CHAPTER XII　CAUSATION
第十二章 因果

"Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause;
everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a
name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of
causation, but nothing escapes the Law."--The Kybalion.
凡因都有果；凡果都有因；每一件事情的发生都遵循法则；运气只是法则的一个名称，而不是它本身得到承认。有许多层面的果，但任何事物都逃脱不了法则。
——Kybalion

The great Sixth Hermetic Principle--the Principle of Cause and Effect--embodies the truth that Law pervades the Universe; that nothing happens by Chance;
伟大的赫尔墨斯第六法则
——因果法则
——揭示的真理是：法则遍及宇宙；没有什么是偶然发生的。

that Chance is merely a term indicating cause existing but not recognized or perceived; that phenomena is continuous, without break or exception.
偶然只是一个描述词汇，表示的是，存在的原因是无法认识，或者无法觉察；现象是连续的，不会断裂或者出现例外。

The Principle of Cause and Effect underlies all scientific thought, ancient and modern, and was enunciated by the Hermetic Teachers in the earliest days.
因果法则是所有科学心理的基础，不论古代还是现代，在最初的时期里就被赫尔墨斯教导明确阐述了。

While many and varied disputes between the many schools of thought have since arisen, these disputes have been principally upon the details of the operations of the Principle, and still more often upon the meaning of certain words.
当各种不同的争论在众多心理学派之间出现时，这些争论主要集中在法则运作的细节上，也经常与某些词汇的意义有关联。

The underlying Principle of Cause and Effect has been accepted as correct by practically all the thinkers of the world worthy of the name.
隐藏的因果法则已经被这个世界所有真正的思想者作为正确的而实际接受了。

To think otherwise would be to take the phenomena of the universe from the domain of Law and Order, and to relegate it; to the control of the imaginary something which men have called "Chance."
去思考另一方面，那会把宇宙的现象从法则和有序的领域，带入到想象的控制中，一个人们称为偶然的境域。

A little consideration will show anyone that there is in reality no such thing as pure chance. Webster defines the word "Chance" as follows: "A supposed agent or mode of activity other than a force, law or purpose;
做一点思考就会对任何人显明，实际上没有什么纯粹的偶然这种事情。韦伯字典定义偶然为，力量、法则、目的之外的，一个假设的活动动因或者方式；

the operation or activity of such agent; the supposed effect of such an agent; a happening; fortuity; casualty, etc."
这种动因的运作或者活动，这种动因的假设效果，一个碰巧；意外；意外事物，等等。

But a little consideration will show you that there can be no such agent as "Chance," in the sense of something outside of Law-something outside of Cause and Effect.
但思考一下，你就会知道没有那种在法则之外——在因果法则之外，这种偶然的动因。

How could there be a something acting in the phenomenal universe, independent of the laws, order, and continuity of the latter? Such a something would be entirely independent of the orderly trend of the universe, and therefore superior to it.
事物如何可以独立于宇宙的法则、秩序和连续性，而在现象的宇宙中行动？这样一个事物需要完全独立于宇宙的有序趋势，凌驾在宇宙之上。

We can imagine nothing outside of THE ALL being outside of the Law, and that only because THE ALL is the LAW in itself.
我们能够想象，没有什么是在全能者的法则之外的，也只有全能者是它自身的法则。

There is no room in the universe for a something outside of and independent of Law.
在宇宙中，对于那些在法则之外和不依赖法则的，无处容身。
The existence of such a Something would render all Natural Laws ineffective, and would plunge the universe into chaotic disorder and lawlessness.
这种事情的存在会使所有的自然法则无效，并且把宇宙投入到混乱无序和无法则的状态。

A careful examination will show that what we call "Chance" is merely an expression relating to obscure causes; causes that we cannot perceive; causes that we cannot understand.
细心的查验会显示，我们称为的偶然只是一个对不明原因的表达；我们还没有觉察到的原因；我们还不理解的原因。

The word Chance is derived from a word Meaning "to fall" (as the falling of dice), the idea being that the fall of the dice (and many other happenings) are merely a "happening" unrelated to any cause.
偶然这个词来自意味着掉落下来（如同色子掉落下来）这个词，那个近似的概念是色子的掉落，只是一个和任何原因无关的发生。

And this is the sense in which the term is generally employed.
这个词比较普遍地在这种情况下使用。

But when the matter is closely examined, it is seen that there is no chance whatsoever about the fall of the dice.
但是对于这个问题做进一步的考察，就能看到色子的掉落并非偶然。

Each time a die falls, and displays a certain number, it obeys a law as infallible as that which governs the revolution of the planets around the sun.
一次色子掉落，现出一个确定的数字，它遵守着一个法则，是和确定了地球围绕太阳的旋转的法则一样的。

