人僅將它理解為

the worship of idols and the worship of gods such as the ancient pagan gods of rain,

禁止膜拜偶像或神明，如異教徒的雨神、

of fertility, all the other nature gods and chief gods such as the Roman Jupiter, and the Greek Zeus.

生育之神、所有自然之神和其他主神，如羅馬朱庇特與希臘宙斯。

However, there is a major problem with this understanding of the commandment.

然而，這樣理解這條戒律有個很大問題。

Since no one today worships these gods, let alone worships idols made of stone,

畢竟現代已經沒有人信奉這些神，更別提祭拜祂們的石像，

most people think that this commandment is irrelevant to modern life.

因此許多人認為這條戒律和現代生活完全無關。

The irony, however, is that this commandment is not only relevant to modern life,

諷刺的是，這條戒律不僅和現代生活有關，

it is in many ways the mother of all the other commandments.

更是所有其他戒律的根源。

Why is it so relevant today? Because today we have as many false gods as the ancients did.

為何它和現代生活沾得上邊呢？因為現代的我們正如古代人，擁有許多偽神。

And why it is the mother of all the other commandments? Because if we identify false

那為何它是其他戒律之母呢？因為如果我們定義出這些偽神，

gods and avoid worshipping them, we will eliminate one of the greatest barriers to a good world

並且避免崇拜它們，那我們就消除了讓世界更美好的最大障礙－－偽神。

-- false gods. So, let's begin by defining a false god. The point of biblical monotheism

所以讓我們來定義何為偽神。聖經的一神教是指

is that there is only one God and that only this God, the Creator of the universe who

世界上只有一個真神，而且這個神是宇宙的創造者，

demands that we keep these Ten Commandments, is to be worshipped. Why?

規定我們要遵守十誡。為什麼呢？

First, because one God means one human race.

首先，只有一個真神意味著只有一個人類種族。

Only if we all have the same Creator, or Father, as it were,

當我們擁有相同的造物者，或說天父，

are we are all brothers and sisters. Second, having the same parent also means that no person

代表所有人類彼此為手足。其次，擁有同樣的天父

or group is intrinsically more valuable than any other. And third, one God means one moral

沒有任何人或種族比其他優越。再者，只有一個上帝表示所有人類

standard for all people. If God declares murder wrong, it is wrong for everyone, and you can't

將遵循唯一的道德標準。如果上帝說謀殺是不對的，大家都必須遵守，沒有人可以

go to another god for another moral standard.

改信其他神明以及其他道德規範。

When anything else is worshipped, bad things result. Not only things that can obviously

如果任何東西也被崇拜，壞事將發生。不僅是那些能直接

lead to evil such as the worship of power, or race, or money, or flag.

和罪惡聯想的東西，像是崇拜權力、種族、金錢或圖騰等，

But also things that are almost always seen as quite beautiful -- such as art,

還有那些令人感到美好的事物，如藝術、

or education or even love.

教育或甚至是愛。

Yes, any of these often wonderful things, when worshipped, can lead to terrible results.

沒錯，任何美好的事物一旦被崇拜也可能招致可怕的後果。

Take art. Many of the cruelest humans in history loved beautiful music and art. But, as a music lover,

舉藝術為例，歷史上許多殘酷的人也熱愛美妙的音樂與藝術。但身為一名音樂愛好者，

I learned early in life the sad fact that great music can be used to inspire people

我體會到一個令人難過的事實，那就是音樂可以激勵人們追隨邪惡

to follow evil just as much as it can be used to inspire people to do good.

正如其可激勵人們向善一樣。

The great Hollywood director Stanley Kubrick vividly made this point in his classic 1971 film,

好萊塢導演史丹利·庫柏力克在他1971年的經典電影，發條橘子，生動地指出這些論點。

A Clockwork Orange. In it, men rape and murder while classical music plays in the background.

在這部片中，人們隨著古典音樂作奸犯科。

Take education. We all recognize how important education can be -- from preparing people

我們都知道教育的重要性－－從讓人們準備進入職場

to be able to find work to understanding the world. But education in and of itself,

到追求更高深的知識。但若教育其本身

divorced from the higher ends of God and goodness, can lead, and often has, led to great evil.

和上帝與善脫節，往往會帶來極大的惡行。

Many of the best-educated people in Germany supported Hitler and the Nazis.

許多受過高等教育的德國人支持希特勒和納粹

And almost all of the Western world's supporters of the genocidal regimes of Stalin in the Soviet

幾乎所有支持蘇聯史達林屠殺政權的西方人

Union and Mao in China were highly educated. There is nothing about a Ph.D. that guarantees

以及毛澤東都受過高等教育。拿到博士學位的人並不表示就比

a person will be wiser, kinder, or more ethical than someone with only a high school education.

只有高中畢業的人較有智慧、善良、更有道德感。

The same holds true even of love. Love, of course, is so often beautiful.

同理而言，愛也是一樣的。雖然愛常常是美好的，

But it, too, can lead to evil. In the twentieth century people who put love of country above love

但它同樣也會引導人們走向邪惡。在二十世紀，那些將對國家的愛置於

of God and goodness often committed terrible evil.

對神的愛之上的人們常常造惡作孽。

And here's a test for you: Imagine that the pet you love and a stranger -- a person you

這邊給你個小測驗，想像你的愛犬和一個陌生人，

don't know and therefore could not possibly love -- are drowning. Do you first try to

一個你根本不可能會愛上的人，同時落到水裡，

save your pet or the stranger? Well, if love is an end in itself, you save your pet.

你會先救你的愛犬或是那位陌生人？如果就以順從愛本身而言，你會先救你的愛犬。

But if you hold human life as a higher value than love, you won't follow love.

但如果你把人命看得比愛更重，你不會先去救你的愛犬而是那個陌生人。

This Commandment made the ethical revolution of the Bible and of the Ten Commandments

這條戒律為聖經及十誡帶來道德革命

-- what is known as ethical monotheism -- possible. Worship the God of the Ten Commandments and

－－也就是我們已知的一神教。敬拜十誡的上帝，

you will make a good world. Worship a false god -- no matter how noble sounding --

會讓世界更加美好。若崇拜偽神，不論聽起來有多高尚，

and you will end up with a world of cruelty.

世界最後將被殘酷給淹沒。

I'm Dennis Prager.

我是丹尼斯·普拉格。