38、只有知道层级与神性秩序的关系的人，才能理解各层天堂之间是怎样的区别以及“内在人”和“外在人”的含义。对于内层与外层或高层与低层，大多数世人只是认为它们是某种连续不断的事物，或者是从纯粹到粗糙的持续连贯的事物。但内层与外层的关系是离散的，而非连续的。层级分为两种，即连续层级和非连续层级。连续层级就像光从明亮的火焰到黑暗的减弱层级，或像观察光明中的物体到观察阴暗中物体的视力下降的层级，或像大气从底部到顶部的纯度变化的层级。这些层级由距离决定。
[2]另一方面，非连续的层级，即离散层级，就像前与后、原因与结果、生产与产品那样截然不同。凡是研究这个问题的人都会看到，在整个世界的每一事物和所有事物中，无论它们是什么，都有这种产生和合成的层级，也就是说，从一件事产生另一件事，从另一件事产生第三件事，以此类推。
[3]除非一个人对这些层级有了领悟，否则他绝无可能理解诸天堂、人的内层官能与外层官能、灵界与尘世、人的灵魂与身体的区别，因而他既不能理解对应｛注1｝和代表｛注2｝的来源和本性，也不能理解流注的本性。感官之人｛注3｝（Sensual men）不明白这些区别，即使关注到这些层级，也视其增加和减少是连续的｛注4｝，因而无法想像属灵的事物，以为它不过是更纯粹的属世之物。因此，他们站在外面，与聪明相距甚远。｛注5｝
｛注1｝：【英53】见上文注释1/【英9】。
｛注2｝：【英54】“代表”（representation）的原文,也可翻译为“再现”、“表现”和“形像”。“对应”（corresponding）必然会发生变化，以反映其内在原因的变化，而“代表”则不一定如此。在《属天的奥秘》（2988） 中，史威登堡举了一个“对应”的例子，就是一张表达真实、呈现感情的脸。“代表”的一个例子是不符合某人感情的礼貌的外表。另请参阅下文第175 节“代表”的定义。【中】“代表”是表现、呈现、形像，“对应”是一一对应的变化。
｛注3｝：【中】“感官之人”（Sensual men），这里指这样的人：他们对世界的认识局限在肉体感官方面。
｛注4｝：【英55】史威登堡的“层级”概念在《圣爱与圣智》（179-263）中得到最完整的呈现。【中】也可参阅《离散层级》一书（Discrete-Degrees，http://www.swedenborgstudy.com/books/N.C.Burnham_Discrete-Degrees/index.htm）。
｛注5｝：内层事物与外层事物不是连续的，而是划分成不同的、离散的层级，每个层级都有自己的界限（3691，5114，5145，8603，10099）。一个事物构造成另一个事物，并不是从原有事物连续地变成更精细或更粗糙的结果（6326，6465）。除非能根据这类层级来领悟内层和外层之间的区别，否则既不能清楚地理解内在人和外在人、也不能清楚地理解内层天堂和外层天堂（5146，6465，10099，10181）。
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38. 人若不知道层级与神性秩序如何关联, 就不可能理解天堂如何不同, 甚至不知道何谓内在人与外在人. 绝大多数世人对何为内层与外层, 或何为高层与低层没有任何概念, 只知道某种连续事物, 或连续地从更纯到更粗连贯起来的某种事物. 但内层与外层的关系是分离的, 而非连续的. 层级分为两种, 即连续层级和非连续层级. 连续层级就像光从明亮的火焰到黑暗的减弱层级, 或视力从光明中的物体到幽暗中的物体的下降层级, 或大气中从下到上的纯度层级那样相关联. 这些层级是由距离决定的.
另一方面, 并非连续, 而是分离的层级就像在先者和在后者, 原因和结果, 产生之物和被产生之物那样截然不同. 凡研究这个问题的人就会发现, 整个世界的每一个和全部事物, 无论是什么, 都有这种产生和复合的层级, 也就是从一个事物到另一个事物, 再从另一个事物到第三个事物, 依此类推.
人在获得对这些层级的概念之前, 绝无可能理解众天堂之间的区别, 也不可能理解人的内层官能与外层官能之间的区别, 以及灵界与自然界, 人的灵与他的身体之间的区别. 因此, 他既不能理解对应与代表的性质与源头, 也不理解流注的性质. 感官人不明白这些区别, 因为他们根据这些层级, 甚至将增长和下降视为连续的, 因而无法对属灵之物形成任何概念, 以为它不过是更纯粹的属世之物. 因此, 他们仍站在外面, 与聪明相距甚远.
