Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14 As the sun rose over the Judean Desert, our travelers were one day ahead of the typical trail schedule, but days behind where Ruben wanted to be. However, perhaps because they were on the last leg of their journey, Ruben appeared to be almost happy. "Say goodbye to the Nativity Trail, boys and squirrels!" he announced as they hastily departed the trailside Jericho Inn. "We're striking out on the Old Jericho Road today!" Instead of continuing to Bethlehem on the Nativity Trail, Ruben, Dusty, and the squirrels would be taking the Old Jericho Road to Jerusalem.

当太阳从犹太沙漠升起时，我们的旅行者比通常的旅行计划提前了一天，但比鲁本想去的地方晚了几天。 然而，也许是因为这是他们旅程的最后一站，鲁本似乎很高兴。 “孩子们和松鼠们，跟耶稣诞生之路说再见吧！”他们匆匆离开杰里科客栈时，他宣布道。 “我们今天要去老耶利哥路！”鲁本、达斯迪和松鼠们不再沿着耶稣诞生之路继续前往伯利恒，而是走耶利哥老路前往耶路撒冷。

If you've ever heard the parable of the Good Samaritan from the Bible, you know about the Old Jericho Road. Jesus told the story of a Jewish man traveling between Jerusalem and Jericho who was attacked by robbers and left injured alongside that road. Nobody from his own country wanted to help him. However, a Samaritan came along, and even though the Jews and the Samaritans were enemies, the Samaritan helped the injured man. Jesus told the story to point out that everyone is our neighbor and that we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves. That's why Ruben was a little skeptical later that morning when he spotted a hiker sitting on a rock alongside the road, holding his ankle. "Really?" he said as they approached the man. "Is this for real, or are you here for the tourists?" "I'm afraid it's for real, sir," the man groaned. "I twisted it a couple of hours ago. Would you be a..." "Good Samaritan?" Ruben finished the man's sentence. He sighed. "Okay. Fine. Hang on a second." Ruben pulled Dusty to the side of the road, out of earshot of the injured man.

如果你听过《圣经》中好撒玛利亚人的寓言，你一定知道耶利哥老路。 耶稣讲了一个犹太人在耶路撒冷和耶利哥之间旅行的故事，他在路上被强盗袭击，受伤了。 他自己的国家没有人愿意帮助他。 然而，一个撒玛利亚人走了过来，尽管犹太人和撒玛利亚人是敌人，撒玛利亚人还是帮助了受伤的人。 耶稣讲这个故事是为了指出每个人都是我们的邻居，我们应该像爱自己一样爱我们的邻居。 这就是为什么那天早上晚些时候，鲁本看到一个徒步旅行者坐在路边的岩石上，抱着脚踝时，他有点怀疑。 “真的吗？”他们走近那人时，他说。 “你是来真的，还是来接待游客的？”“恐怕这是真的，先生。”那人呻吟着说。 “我几个小时前把它扭了。 你会成为一个……”“好撒玛利亚人?”鲁本说完那人的话。 他叹了口气。“好吧。很好。等一下。” 鲁本把达斯迪拉到路边，让受伤的人听不见。

"You do have a heart, Ruben. I knew it!" Pearl whispered. "First of all, I don't want to hear it. Second, I don't want any trouble from you three." Ruben pointed at the squirrels and Dusty. "He's going to need to ride on the donkey, which means you guys have to walk." Ruben unlocked the cage. "No running off."

“你确实有心，鲁本。 我就知道！”珍珠低声说。 “首先，我不想听。 第二，我不希望你们三个给我惹麻烦。” 鲁本指着松鼠和达斯迪。 “他得骑驴，这就意味着你们得走路。” 鲁本打开了笼子。“不许跑。”

Merle looked at the hot, barren desert around them and recalled being stranded at the Dead Sea, not far from where they were at that moment. "Don't worry," he said. "We know better. Plus, it's been forever since I stretched my legs!" Dusty was the least happy with the arrangement; he had to carry the guy, and the road from Jericho to Jerusalem is all uphill! But with Ruben pushing from behind and Merle and Pearl pulling on Dusty's reins from the front, they managed to deliver the man safely to a roadside gift shop a few miles up.

梅尔看着他们周围炎热贫瘠的沙漠，回忆起当时被困在死海的情景，那里离他们当时所在的地方不远。 “别担心，”他说。“我们更清楚。 而且，我已经很久没动过腿了！”达斯迪对这样的安排最不满意；他必须背这个人，而且从耶利哥到耶路撒冷的路都是上山的！但鲁本在后面推着，梅尔和珀尔在前面拉着达斯迪的缰绳，他们成功地把他安全地送到了几英里外的路边礼品店。