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eat pray love by elizabeth gilbert full, Eat Pray Love ch 4

Eat Pray Love ch 4

Of course, I've had a lot of time to formulate my opinions about divinity since that night on the bathroom floor when I spoke to God directly for the first time.

In the middle of that dark November crisis, though, I was not interested in formulating my views on theology. I was interested only in saving my life. I had finally noticed that I seemed to have reached a state of hopeless and life-threatening despair, and it occurred to me that sometimes people in this state will approach God for help. I think I'd read that in a book somewhere. What I said to God through my gasping sobs was something like this: “Hello, God. How are you? I'm Liz. It's nice to meet you.” That's right—I was speaking to the creator of the universe as though we'd just been introduced at a cocktail party. But we work with what we know in this life, and these are the words I always use at the beginning of a relationship. In fact, it was all I could do to stop myself from saying, “I've always been a big fan of your work . .” “I'm sorry to bother you so late at night,” I continued. “But I'm in serious trouble. And I'm sorry I haven't ever spoken directly to you before, but I do hope I have always expressed ample gratitude for all the blessings that you've given me in my life.” This thought caused me to sob even harder. God waited me out. I pulled myself together enough to go on: “I am not an expert at praying, as you know. But can you please help me? I am in desperate need of help. I don't know what to do. I need an answer. Please tell me what to do. Please tell me what to do. Please tell me what to do . .” And so the prayer narrowed itself down to that simple entreaty—Please tell me what to do—repeated again and again. I don't know how many times I begged. I only know that I begged like someone who was pleading for her life. And the crying went on forever. Until—quite abruptly—it stopped. Quite abruptly, I found that I was not crying anymore. I'd stopped crying, in fact, in midsob. My misery had been completely vacuumed out of me. I lifted my forehead off the floor and sat up in surprise, wondering if I would see now some Great Being who had taken my weeping away. But nobody was there. I was just alone. But not really alone, either. I was surrounded by something I can only describe as a little pocket of silence—a silence so rare that I didn't want to exhale, for fear of scaring it off. I was seamlessly still. I don't know when I'd ever felt such stillness. Then I heard a voice.

Please don't be alarmed—it was not an Old Testament Hollywood Charlton Heston voice, nor was it a voice telling me I must build a baseball field in my backyard. It was merely my own voice, speaking from within my own self. But this was my voice as I had never heard it before. This was my voice, but perfectly wise, calm and compassionate. This was what my voice would sound like if I'd only ever experienced love and certainty in my life. How can I describe the warmth of affection in that voice, as it gave me the answer that would forever seal my faith in the divine? The voice said: Go back to bed, Liz. I exhaled. It was so immediately clear that this was the only thing to do. I would not have accepted any other answer. I would not have trusted a great booming voice that said either: You Must Divorce Your Husband! or You Must Not Divorce Your Husband! Because that's not true wisdom. True wisdom gives the only possible answer at any given moment, and that night, going back to bed was the only possible answer. Go back to bed, said this omniscient interior voice, because you don't need to know the final answer right now, at three o'clock in the morning on a Thursday in November. Go back to bed, because I love you. Go back to bed, because the only thing you need to do for now is get some rest and take good care of yourself until you do know the answer. Go back to bed so that, when the tempest comes, you'll be strong enough to deal with it. And the tempest is coming, dear one. Very soon. But not tonight. Therefore: Go back to bed, Liz. In a way, this little episode had all the hallmarks of a typical Christian conversion experience—the dark night of the soul, the call for help, the responding voice, the sense of transformation. But I would not say that this was a religious conversion for me, not in that traditional manner of being born again or saved. Instead, I would call what happened that night the beginning of a religious conversation. The first words of an open and exploratory dialogue that would, ultimately, bring me very close to God, indeed.

Eat Pray Love ch 4 Eat Pray Love, Kapitel 4 Come, reza, ama, cap. 4 Jedz módl się kochaj rozdz. 4 Ешь, молись, люби, гл. 4

Of course, I’ve had a lot of time to formulate my opinions about divinity since that night on the bathroom floor when I spoke to God directly for the first time. Конечно, у меня было много времени, чтобы сформулировать свое мнение о божественном, после той ночи на полу в ванной, когда я впервые напрямую заговорил с Богом.

