'It was ordered, sir.'
“這本書是訂購的，先生。”

'Not by me, or any one belonging to me, I am happy to say.' The shopkeeper looked into his order-book.
“我敢說我沒有訂購這本書，我家里別的人也沒有訂購這本書?！睍昀习宀榱瞬橛嗁彽怯洸?。

'Oh, it has been misdirected, sir,' he said. 'It was ordered by Mr Angel Clare, and should have been sent to him.'
“哦，這本書寄錯了，先生，”他說?！斑@本書是安琪爾·克萊爾先生訂購的，應(yīng)該寄給他才對。”

Mr Clare winced as if he had been struck. He went home pale and dejected, and called Angel into his study.
克萊爾先生聽后直往后躲，仿佛被人打了一樣。他滿臉蒼白地回到家里，一臉地沮喪，把安琪爾叫到他的書房里。

'Look into this book, my boy,' he said. 'What do you know about it?'
“你讀讀這本書吧，我的兒子，”他說?！澳阒肋@是怎么一回事嗎？”

'I ordered it,' said Angel simply.
“這是我訂購的書，”安琪爾回答得很簡單。

'What for?'
“訂這本書干什么？”

'To read.'
“讀呀?！?/div>

'How can you think of reading it?'
“你怎么會想到要讀這本書？”

'How can I? Why - it is a system of philosophy. There is no more moral, or even religious, work published.'
“我怎么想到的？為什么——這是一本關(guān)于哲學(xué)體系的書呀。在已經(jīng)出版的書里面，沒有其它的書比它更符合道德的了，也甚至沒有比它更符合宗教的了?！?/div>

'Yes - moral enough; I don't deny that. But religious! - and for you, who intend to be a minister of the Gospel!'
“是的—一很道德；我不否認這一點。可是宗教呢？——尤其對你來說，對想當一個宣傳福音的牧師的你來說，它不合乎宗教！”

'Since you have alluded to the matter, father,' said the son, with anxious thought upon his face, 'I should like to say, once for all, that I should prefer not to take Orders. I fear I could not conscientiously do so. I love the Church as one loves a parent. I shall always have the warmest affection for her. There is no institution for whose history I have a deeper admiration; but I cannot honestly be ordained her minister, as my brothers are, while she refuses to liberate her mind from an untenable redemptive theolatry.'
“既然你提到這件事，父親，”兒子說，臉上滿是焦慮的神情，“我想最后再說一次，我不愿意擔任教職。憑良心說，我恐怕不能夠去當牧師。我愛教會就像一個人愛他的父親一樣。對教會我一直懷有最熱烈的感情。再也沒有一種制度的歷史能使我有比它更深的敬愛了；可是，在她還沒有把她的思想從奉神贖罪的不堪一擊的信念中解放出來，我不能像我兩個哥哥一樣，真正接受教職做她的牧師。”