注: 内层事物与外层事物不是连续的, 而是照层级而不同和分离的, 每个层级都有自己的界限(天国的奥秘 3691, 5114, 5145, 8603, 10099节). 一个事物从另一个事物得以形成, 如此形成的事物并非连续式的更纯粹或更粗糙(天国的奥秘 6326, 6465节). 人若觉察不到依照这类层级的内层与外层之间的区别, 就无法清楚理解内在人与外在人, 以及内层天堂与外层天堂(天国的奥秘 5146, 6465, 10099, 10181节).
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38. 若不瞭解聖規中對層次的安排, 就無法明白天國是如何截然劃分的, 也無法明白一個人的內在人與外在人是什麼意思。對於內與外(或者高與低), 世人多將其理解為從純粹到粗糙的延續。其實內在與外在的事情並非連續的, 而是有著明確的分界。
層次分兩種, 一種是連續的, 一種是非連續的。層次的連續好比火光由明至暗, 視力由強至弱, 空氣由濃至稀, 這些層次可按距離來度量。
非連續層(或離散層)卻截然分開, 如同先與後, 因與果, 生產與產品。人若仔細觀察, 會發現世間萬物之中都存在這種類型的產生與合成的階段。無論何物, 一物由另一物產生, 順序進行。
不瞭解非連續層的人, 無法明白天國及人的內外是如何構成的, 心靈世界與物質世界, 心靈與肉體有何不同, 也無法明白何為對應, 何為象徵, 何為流注。感官主義者不瞭解這些區別, 僅僅將其視為連續層內的遞增或遞減, 也就以為心靈世界只是比物質世界更精純的一面, 因而站在門外, 遠離智慧。
38. Anyone who does not know how the divine design is arranged in levels cannot grasp how the heavens are distinguished from each other, or for that matter, what the inner person and the outer person are (in an individual). The only idea most people in this world have about inner and outer things is one of continuity, or of a coherence along a continuum from the finer to the coarser. Inner and outer things are not arranged in a continuum, though, but with definite boundaries.
There are two kinds of levels, continuous and noncontinuous. Continuous levels are like decreasing levels of light from a flame, all the way to darkness, or like decreasing amounts of sight from objects in the light to objects in the shade, or like levels of density of the atmosphere from the lowest to the highest. These levels are measured by distance.
[2] Noncontinuous or distinct levels, though, are separated like prior and posterior, cause and effect, producer and product. Anyone who looks closely will discover that there are these kinds of stages of production and composition in everything in the world, no matter what, with one thing arising from another, and a third from that, and so forth.
[3] People who do not acquire a grasp of these levels have no way of knowing how the heavens are arranged or the arrangement of our own deeper and more outward abilities, or the difference between the spiritual world and the natural world, or the difference between our spirit and our body. This also means they cannot understand what correspondences and images are or what inflow is like. People who are attentive only to their physical senses do not grasp these differences, but regard them as instances of increase and decrease on the model of continuous levels. As a result, they cannot think of the spiritual except as a kind of purer natural; so they stand outside, far removed from intelligence. 1
Footnotes:
1. More inward and more outward realities are not on a continuum, but are arranged in distinct and discrete levels, with each level having a boundary: 3691, 4145 [5145?], 5114, 8603, 10099. Each level is formed from another, and things formed in this way are not on a continuum from finer to cruder: 6326, 6465. Anyone who does not understand the difference between more inward and more outward realities according to levels of this kind cannot understand the inner and the outer person or the more inward and more outward heavens: 5146, 6465, 10099, 10181.
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38. He who does not know how degrees are related to Divine order cannot comprehend how the heavens are distinct or even what is meant by the internal and the external man. Most people in the world have no other idea of what is interior and what exterior, or of what is higher and what lower, than as something continuous or coherent by continuity from what is purer to what is grosser. But the relation of what is interior to what is exterior is not continuous but discrete. There are two kinds of degrees, those that are continuous and those that are not. Continuous degrees are related like the degrees of the waning of light from a bright blaze until it is obscured, or like the degrees of the decrease of vision from objects in the light to those in the shade, or like degrees of purity of the atmosphere from its depths to its highest point. These degrees are determined by distances.
[2] On the other hand, degrees that are not continuous but discrete are distinguished like prior and posterior, like cause and effect or like what produces and what is produced. Whoever looks into the matter will see that in each and all things in the whole world, whatever they are, there are such degrees of producing and compounding, that is, that from one thing comes another, and from the other a third and so on.