In the middle of that dark November crisis, though, I was not interested in formulating my views on theology. I was interested only in saving my life. I had finally noticed that I seemed to have reached a state of hopeless and life-threatening despair, and it occurred to me that sometimes people in this state will approach God for help. Я, наконец, заметил, что я, казалось, достиг состояния безнадежного и опасного для жизни отчаяния, и мне пришло в голову, что иногда люди в этом состоянии будут обращаться к Богу за помощью. I think I’d read that in a book somewhere. Кажется, я читал это где-нибудь в книге. What I said to God through my gasping sobs was something like this: “Hello, God. How are you? I’m Liz. It’s nice to meet you.” That’s right—I was speaking to the creator of the universe as though we’d just been introduced at a cocktail party. Рад встрече." Правильно — я разговаривал с создателем вселенной так, как будто нас только что представили на коктейльной вечеринке. But we work with what we know in this life, and these are the words I always use at the beginning of a relationship. Но мы работаем с тем, что знаем в этой жизни, и это слова, которые я всегда использую в начале отношений. In fact, it was all I could do to stop myself from saying, “I’ve always been a big fan of your work . На самом деле, это было все, что я мог сделать, чтобы удержаться от того, чтобы не сказать: «Я всегда был большим поклонником вашей работы. .” “I’m sorry to bother you so late at night,” I continued. ». — Простите, что беспокою вас так поздно, — продолжил я. “But I’m in serious trouble. And I’m sorry I haven’t ever spoken directly to you before, but I do hope I have always expressed ample gratitude for all the blessings that you’ve given me in my life.” This thought caused me to sob even harder. И мне жаль, что я никогда раньше не говорил с тобой напрямую, но я надеюсь, что всегда выражал большую благодарность за все благословения, которые ты дал мне в моей жизни». Эта мысль заставила меня разрыдаться еще сильнее. God waited me out. Бог ждал меня. I pulled myself together enough to go on: “I am not an expert at praying, as you know. Я достаточно собрался с силами, чтобы продолжить: «Как вы знаете, я не специалист в молитвах. But can you please help me? I am in desperate need of help. I don’t know what to do. I need an answer. Please tell me what to do. Please tell me what to do. Please tell me what to do . .” And so the prayer narrowed itself down to that simple entreaty—Please tell me what to do—repeated again and again. I don’t know how many times I begged. I only know that I begged like someone who was pleading for her life. And the crying went on forever. И плач продолжался вечно. Until—quite abruptly—it stopped. Quite abruptly, I found that I was not crying anymore. I’d stopped crying, in fact, in midsob. My misery had been completely vacuumed out of me. Мое страдание было полностью удалено из меня. I lifted my forehead off the floor and sat up in surprise, wondering if I would see now some Great Being who had taken my weeping away. Я оторвал лоб от пола и сел в удивлении, задаваясь вопросом, увижу ли я теперь какое-то Великое Существо, которое унесло мой плач. But nobody was there. I was just alone. But not really alone, either. Ama aslında yalnız da değil. I was surrounded by something I can only describe as a little pocket of silence—a silence so rare that I didn’t want to exhale, for fear of scaring it off. Меня окружало что-то, что я могу описать только как маленький уголок тишины — тишины настолько редкой, что я не хотел выдыхать, опасаясь спугнуть ее. I was seamlessly still. Я был неподвижен. I don’t know when I’d ever felt such stillness. Я не знаю, когда я когда-либо чувствовал такую тишину. Then I heard a voice.

Please don’t be alarmed—it was not an Old Testament Hollywood Charlton Heston voice, nor was it a voice telling me I must build a baseball field in my backyard. Пожалуйста, не пугайтесь — это был не голос ветхозаветного голливудского Чарльтона Хестона и не голос, говорящий мне, что я должен построить бейсбольное поле у себя на заднем дворе. Будь ласка, не лякайтеся - це не був голос старозавітного голлівудського Чарлтона Хестона, і це не був голос, який говорив мені, що я повинен побудувати бейсбольне поле на моєму задньому дворі. It was merely my own voice, speaking from within my own self. Это был просто мой собственный голос, говорящий изнутри меня самого. But this was my voice as I had never heard it before. Но это был мой голос, которого я никогда раньше не слышал. This was my voice, but perfectly wise, calm and compassionate. This was what my voice would sound like if I’d only ever experienced love and certainty in my life. Именно так звучал бы мой голос, если бы я хоть раз в жизни испытал любовь и уверенность. How can I describe the warmth of affection in that voice, as it gave me the answer that would forever seal my faith in the divine? Как я могу описать тепло любви в этом голосе, поскольку он дал мне ответ, который навсегда закрепил мою веру в божественное? Як я можу описати теплоту любові в цьому голосі, коли він дав мені відповідь, яка назавжди закріпила мою віру в божественне? The voice said: Go back to bed, Liz. I exhaled. Я выдохнул. It was so immediately clear that this was the only thing to do. Сразу стало ясно, что это единственное, что можно было сделать. I would not have accepted any other answer. Я бы не принял никакого другого ответа. I would not have trusted a great booming voice that said either: You Must Divorce Your Husband! Я бы тоже не поверила громкому голосу, говорившему: «Вы должны развестись с мужем!» or You Must Not Divorce Your Husband! Because that’s not true wisdom. True wisdom gives the only possible answer at any given moment, and that night, going back to bed was the only possible answer. Истинная мудрость дает единственный возможный ответ в любой момент, и в ту ночь единственным возможным ответом было вернуться в постель. Go back to bed, said this omniscient interior voice, because you don’t need to know the final answer right now, at three o’clock in the morning on a Thursday in November. Иди спать, сказал этот всеведущий внутренний голос, потому что тебе не нужно знать окончательный ответ прямо сейчас, в три часа ночи в четверг в ноябре. Go back to bed, because I love you. Go back to bed, because the only thing you need to do for now is get some rest and take good care of yourself until you do know the answer. Go back to bed so that, when the tempest comes, you’ll be strong enough to deal with it. And the tempest is coming, dear one. И буря идет, дорогой. Very soon. But not tonight. Therefore: Go back to bed, Liz. In a way, this little episode had all the hallmarks of a typical Christian conversion experience—the dark night of the soul, the call for help, the responding voice, the sense of transformation. В каком-то смысле в этом маленьком эпизоде были все признаки типичного опыта христианского обращения: темная ночь души, зов о помощи, ответный голос, ощущение преображения. But I would not say that this was a religious conversion for me, not in that traditional manner of being born again or saved. Но я бы не сказал, что это было для меня религиозным обращением, не в том традиционном виде рождения свыше или спасения. Instead, I would call what happened that night the beginning of a religious conversation. Вместо этого я бы назвал то, что произошло той ночью, началом религиозного разговора. The first words of an open and exploratory dialogue that would, ultimately, bring me very close to God, indeed. Первые слова открытого и исследовательского диалога, который, в конечном счете, действительно очень приблизит меня к Богу. Перші слова відкритого діалогу, який, зрештою, дуже зблизив мене з Богом.