请帮忙审核一下这句话的翻译

Seaguest wrote:

If communism can motivate such dedication and sacrifice for the goals of Marxism, should not Christians apprehend that for which they’ve been apprehended by the Lord of Life Himself?

这句话的下半句非常难理解，问题出在“apprehend”这个词上，还有就是that for wich这个代词组合上。想老半天，我只能结合上半句揣摸着译成下面这样的，请大家帮我斟酌一下。谢谢！

译句：如果共产主义能够为着马克思主义目标的实现而激发起如此的奉献和牺牲，那么基督徒岂不更应该执着于生命之主为呼召他们而设立的标杆吗？

wherestip wrote:



这种 motivational power 基督徒应是理解的，就像 主对他们的感召一样。

4. Keep motivation strong and pure, for that supplies a sense of urgency and responsibility. Most of us don't know what we could actual do if we were to be fully activated, with all our powers called forth simultaneously. "The patient dedication of the will counts far more than native ability. Capacity flows more often from desire than desire from capacity." One man with a personal burden will accomplish more than ten with mere interest. The world has had very little opportunity to see what God could do with men who wholly followed Him. If communism can motivate such dedication and sacrifice for the goals of Marxism, should not Christians apprehend that for which they've been apprehended by the Lord of Life Himself?

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/that

4 a : the one : the thing : the kind : something, anything (the truth of that which is true) (the senses are that whereby we experience the world) (what's that you say)

J.H. Wang wrote:

想了好久，感觉这里的 that 似乎应该指前面的 dedication and sacrifice，奉献和牺牲。

后半句似乎是说，难道基督徒就不应该理解它（奉献和牺牲）吗？ 生命之主正是凭借它（基督徒的奉献和牺牲）理解了他们（基督徒）。

for...... 这里表示原因。

Seaguest wrote:

谢谢两位费心指点。我似乎明白了这句话的意思了。关键是要搞明白两个从句的对应关系。

1，communism can motivate such dedication and sacrifice for the goals of Marxism,
2，Christians should apprehend that for which they’ve been apprehended by the Lord of Life Himself

这样一对比，apprehend的宾语就应该是dedication and sacrifice。

不过，apprehend的意思不应该是“理解”，两个从句是一个类比和新进的关系，而且强调的是实践。如果用“理解”来翻译，后面一句话的力度就弱下来了。我觉得apprehend这里应该理解为“逮捕”、“抓住”。就是说，基督徒应比共产主义者更执着于奉献和牺牲，而上帝也正是为此把他们抓住的。

wherestip wrote:



I found the original on the web.

I think "that" in this usage is nebulous enough to interpret in different ways: whether it is "motivational power", "dedication and sacrifice", or something else. IMO, it doesn't make too much of a difference in this context how "that" is interpreted.

"That" could also refer to the fact/observation that "an inspirational ideal can motivate dedication and sacrifice", having a similar function to that of the word "it". As we know, sometimes the word "it" doesn't specifically refer to a concrete entity, but an abstract idea, or subject at hand.
So in other words, if communism - which is not of a divine nature - motivates such dedication and sacrifice, shouldn't Christianity - which is - inspire even more in Christians to live up to what God sees in them?

~*~*~*~*



Using this interpretation (4 a), you get something to the effect of:

that for which they've been apprehended by the Lord of Life Himself
the kind (of inspiration/motivation/dedication/etc.) for which they've been apprehended by the Lord of Life Himself

~*~*~*~*




J.H. makes a very good point too. The Christians should apprehend the dedication and sacrifice that is expected of them by God.

~*~*~*~*

Anyway, I don't think the English is very clear in its exact meaning. But that could just be because I'm not knowledgeable in theology. Either way, IMHO, fudging a little in the Chinese translation shouldn't be real harmful or create too big of a problem.

Looking back, your Chinese translation indeed seems fine to me.


[Edited at 2013-11-24 22:12 GMT]

wherestip wrote:

That said, IMO, God's "goals", "plans" - or God's will as it is typically referred to - could also be the thing that Christians should apprehend(understand or grasp the meaning of), for which(meaning goals/plans/will) God apprehended(let's say took under His wings) mankind, his flock, and their devotion. So I still don't think the English is very clear on what "that" refers to. Nevertheless, I don't think it is a big show-stopper for rendering an acceptable Chinese translation. IMO, where the original is nebulous, the translation could (or even should) also follow suit - it doesn't have to be very precise.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_of_God


[Edited at 2013-11-25 04:23 GMT]