1871、我无法描述主的圣言如何出现在天使面前，不过，那些曾见过博物馆中的光学圆柱的人能在某种程度上理解这一点。这些光柱从粗略投射的事物中折射出美丽的形像。尽管周围的投射物看上去没有形状、顺序或秩序，完全是不成形的胡乱投射，但当聚焦于光柱时，它们仍在那里呈现出可爱的画面。主的圣言，尤其旧约预言，也是如此。从字义上看，几乎一切事物都显得杂乱无章，缺乏秩序；但当一个人，尤其一个小男孩或小女孩阅读它时，它就会随着上升而逐渐变得越来越美丽、令人愉悦，最后在主面前呈现为一个人的形像；天堂整体上就以一个人的形像并通过这个形像来代表；但它不是按着天堂实际的样子，而是按着主想要它成为的样子，也就是按着主自己的样式来呈现的。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1871. I cannot describe how the Lord's Word appears before angels, but it can be grasped to some extent by people who have seen optical cylinders in museums. These cylinders reflect beautiful images from distorted drawings projected in a circle around them. Although the surrounding drawing appears to have no shape, organization, or pattern but to be simply a confused projection, it presents a lovely picture when focused onto the cylinder.{*1} That is how the Lord's Word is, especially the prophetic part of the Old Testament. Hardly anything can be seen in the literal meaning besides a disorganized jumble; but when it is read by a person on earth (particularly a little boy or girl), it gradually rises up, turning more beautiful and more pleasing as it goes. In the end it presents itself to the Lord as a human figure representing the whole of heaven — not as heaven actually is but as the Lord wishes it to be; in other words, as his likeness.
Footnotes:
{*1} Although one scholar (Potts 1888-1902, under "cylinder") understands this device to be a kaleidoscope, Swedenborg seems here to be referring to a device called an anamorphoscope, which produces an optical illusion called an anamorphosis. The cylinder is polished (as indicated in similar descriptions in New Jerusalem 260; White Horse 11:4; Spiritual Experiences [Swedenborg 1998-2002] 2164) and acts as a curved mirror; it is set next to a distorted drawing that is composed in such a way that the reflection of the drawing on the surface of the cylinder appears properly proportioned. For examples of anamorphoses from Swedenborg's time and before, see Leeman and others 1976. (A reflecting cylinder may be seen in plate 53 there.) Further examples, though not of the same historical interest, can be found in McLoughlin Bros. 1979. [SS, LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 1871
1871. How the Word of the Lord appears before the angels cannot be described, but some idea can be formed by those who have seen in museums the optical cylinders in which beautiful images are represented from things roughly projected. Although the things which are round about in the projection appear to have no form, series, or order, and to be merely confused projections, still when they are concentrated toward the cylinder, they there present a lovely image. So it is with the Word of the Lord, especially with the prophetic Word of the Old Testament. In the literal sense there is scarcely anything that does not appear destitute of order, but when it is being read by a man, and especially by a little boy or girl, it becomes more beautiful and delightful by degrees as it ascends, and at last it is presented before the Lord as the image of a human being, in which and by which heaven is represented in its whole complex, not as it is, but as the Lord wills it to be, namely, a likeness of Himself.
Elliott(1983-1999) 1871
1871. The appearance that the Word of the Lord takes on as it is seen by the angels defies description; yet some idea of it may be had by those who have seen in places where curiosities are housed those optical cylinders in which beautiful images are produced from projected components that seemingly lie around without order.a But although these components which lie around one another appear to have no form, sequence, or order, and appear to be wholly shapeless projections, yet when they are all directed towards the cylinder they produce a lovely image there. So it is with the Word of the Lord, especially in the prophetical part of the Old Testament. Almost everything in the literal sense there seems to be without order, but when it is read by man, and especially by a very young boy or girl, it becomes by degrees more lovely and delightful as it ascends, and at length presents itself before the Lord as the image of a human being in which and by means of which heaven is represented in its entirety, not as it is in fact but as the Lord would like it to be, that is, a likeness of Himself.
Latin(1748-1756) 1871
1871. Verbum Domini quomodo apparet coram angelis, non describi potest, sed aliqua idea capi ab illis qui in cimeliis {1} viderunt cylindros opticos, in quibus repraesentantur imagines pulchrae ab illis quae circum circa ruditer projecta sunt; ibi tametsi illa quae circum circa sunt, apparent nullius formae, seriei et ordinis, sed modo projectiones confusae, usque dum illa concentrantur versus cylindrum, repraesentant ibi imaginem venustam; ita se habet cum Verbo Domini, cumprimis prophetico Veteris Testamenti; in sensu littera: vix nisi inordinatum quoddam apparet, sed cum legitur ab homine, imprimis ab infante puerulo seu puella, fit per gradus ut ascendit, formosius et jucundius; et tandem sistitur coram Domino sicut imago hominis, in qua et per quam repraesentatur caelum in suo complexu, non quale est, sed quale vult Dominus ut sit, nempe ut sit similitudo Ipsius. @1 cimelium from Gk. [ ] (keimelion) = 'a depository, treasure house (? museum).' The following description seems to be that of a kaleidoscope.$