第一章 赫尔墨斯哲学

"The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of Understanding"
--The Kybalion.
智慧之唇紧闭，除了对那些可理解之耳。
——Kybalion

From old Egypt have come the fundamental esoteric and occult teachings which have so strongly influenced the philosophies of all races, nations and peoples, for several thousand years.
从古老的埃及传出来的这个奥秘教导的根基，几千年来强烈地影响着所有的种族，国家和民族。
Egypt, the home of the Pyramids and the Sphinx, was the birthplace of the Hidden Wisdom and Mystic Teachings.
埃及，这个金字塔和狮身人面像的故乡，是隐藏的智慧和奥秘教导的诞生地。

From her Secret Doctrine all nations have borrowed. India, Persia, Chaldea, Medea, China, Japan, Assyria, ancient Greece and Rome, and other ancient countries partook liberally at the feast of knowledge which the Hierophants and Masters of the Land of Isis so freely provided for those who came prepared to partake of the great store of Mystic and Occult Lore which the master minds of that ancient land had gathered together.
她的奥秘文本，所有的民族都得到了。印度，波斯，卡尔迪亚，美狄亚，中国，日本，亚述，古希腊和罗马，还有其它古老的国度自由开放地分享了这个知识的盛宴。
这是伊西斯（Isis）之地的导师和大师们无偿对那些到来者提供的。这些到来者是有备而来，分享了那些被古老之地的智者汇聚起来的，巨大奥秘知识的珍藏。

In ancient Egypt dwelt the great Adepts and Masters who have never been surpassed, and who seldom have been equaled, during the centuries that have taken their processional flight since the days of the Great Hermes. In Egypt was located the Great Lodge of Lodges of the Mystics.
在古老的埃及居住的伟大的行家们和大师们，自从伟大的赫尔墨斯时代之后，在这个行列中，他们从没有被超越，也很少有人能和他们相匹敌。在埃及座落着奥秘居所中的伟大之所。

At the doors of her Temples entered the Neophytes who afterward, as Hierophants, Adepts, and Masters, traveled to the four corners of the earth, carrying with them the precious knowledge which they were ready, anxious, and willing to pass on to those who were ready to receive the same. All students of the Occult recognize the debt that they owe to these venerable Masters of that ancient land.
在她的庙堂之门进入了新的跟随者（Neophytes），后来他们如同导师（Hierophants）、行家（Adepts）、大师（Masters），游历到地球的四极，携回珍贵的知识，他们甘愿、渴望、并且愿意把这些传递给同样准备接受的人。所有奥秘学的学生们理解那古老之地的可敬大师们的恩情。

But among these great Masters of Ancient Egypt there once dwelt one of whom Masters hailed as "The Master of Masters." This man, if "man" indeed he was, dwelt in Egypt in the earliest days.
但在这些古埃及的伟大大师中，曾居住着一位被大师们颂呼为大师中的大师的。这个人——如果是人的话，最早居住在埃及。
He was known as Hermes Trismegistus. He was the father of the Occult Wisdom; the founder of Astrology; the discoverer of Alchemy.
他被称为赫耳墨斯•特里斯墨吉斯忒斯（Hermes　Trismegistus）。他是奥秘智慧之父；占星术的奠基人；炼金术的发明者。

The details of his life story are lost to history, owing to the lapse of the years, though several of the ancient countries disputed with each other in their claims to the honor of having furnished his birthplace--and this thousands of years ago.
随着岁月的流逝，他的生平故事的细节早在历史中消失了。尽管多个古老的国家在对他的出生地的荣誉上彼此争吵——就这也已经过去了几千年。

The date of his sojourn in Egypt, in that his last incarnation on this planet, is not now known,
他在埃及逗留的日子，到他最后在这个星球投生，已经不很清楚。

but it has been fixed at the early days of the oldest dynasties of Egypt--long before the days of Moses.
可以肯定的是，是在埃及最古老王朝的早期，远在摩西之前。

The best authorities regard him as a contemporary of Abraham, and some of the Jewish traditions go so far as to claim that Abraham acquired a portion of his mystic knowledge from Hermes himself.
一个权威材料认为他和亚伯拉罕同时，一些犹太传承者以至于宣称亚伯拉罕从赫尔墨斯那里直接获得了部分奥秘知识。

As the years rolled by after his passing from this plane of life (tradition recording that he lived three hundred years in the flesh), the Egyptians deified Hermes, and made him one of their gods, under the name of Thoth.
在他离开地球后的飞逝岁月里（流传的记录说他活了300年），埃及人把赫尔墨斯神化了，让他成为他们的一个神，名叫透特（Thoth）。
Years after, the people of Ancient Greece also made him one of their many gods--calling him "Hermes, the god of Wisdom."
再后面的岁月，古希腊人也把他作为他们众神之一——称他是赫尔墨斯，智慧之神。

