When Jerusalem was captured by Nebuchadnezzar,Daniel was taken away to the great city of Babylon in chains and kept a prisoner there for many years.But Daniel never forgot God.He prayed every day and tried to lead a good life.
Daniel became famous in Babylon because God gave him a special understanding of dreams.Daniel told each of the Kings of Babylon in turn what their dreams meant.Each King rewarded Daniel,and he soon became an important man in the royal court.
当耶路撒冷被尼布甲尼撒二世夺取之后，但以理被链子锁着带到了巴比伦这个伟大的城市中做了许多年的囚犯。可是但以理从来没有忘记过上帝。他每天祷告希望自己有一个好生活。
但以理在巴比伦变得很有名，因为上帝给了他一个特殊的解梦能力。但以理轮流告诉巴比伦的每一个国王他们的梦的含义。每一个国王都奖赏但以理，他很快在皇家的宫廷中变成了一位重要的人物。
Then Babylon was captured by the Persians.The new King,who was called Darius,began to send for Daniel whenever he needed advice.Daniel was so clever and wise that Darius decided to put him in charge of the whole kingdom.
后来巴比伦被波斯人夺取了。新的国王叫做大流士，每逢他需要建议的时候就召唤但以理。但以理是如此的聪明和博学，以至于大流士决定让他管理整个王国。
When the King's other advisers saw how much Darius liked Daniel,they became angry and jealous.
‘The King should be asking our advice,not talking to that foreigner,Daniel,’they grumbled.
当国王的其他谋士看到大流士如此地喜欢但以理，他们开始生气和妒忌。
“国王本应该向我们寻求建议，而不是那个外国人但以理。”他们抱怨道。
The advisers held a secret meeting.They decided to get rid of Daniel by making him unpopular with Darius.But however hard they tried,they could never catch Daniel doing anything wrong.
By now Daniel had been away from Jerusalem for many years.But every single day he still knelt by his window,facing in the direction of Jerusalem,and prayed to God.At last,this gave Daniel's enemies an idea,and off they went to see Darius.
谋士们召开了一个秘密会议。他们决定通过使但以理不再受大流士欢迎的方法来除掉他。可无论他们多么努力尝试，都不能抓到但以理犯了什么错。
到如今，但以理已经被带离耶路撒冷很多年了。但每一个孤独的日子里他依然跪在窗边，面朝着耶路撒冷的方向对上帝祷告。最终，这给了但以理的敌人们一个主意，他们去求见大流士。
‘Your Majesty’,they said.‘You are the best King in the world. You should pass a law to say that,during the next month,anyone who wants anything at all must ask only you for it.That will make the people realise how great you are.And anyone who breaks the law by asking another person or god,must be thrown to the lions.’
“陛下，”他们说，“你是全世界最好的国王。你应该通过一项法律指明，在下个月内，任何人想要任何东西都必须只能向你要求。这会使人们明白你是多么伟大。任何向其他人或神提出要求的、违反这项法律的人，都必须被扔到狮子中去。”
Darius was flattered by his advisers' suggestion.He did not realise that it was a clever plot to trap Daniel,and so he agreed.He signed the law with his own royal seal,which meant that it could never be changed.
大流士为他的谋士的提议而感到高兴。他没有意识到这是一个陷害但以理的狡猾的诡计，所以他同意了。他用皇家的印章签署了这项法律，意味着永远不能被改变。
The new law was read out to everyone in the palace. As soon as Daniel heard it, he knew that his enemies were trying to trap him. But nothing would stop him praying to God. When he got home, he knelt by his window and began to pray. First, as he always did, he thanked God for all his blessings. Then, as he always did, he asked God for something. He asked God to let him go back to Jerusalem one day.
Daniel's enemies were spying on him. The moment they heard Daniel asking God for what he needed, they rubbed their hands in glee. Their plan had succeeded.
这项新法令被宣读给宫里的每一个人。但以理一听就知道他的敌人正试图陷害他。但是，没有什么能阻止他向上帝祷告。当他回到家就跪在窗前开始祷告。首先，像他始终所做的一样，他感谢上帝赐予他的一切，然后，像他始终所做的一样，他请求上帝一些事情。他请求有一天上帝让他回到耶路撒冷。
但以理的敌人正在监视他。当他们听到但以理向上帝提出他的要求的时候，他们高兴得直搓手。他们的诡计成功了。
The advisers ran straight to the King.They reminded Darius about his new law.
‘Daniel has broken the law,Your Majesty,’they explained.‘While he was praying to his God,he asked for something.’
Too late,Darius realised that he had been tricked.He felt very sad.
谋士们直奔国王那里，他们提醒大流士他的新法律。
“陛下，但以理违反了这项法律，”他们解释道，“当他向上帝祷告的时候，他为一些事情而提出了要求。”
大流士觉悟到自己被欺骗了，可是已经太晚了。他感到非常难过。
All day, Darius tried to think of a way of saving Daniel. But he could not change the law because he had signed it with his own royal seal. Finally he gave orders for Daniel to be arrested.
The soldiers took Daniel to the pit where the lions were kept. Darius himself went with them.
整整一天，大流士都试着想出一个解救但以理的方法。但是他不能改变自己的法律，因为他已经用皇家的印章签署了它。最终，他下命令逮捕但以理。
士兵们把但以理带到了关狮子的深坑。大流士也跟着他们一起去了。
‘You have been loyal to your God,Daniel,’said the King.‘I hope he will keep you safe now.’
Then the soldiers threw Daniel into the pit of lions and rolled a huge stone across the entrance.
“但以理，你忠实于你的上帝，”国王说，“我希望现在他能够保证你的安全。”
然后，士兵们把但以理扔进了狮子坑中，并在洞口上堵了一块巨大的石头。
Darius went back to his palace.He could not stop worrying about Daniel.He had no appetite for his supper,and he waved his musicians away.He went to bed early,but he tossed and turned all night and did not sleep a wink.
大流士回到宫殿里。他无法停止对但以理的担心。他对晚餐没有一点食欲，挥手让音乐家走开。他很早就上了床，但整晚辗转反侧片刻都无法入睡。
Early next morning, before even the palace servants were awake,Darius got up and rushed to the lion pit.
‘Are you alive, Daniel?’the King called.‘Has your God saved you from the lions?’
Darius did not really expect an answer,so imagine his surprise when Daniel called back to him.
‘Yes,Your Majesty,’came the faint cry.‘God sent an angel to help me.The angel shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me.’
第二天一早，甚至在宫殿里的仆人们还没有醒来之前，大流士就起了床，匆忙地来到狮子坑。
“但以理，你还活着吗？”国王叫道，“你的上帝有没有把你从狮子中救出来？”
大流士并没有指望真的有回答。所以可以想象，当但以理回答他时他的惊奇。
“是的，陛下，”洞里传出一个无力的喊声，“上帝派了一个天使来帮助我。天使关闭了狮子们的嘴，它们没有伤害我。”
Darius was overjoyed. He raced back to the palace, shouting for his soldiers to come and remove the stone.
大流士大喜。他跑回宫殿，喊他的士兵们来搬开石头。
As soon as the stone was pushedaway,everyone gathered round the entrance and looked down.Daniel was sitting on the floor of the pit,surrounded by the lions who were purring quietly.
当石头被搬开时，大家都聚集在洞口周围往下看。但以理正坐在深坑里，被平静地发出低叫的狮子们围着。
‘Get some ropes and pull him out!’ordered the King.
The King's servants rushed to find a rope,and soon Daniel was free.Darius was amazed to see that Daniel did not have a single scratch on him.
‘Your God must be very powerful indeed,’Darius told Daniel.‘I shall send out a letter to be read in every corner of my kingdom to say that your God is the true God and that everyone must respect him.’
“快拿些绳子把他拉上来！”国王命令道。
国王的仆人们急忙去找绳子，但以理很快就自由了。大流士吃惊地看到但以理身上没有一处抓伤。
“你的上帝的确非常强大，”大流士告诉但以理。“我应该给我的王国里每一个人都发一封信，说明你的上帝是真正的神，每个人都必须尊敬他。”
Darius was very angry with his advisers who had plotted against Daniel, and sent for them.
大流士对那些密谋反对但以理的谋士们非常生气，派人去召他们来。
‘You tried to trick me so that you could get rid of Daniel,’he told them.‘Now I will punish you in the way you wanted me to punish him.’The King ordered his soldiers to throw the advisers into the pit of lions. But this time, no angel come to shut the lions' mouths.
“你们想欺骗我，这样你们就可以除掉但以理。”他告诉他们，“现在我要用你们让我惩罚他的方式来惩罚你们。”国王命令他的士兵把谋士们扔进狮子坑里。但是这次却没有天使来闭上狮子们的嘴了。
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