《圣经》中人名的文化意蕴及其对西方的影响(上)

The Cultural Connotations of Biblical Names and Their Influence in Western Countries (1^(st) Part)

《圣经》是人类历史上最重要的典籍之一,对西方的文化产生了深远的影响,西方有众多人物的名字都来源于此。《圣经.旧约》中人们命名的方式简单而直接,其中的人名大多表现了本人出生时的情况,或表达了父母的愿望。由于《圣经.旧约》主要是用古希伯来语写成的,所以其中的人名得以直接进入英语和其它语言,成为很多西方人的名字;而在《圣经》的传播和翻译的过程中,各种语言相互影响、同化和吸收,出现了许多变体和昵称,因而产生了大量新名字,甚至由男性名字衍生出了女性名字。

Holy Bible, one the most important works in human history, has an everlasting influence on westernculture and many western people even derive their names from it. The people in the Old Testament named their de- scendants in a simple and direct way and most of names show the situation when they were born or their parents＇wi-shes for them. Written in ancient Hebrew, Hebrew names in the Old Testament got direct into English and many other languages, becoming the origins of many western people＇s names. During the course of Holy Bible＇s spread and translation, various languages influencing and assimilating one another, biblical names produced many variant forms and pet names. As a result, many new names appeared and male names generated female ones.