The Egyptians revered his memory for many centuries-yes, tens of centuries-- calling him "the Scribe of the Gods," and bestowing upon him, distinctively, his ancient title, "Trismegistus," which means "the thrice-great"; "the great-great"; "the greatest-great"; etc. In all the ancient lands, the name of Hermes Trismegistus was revered, the name being synonymous with the "Fount of Wisdom."
许多世代中，埃及人尊敬对他的记忆——是的，几千年——称他为众神的记录者，并给予他与众不同的头衔：特利斯墨吉斯忒斯（Trismegistus），意思是三个的伟大；伟大之伟大；最伟大的伟大；等等。在所有古老的大地，赫尔墨斯的名字受到了尊敬，这个名字等同于智慧的源泉。

Even to this day, we use the term "hermetic" in the sense of "secret"; "sealed so that nothing can escape"; etc., and this by reason of the fact that the followers of Hermes always observed the principle of secrecy in their teachings.
直到今天，我们把赫尔墨斯的这个词用在表示奥秘这层意思上；封存，所以没有什么可能逃逸，等等，这个原因是赫尔墨斯的追随者，在他们的教导中总是遵守奥秘的守则。

They did not believe in "casting pearls before swine," but rather held to the teaching "milk for babes"; "meat for strong men,"
他们不主张把珍珠撒在猪面前，而是遵循着教诲，要喂婴儿牛奶，给强壮的人吃肉。

both of which maxims are familiar to readers of the Christian scriptures, but both of which had been used by the Egyptians for centuries before the Christian era.

这两个格言对基督教经文的读者是熟悉的，但这两个格言在基督教时期之前，已在埃及流行了许多的世纪。

And this policy of careful dissemination of the truth has always characterized the Hermetics, even unto the present day.
直到今天，小心地传播真理的策略总带着秘传的样式（Hermetics）。

The Hermetic Teachings are to be found in all lands, among all religions, but never identified with any particular country, nor with any particular religious sect.
赫尔墨斯教导在所有大陆，在所有的宗教中都能找到；从来不被看成是特别的领域，特别的宗教。

This because of the warning of the ancient teachers， against allowing the Secret Doctrine to become crystallized into a creed. The wisdom of this caution is apparent to all students of history.
这是因为古代教导者的警告，反对把奥秘知识转变为明确的信条。这个谨慎的智慧，明显是针对所有历史中的学生们的。

The ancient occultism of India and Persia degenerated, and was largely lost, owing to the fact that the teachers became priests, and so mixed theology with the philosophy, the result being that the occultism of India and Persia has been gradually lost amidst the mass of religious superstition, cults, creeds and "gods."
印度和波斯古代神秘学的退化，大量丧失，归之于教导者变为了牧师。
因此，印度神秘学和哲学混合，导致印度和波斯的神秘学逐渐丧失在宗教的迷信、祭礼、信条，和众神的聚会中。

So it was with Ancient Greece and Rome.
古希腊和古罗马也是如此。

So it was with the Hermetic Teachings of the Gnostics and Early Christians, which were lost at the time of Constantine, whose iron hand smothered philosophy with the blanket of theology, losing to the Christian Church that which was its very essence and spirit, and causing it to grope throughout several centuries before it found the way back to its ancient faith, the indications apparent to all careful observers in this Twentieth Century being that the Church is now struggling to get back to its ancient mystic teachings.

诺斯替和早期基督教的赫尔墨斯教导也是这样，在康斯坦丁时代失去了，他的铁腕用神学的毯子窒息了哲学，基督教教会丢失了真正的基础和精神，在找回古老信念之前经过了几个世纪的摸索，这是对所有二十世纪认真的观察者的明确的指示，教会现在正挣扎着去找回它的古老的奥秘教导。

But there were always a few faithful souls who kept alive the Flame, tending it carefully, and not allowing its light to become extinguished.
但总有一些忠实的灵魂，保持着火焰的燃烧，谨慎地维护着，不让这个火焰消失。

And thanks to these staunch hearts, and fearless minds, we have the truth still with us. But it is not found in books, to any great extent.
要感谢这些坚守的心灵，无畏的心理，真理依然和我们在一起。但这个教诲，不能在大众的书本中被找到。

It has been passed along from Master to Student; from Initiate to Hierophant; from lip to ear.
这已经由大师传给了学生，从启蒙者到导师，从唇到耳。

When it was written down at all, its meaning was veiled in terms of alchemy and astrology so that only those possessing the key could read it aright.
当这些被全部写出来，意义被炼金术和占星术词汇遮蔽了，以至于只有拥有钥匙的人可以正确解读。
This was made necessary in order to avoid the persecutions of the theologians of the Middle Ages, who fought the Secret Doctrine with fire and sword; stake, gibbet and cross.
为了避免中世纪的神学家们的迫害——这些神学家们用剑与火，火刑柱，绞刑架，十字架，对待奥秘知识——隐秘之路就成为必须。

Even to this day， there will be found but few reliable books on the Hermetic Philosophy, although there are countless references to it in many books written on various phases of Occultism.
甚至今天，也只能发现涉及赫尔墨斯哲学的很少书籍，虽然在许多书里有无法计数的，以不同形式涉及到的奥秘学。