[3] One who does not acquire for himself a perception of these degrees cannot possibly discern the distinctions of the heavens, nor between the interior and exterior faculties of man, nor the distinction between the spiritual and the natural world, nor between the spirit of man and his body. So neither can he understand the nature and source of correspondences and representations nor what influx is. Sensual men do not apprehend these distinctions, for even where these degrees are concerned, they make increases and decreases to be continuous. Therefore, they cannot have any conception of what is spiritual otherwise than as a purer natural. Consequently, they stand outside, and are far removed from intelligence. 1
Footnotes:
1. Things interior and things exterior are not continuous but distinct and discrete in accordance with degrees, and each degree has its bounds (Arcana Coelestia 3691, 5114, 5145, 8603, 10099).
One thing has been formed from another, and the things so formed are not continuously purer and grosser (Arcana Coelestia 6326, 6465).
One who does not perceive the difference between what is interior and what is exterior in accordance with such degrees can clearly understand neither the internal and external man nor the interior and exterior heavens (Arcana Coelestia 5146, 6465, 10099, 10181).
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38. Only he who knows how degrees are related to Divine order can comprehend how the heavens are distinct, or even what is meant by the internal and the external man. Most men in the world have no other idea of what is interior and what is exterior, or of what is higher and what is lower, than as something continuous, or coherent by continuity, from purer to grosser. But the relation of what is interior to what is exterior is discrete, not continuous. Degrees are of two kinds, those that are continuous and those that are not. Continuous degrees are related like the degrees of the waning of a light from its bright blaze to darkness, or like the degrees of the decrease of vision from objects in the light to those in the shade, or like degrees of purity in the atmosphere from bottom to top. These degrees are determined by distance.
[2] On the other hand, degrees that are not continuous, but discrete, are distinguished like prior and posterior, like cause and effect, and like what produces and what is produced. Whoever looks into the matter will see that in each thing and all things in the whole world, whatever they are, there are such degrees of producing and compounding, that is, from one a second, and from that a third, and so on.
[3] Until one has acquired for himself a perception of these degrees he cannot possibly understand the differences between the heavens, nor between the interior and exterior faculties of man, nor the differences between the spiritual world and the natural world, nor between the spirit of man and his body. So neither can he understand the nature and source of correspondences and representations, or the nature of influx. Sensual men do not apprehend these differences, for they make increase and decrease, even according to these degrees, to be continuous, and are therefore unable to conceive of what is spiritual otherwise than as a purer natural. And in consequence they remain outside of and a great way off from intelligence. 1
Footnotes:
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38. Qui non scit quomodo se habet cum ordine Divino quoad gradus, non capere potest quomodo caeli distincti sunt, ne quidem quid internus et externus homo. Plerique in mundo non aliam notionem de interioribus et exterioribus seu de superioribus et inferioribus habent, quam sicut de continuo aut de cohaerente per continuum a puriori ad crassius; at interiora et exteriora se non habent continue, sed discrete. Sunt duplicis generis gradus; sunt gradus continui et sunt gradus non continui. Gradus continui se habent sicut gradus descrescentiae lucis a flamma usque ad suum obscurum aut sicut gradus decrescentiae visus ab illis quae in luce sunt ad illa quae in umbra; aut sicut gradus puritatis atmosphaerae ab imo ad ejus summum; distantiae determinant hos gradus. At gradus non continui sed discreti, discriminati sunt sicut prius et posterius, sicut causa et effectus, et sicut producens et productum: qui explorat videbit, quod in omnibus et singulis in universo mundo, quaecunque sunt, tales gradus productionis et compositionis sint, quod nempe ab uno alterum et ab altero tertium, et sic porro. Qui non perceptionem horum graduum sibi comparat, nequaquam potest scire discrimina caelorum, et discrimina facultatum interiorum et exteriorum hominis, nec discrimen inter mundum spiritualem et mundum naturalem, nec discrimen inter spiritum hominis et corpus ejus et inde nec intelligere potest quid et unde correspondentiae et repraesentationes, neque qualis est influxus; sensuales homines haec discrimina non capiunt, faciunt enim crescentias et decrescentias etiam secundum hos gradus continuas; inde non concipere possunt spirituale aliter quam sicut purius naturale: quapropter etiam foris stant, et e longinquo ab intelligentia. 1
Footnotes: