* 本篇文章难度系数7.3，由《小仙英语伴读》人工智能难度分析系统提供评分。
* 提高英语阅读水平要 “轻翻译，重分析理解”，译文仅在不得已的时候参考用，这里的译文也不求高质量，甚至有时都不一定通顺，但一定有助于提高阅读能力。
* 本文选自《Child Bible》，讲述的是女先知底波拉时期发生的事情。
ISRAELITES CRIED TO JEHOVAH FOR HELP【译】以色列人向耶和华寻求帮助【单词】CRIED 原型：cry 动词过去式 [krahy][kraɪ] v. 哭；(大声)叫喊【专有名词】ISRAELITES 原型：Israelite 名词复数形式 ['iz-ree-uh-lahyt, -rey-]['iz,riəlait] n. 以色列人【专有名词】JEHOVAH 原型：Jehovah [ji-'hoh-vuh][dʒɪ'həʊvə] n. [圣经]耶和华(指上帝)
In course of time the Midianites conquered the Israelites.【译】终于有一天，米甸人征服了以色列人。【短语】In course of time 原型：in course of time 最后，终于；例句：In course of time they both died. 最后他们两人都去世了。【单词】conquered 原型：conquer 动词过去式 ['kong-ker]['kɒŋkə] v. 征服；克服；战胜【专有名词】Midianites 原型：Midianite 名词复数形式 ['mid-ee-uh-nahyt]['midiənait] n. 米甸人
To escape them the Israelites made for themselves dens in the mountains and caves and strongholds.【译】以色列人为了躲避他们，就在山上、山洞里、堡垒里为自己挖穴。【单词】escape 动词 [ih-'skeyp][ɪ'skeɪp] v. 逃跑；逃脱；逃避【单词】dens 原型：den 名词复数形式 [den][den] n. 穴；窝巢【单词】caves 原型：cave 名词复数形式 [keyv][keɪv] n. 洞穴；山洞【单词】strongholds 原型：stronghold 名词复数形式 ['strawng-hohld, 'strong-]['strɒŋhəʊld] n. 要塞；堡垒
When the Israelites had sown their crops, the Midianites would come up and leave nothing for the Israelites to live on, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass; for they came up with their cattle and their tents.【译】以色列人一播种好庄稼，米甸人就来他们这里，不给以色列人留下任何赖以生存的东西，不管是羊、牛或驴；因为米甸人是带着他们的家畜和帐篷过来的。【单词】sown 原型：sow 动词过去分词 [soh][saʊ] v. 播种【单词】crops 原型：crop 名词复数形式 [krop][krɒp] n. 农作物；庄稼【单词】ox 名词 [oks][ɒks] n. 牛；公牛【单词】ass 名词 [as][æs] n. 驴【单词】cattle 名词 ['kat-l]['kætl] n. 牛；家畜；畜牲【单词】tents 原型：tent 名词复数形式 [tent][tent] n. 帐篷
The Israelites were so robbed by the Midianites, that they cried to Jehovah for help.【译】米甸人如此掠夺以色列人，以色列人就呼求耶和华寻求帮助。【单词】robbed 原型：rob 动词过去分词 [rob][rɒb] v. 抢劫；掠夺
Then the angel of Jehovah came and sat down under the oak which was in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezerite; and his son, Gideon, was beating out wheat in the wine-press to hide it from the Midianites.【译】Jehovah的天使就坐到位于Ophrah的橡树下，Ophrah属于Abiezerite人Joash；他的儿子Gideon正在把麦子打入榨酒机里，来把粮食藏起来不让米甸人发现。【短语】belonged to 原型：belong to 属于；例句：The Chinese belong to the yellow race. 中国人属于黄种人。【单词】angel 名词 ['eyn-juh l]['eɪndʒl] n. 天使【单词】oak 名词 [ohk][əʊk] n. 橡树；橡木【单词】beating 原型：beat 动词动名词形式 [beet][biːt] v. 打；击；敲【单词】wheat 名词 [hweet, weet][wiːt] n. 小麦；小麦色【单词】wine-press 葡萄榨汁装置；酒榨机
The angel of Jehovah appeared to him and said, "Jehovah is with you, able warrior!" Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if Jehovah is with us, why then has all this overtaken us?【译】耶和华的使者向他显现，说：“Jehovah与你同在，有能力的勇士！”Gideon对他说：“哦，我的主啊，如果Jehovah和我们在一起，我们为什么会遭受这些？【单词】appeared 原型：appear 动词过去式 [uh-'peer][ə'pɪə] v. 出现；显现【单词】warrior 名词 ['wawr-ee-er, 'wawr-yer, 'wor-ee-er, 'wor-yer]['wɒriə] n. 勇士；战士；武士【单词】lord 名词 [lawrd][lɔːd] n. 主；上帝【单词】overtaken 原型：overtake 动词过去分词 [oh-ver-'teyk][ˌəʊvə'teɪk] v. 赶上；突然来袭；压倒
Where are all his wonderful acts of which our fathers told us, saying, 'Did not Jehovah bring us from Egypt?' But now Jehovah has cast us off and given us into the power of the Midianites."【译】列祖们给我们讲述的Jehovah的那些惊人的举止，我们怎么看不到呢，他们说，‘耶和华不是把我们从埃及领出来吗？’但现在Jehovah已经丢弃了我们，让我们受米甸人的统治。”【短语】cast off 抛弃，摆脱；例句：He was able to cast off such an uninteresting task. 他终于摆脱了这么一项乏味的工作。【专有名词】Egypt 地名 ['ee-jipt]['iːdʒɪpt] n. 埃及
Then Jehovah turned to him and said, "With this strength which you have go and save Israel from the rule of the Midianites: do I not send you?" But Gideon said to him, "O Jehovah, how can I save Israel?【译】Jehovah便转身对他说：“带着你拥有的这力量，去把以色列人从米甸人的统治下拯救出来：我没有派你去吗？”但Gideon对他说：“哦Jehovah，我怎么能拯救以色列人呢？【单词】rule 名词 [rool][ruːl] n. 统治；管理
See, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house." Jehovah said to him, "I will surely be with you, and you shall overthrow the Midianites as if they were only one man."【译】看，在玛拿西我家是最穷的，在我家我是最小的。”Jehovah对他说，“我一定会和你在一起，你要去推翻米甸人就好像他们只有一个人。”【单词】overthrow 动词 [verb oh-ver-'throh; noun 'oh-ver-throh]['əʊvəθrəʊ] v. 推翻；打倒；颠覆【专有名词】Manasseh n. 玛拿西（圣经中约瑟后裔）
Then the spirit of Jehovah took possession of Gideon, and he sounded the war trumpet, and the Abiezerites assembled under his leadership.【译】耶和华的灵占领Gideon，他吹响了战争的号角，在他的领导下，Abiezerite人聚集在一起。【短语】took possession of 原型：take possession of 占有，占领；例句：We took possession of the enemy's stronghold.我们占领了敌人的要塞。【单词】spirit 名词 ['spir-it]['spɪrɪt] n. 精神；心灵【单词】trumpet 名词 ['truhm-pit]['trʌmpɪt] n. 喇叭；喇叭声【单词】assembled 原型：assemble 动词过去式 [uh-'sem-buhl][ə'sembl] v. 集合；聚集【单词】leadership 名词 ['lee-der-ship]['liːdəʃɪp] n. 领导
He also sent messengers throughout all the land of the Manassites, and they assembled under his leadership; and he sent messengers to the Asherites, the Zebulunites, and the Naphtalites, and they went up to join him.【译】他派出使者遍布Manassite人的全地，在他的领导下Manassite人集合到一起；他还派使者使者去Asherite人、Zebulunite人和Naphtalite人那里，这些人也加入了他。【单词】messengers 原型：messenger 名词复数形式 ['mes-uhn-jer]['mesɪndʒə] n. 报信者；信使【单词】throughout 介词 [throo-'out][θruː'aʊt] prep. 贯穿；遍及
But Jehovah said to Gideon, "You have too many people with you; if I give the Midianites up to the Israelites they will boast, 'We have saved ourselves!' Therefore, proclaim to your people, 'Whoever is afraid may go home.'"【译】但Jehovah对Gideon说：“和你一起的人太多了；从米甸人到以色列人，我若给予他们，他们会吹嘘，‘我们救了自己！’所以对你的百姓们宣布，‘凡惧怕的，可以回家去。’”【单词】boast 动词 [bohst][bəʊst] v. 自夸；吹牛【单词】Therefore 原型：therefore 副词 ['thair-fawr, -fohr]['ðeəfɔː] adv. 因此；所以【单词】proclaim 动词 [proh-'kleym, pruh-][prə'kleɪm] vt. 正式宣布；声明；表明【单词】Whoever 原型：whoever 代词 [hoo-'ev-er][huːˈɛvə] pron. 无论谁；任何人【单词】afraid 形容词 [uh-'freyd][ə'freɪd] adj. 担心的；害怕的
Then Gideon separated them, so that twenty-two thousand of the people went back home, but ten thousand stayed.【译】Gideon就把这些人分开，让二万二千个人回家，但留下了一万人。【单词】separated 原型：separate 动词过去式 [verb 'sep-uh-reyt; adjective, noun 'sep-er-it][sɛpəˌret] v. 分开；隔开【单词】stayed 原型：stay 动词过去式 [stey][steɪ] v. 停留；留下
But Jehovah said to him, "The people are still too many; take them down to the water, and I will try them out for you there.【译】但Jehovah对他说：“人数还是太多，把他们带到水边，我就在那里为你检验一下他们。
Every one of whom I say to you, 'This one shall go with you,' shall go with you; and every one of whom I say to you, 'This one shall not go with you,' shall not go."【译】我对你说，‘这人可与你同去，’你就让他和你一起去；我若说，‘这人不可与你同去，’就不要让这人和你同去。
So Gideon brought the people down to the water.【译】于是Gideon把这些人带到水边。【单词】brought 原型：bring 动词过去式 [bring][brɪŋ] v. 带来
And Jehovah said to him, "You shall put by themselves all who lap the water with their tongues, as a dog laps, and all who kneel down on their knees to drink by themselves." The number of those who lapped with their tongue, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men; but all the rest of the people knelt down on their knees to drink.【译】Jehovah对他说：“你让他们自己选择，是用舌头舔水，就像狗舔水那样，还是跪地喝水。”那些用舌头舔水、把手放进嘴里的人有三百个；其余所有人都是跪地喝水。【短语】kneel down 跪下；例句：The old man knelt down in prayer. 老人跪下祈祷。【单词】lap 动词 [lap][læp] v. 舔食；舔【单词】tongues 原型：tongue 名词复数形式 [tuhng][tʌŋ] n. 舌头【单词】knees 原型：knee 名词复数形式 [nee][niː] n. 膝盖；膝关节【单词】rest 名词 [rest][rest] n. 剩余部分
Then Jehovah said to Gideon, "By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hands.【译】然后Jehovah对Gideon说：“用这三百个舔水的人，我将拯救你们，并将米甸人交到你们手中。【单词】deliver 动词 [dih-'liv-er][dɪ'lɪvə] v. 交付
Let all the rest of the people go home." So they took the food that the people had in their hands, and their trumpets; and Gideon sent home all the other Israelites, keeping only the three hundred men.【译】让其他人都回家吧。”于是他们带着民众手中的食物以及他们的喇叭；Gideon就把其余的以色列人送回家，只留下三百人。
,