And yet, the Hermetic Philosophy is the only Master Key which will open all the doors of the Occult Teachings!
然而，赫尔墨斯哲学是唯一可以打开所有奥秘教导之门的万能钥匙！

In the early days, there was a compilation of certain Basic Hermetic Doctrines, passed on from teacher to student, which was known as "THE KYBALION," the exact significance and meaning of the term having been lost for several centuries.
在早先的日子，已经汇集了的基本的赫尔墨斯知识，由教导者传递给学生，这就是所知的Kybalion（THE　KYBALION），这个词汇的准确意义，已经失落了几个世纪。

This teaching, however, is known to many to whom it has descended, from mouth to ear, on and on throughout the centuries. Its precepts have never been written down, or printed, so far as we know.

这个教导，仍然是许多人所知的从唇到耳的传承，在众多世代中延续下来。以我们所知，这些格言从没有被写下来，或印出来。

It was merely a collection of maxims, axioms, and precepts, which were non-understandable to outsiders, but which were readily understood by students, after the axioms, maxims, and precepts had been explained and exemplified by the Hermetic Initiates to their Neophytes.
这只是一个外界无法理解的格言、公理和规则的汇集。经由赫尔墨斯的启蒙者向他们的新手解释和举例讲解这些格言、公理和规则后，学生们就可以理解。

These teachings really constituted the basic principles of "The Art of Hermetic Alchemy,"
which, contrary to the general belief, dealt in the mastery of Mental Forces, rather than Material Elements-the Transmutation of one kind of Mental Vibrations into others, instead of the changing of one kind of metal into another.
这些教导真正组成了赫尔墨斯炼金术艺术的基本法则，
和一般相信的正相反，掌控精神力量，胜过掌控物质要素——精神振动的蜕变胜过将一种金属变成另一种金属。

The legends of the "Philosopher's Stone" which would turn base metal into Gold, was an allegory relating to Hermetic Philosophy, readily understood by all students of true Hermeticism.
把贱金属变成黄金的哲人石传说，是和赫尔墨斯哲学相关的寓言，这很容易被所有真正的赫尔墨斯的学生理解。

In this little book, of which this is the First Lesson, we invite our students to examine into the Hermetic Teachings, as set forth in THE KYBALION, and as explained by ourselves, humble students of the Teachings, who, while bearing the title of Initiates, are still students at the feet of HERMES, the Master.
在这本小书中，这是第一课，我们邀请我们的学生到赫尔墨斯教导中去考查，直接进入Kybalion中，正如我们所说的，这个教导的谦卑的学生，当有了启蒙者的头衔，仍然是赫尔墨斯大师脚下的学生。

We herein give you many of the maxims, axioms and precepts of THE KYBALION, accompanied by explanations and illustrations which we deem likely to render the teachings more easily comprehended by the modern student, particularly as the original text is purposely veiled in obscure terms.
我们在这里给出许多Kybalion的格言、公理和规则，还有解释和说明，我们相信这些教导能够更容易被现代的学生理解，特别是当原本的材料被刻意使用的奥秘词语隐蔽住时。

The original maxims, axioms, and precepts of THE KYBALION are printed herein, in italics, the proper credit being given.
原本的Kybalion格言、法则和概念，用斜体字印出，给予应有的荣誉。
Our own work is printed in the regular way, in the body of the work.
我们的工作，这个工作的主体，是用标准体印刷。

We trust that the many students to whom we now offer this little work will derive as much benefit from the study of its pages as have the many who have gone on before, treading the same Path to Mastery throughout the centuries that have passed since the times of HERMES TRISMEGISTUS--the Master of Masters--the Great-Great.
我们相信许多学生，对于他们，我们提供的这个些微的工作，通过学习这些书页是会有益处的。
如同许多过去曾经接触到的，那些多少世纪以来的大师走上同样掌控的道路，那些由赫尔墨斯•特利斯墨吉斯忒斯的时代开始传承——大师中的大师——伟大中的伟大。
In the words of "THE KYBALION":
用这个词汇——Kybalion（THE　KYBALION）。

"Where fall the footsteps of the Master, the ears of those
ready for his Teaching open wide."--The Kybalion.
大师的脚踪落在哪里，那些对教诲有准备的张开的耳朵。——Kybalion

"When the ears of the student are ready to hear, then cometh
the lips to fill them with Wisdom."--The Kybalion.

当学生的耳朵准备倾听，那么智慧之唇会来充满他们。——Kybalion

So that according to the Teachings, the passage of this book to those ready for the instruction will attract the attention of such as are prepared to receive the Teaching. And, likewise, when the pupil is ready to receive the truth, then will this little book come to him, or her.
这样，遵循教导，本书到达那些准备受教者的过程，将是吸引那些有准备接受教诲者们的注意。同样，当学生准备去接受真理，那么这本小书会到他和她那里。
Such is The Law. The Hermetic Principle of Cause and Effect, in its aspect of The Law of Attraction, will bring lips and ear tog