Back of the fall of the die are causes, or chains of causes, running back further than the mind can follow.
在色子掉下的背后，是有原因和原因链的，比心理能够追踪的延伸到更远。

The position of the die in the box; the amount of muscular energy expended in the throw; the condition of the table, etc., etc.,
色子在盒子里的位置；在抛掷时肌肉力量的运用；桌子的具体状况，等等，

all are causes, the effect of which may be seen. But back of these seen causes there are chains of unseen preceding causes, all of which had a bearing upon the number of the die which fell uppermost.
所有都是原因，结果能够看到。只是在这些可看到的原因背后，有不可见的原因链条，所有都和要出现的色子上的数字有某种关系。

If a die be cast a great number of times, it will be found that the numbers shown will be about equal, that is, there will be an equal number of one-spot, two-spot, etc., coming uppermost.
如果色子被掷出的次数够多，会发现每个数字的出现频率近乎相等；那就是，一个点，两个点，等等，出现是平均的。

Toss a penny in the air, and it may come down either "heads" or "tails"; but make a sufficient number of tosses, and the heads and tails will about even up. This is the operation of the law of average.
抛一个硬币，落下来可以是正面或者反面；抛的次数足够多，正面或者反面的出现是相等的。这是均数法则的运作。

But both the average and the single toss come under the Law of Cause and Effect, and if we were able to examine into the preceding causes, it would be clearly seen that it was simply impossible for the die to fall other than it did, under the same circumstances and at the same time. Given the same causes, the same results will follow. There is always a "cause" and a "because" to every event. Nothing ever "happens" without a cause, or rather a chain of causes.
但是均数和单一抛掷这两者都是在因果法则之下，如果我们能够查验之前的原因，在同样的条件下和在同样的时间里，很清楚，色子的不落下，这个现象是完全不可能的。给予同样的原因，会产生同样的结果。对每一个事物，总是有一个原因和一个因为。永远没有什么的发生，可以没有原因或者原因链。

Some confusion has arisen in the minds of persons considering this Principle, from the fact that they were unable to explain how one thing could cause another thing--that is, be the "creator" of the second thing.
As a matter of fact, no "thing" ever causes or "creates" another "thing."
在考虑这个法则时，心理上会出现一些混淆，这来自于他们不能解释一个事物怎样导致了另一个——那是，第二个事物的创造者。

事实是，没有事物曾经导致或者创造另一个事物。

Cause and Effect deals merely with "events."
原因和结果只是在和事情打交道。

An "event" is "that which comes, arrives or happens, as a result or consequent of some preceding event."
一个事情是到来，来到，或者发生，只是作为某些先前事物的结果或者后续。

No event "creates" another event, but is merely a preceding link in the great orderly chain of events flowing from the creative energy of THE ALL.

没有事物创造另一个事物，只是从全能者的创造性能量而来的，在一个巨大有序的事情链条的流动中，与之前事情连接的一个事物的出现。

There is a continuity between all events precedent, consequent and subsequent. There is a relation existing between everything that has gone before, and everything that follows.
在所有事情之间都有连续性，先前的，随后的，再后的。在任何事情之间有相关的存在，一个走了，一个跟着就来。

A stone is dislodged from a mountain side and crashes through a roof of a cottage in the valley below. At first sight we regard this as a chance effect,
but when we examine the matter we find a great chain of causes behind it.
一块石头从山边滚落，打烂了下面山谷里一座茅屋的屋顶。开始，我们会认为这是一个偶然的结果，但是，当我们查验这个事情，我们发现在它后面有一个巨大的原因链。

In the first place there was the rain which softened the earth supporting the stone and which allowed it to fall; then back of that was the influence of the sun, other rains, etc.,
先是雨水松动了地表对石头的支撑，使它能够跌落；在它后面是太阳的影响，还有雨，等等，

which gradually disintegrated the piece of rock from a larger piece;
从较大的石头不断裂碎出小石块；
then there were the causes which led to the formation of the mountain, and its upheaval by convulsions of nature, and so on ad infinitum. Then we might follow up the causes behind the rain, etc.
那么这里有山的构造方面的原因，自然的震荡造成了它的变化，无限的如此种种。这样我们能够探究在雨后面的原因，等等。

Then we might consider the existence of the roof In short, we would soon find ourselves involved in a mesh of cause and effect, from which we would soon strive to extricate ourselves.
然后我们能够考虑茅屋顶的存在。简要地说，我们很快发现我们自己陷在一个原因和结果的网里，我们要马上把我们自己从里面解脱出来。