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Sitting in this old church in China led me to contemplate about the lives of men and their spouses who lived decades ago, when they traveled to this distant land in the Eastern Hemisphere.
坐在这个中国的旧教堂里，我开始默默想象几十年以前的那些传教士和他们的妻子游历到东半球这块遥远的土地上是怎样生活的。
Many of these Christian ministers and laymen left their comfortable churches, even cathedrals to preach their ideology to foreigners.
这些基督教牧师和普通信徒中的很多人离开了他们舒适的教堂甚至大教堂，向外国人宣讲他们的思想。
They established small chapels where people could join in Christian fellowship and where some Chinese people accepted conversion to a new faith.
他们建立了小礼拜堂，在那里人们能够加入团契，在那里一些中国人转而接受一种新的宗教信仰。
They came to a land where the predominate faith was Buddhism.
他们到的这个地方原先占统治地位的信仰是佛教。
Even though their words were eloquent the message at times must have seemed formidable and gloomy.
尽管他们演讲时能说善辩，但有时他们的预言一定是悲观可怕的。
Even the foreigners' clothing styles would have appeared queer.
甚至这些外国人的着装服饰看起来都奇形怪状。
During this colonial time period missionaries immigrated to all areas of China, visiting small villages, distributing Bibles, offering divine salvation and preaching the word of God.
在那个殖民的时代，牧师们移民到中国的所有地区，访问小村庄，分发《圣经》，提供神的救赎，宣讲上帝的话语。
A unanimous decision was made by many faiths to attempt to enrich the lives of others and to present the eloquent message of Christianity.
很多信徒作出了一个完全一致的决定：帮助他人的生活并宣传基督教强有力的预言。
Some missionaries worked in the medical field as doctors, surgeons, nurses and dentists.
一些传教士在医疗领域工作，比如普通医生、外科医生、护士和牙医。
Agriculture specialists helped the farmers elevate their crop performance to provide better nutrition for the people.
农业专家帮助农民们提高他们的作物产量，为人们提供更好的食品。
Finally there were teachers who ran the mission schools. All had to be very versatile at their work.
最后，还有老师开办教会学校。所有人在他们的工作上都必须是多面手。
These people proved to be an inspiration for others to follow in their footsteps.
这些人被证明是对后来人的一种鼓舞。
Earnings from all these areas would go back into further mission work to fulfill their mandate.
在这些领域得到的收入又被用于进一步的传教工作以帮助他们完成使命。
In retrospect, my fascination with this historical era may have been kindled in childhood.
回想起来，我对这段历史的迷恋可能是在童年时期就被激发起来了。
While visiting my grandparent's home every Thanksgiving, I was allowed to examine the fascinating ornaments from the Orient.
每次在感恩节拜访我的祖父母时，我都被允许仔细查看源自东方的非常迷人的装饰品。
There were delicate elephant sculptures carved from ivory, lacy sandalwood fans and an imposing brass Buddha.
有精美的用象牙雕成的大象雕塑，有带花边的檀香扇和一尊庄严的铜佛像。
Best of all, I was allowed to don an exquisite silk embroidered jacket and play with a blue and tan parasol which was adorned with sprays of plum blossoms and tiny buds.
最好玩的是，我可以穿上一件优雅的绣花丝绸短上衣，玩一把喷饰着鲜花和小花蕾的蓝褐色阳伞。
It was then I was introduced to an exotic new world.
正是在那时候，我被带人了一个充满异国情调的新世界。
Maybe this too, is partly what lured me to this country.
也许，这也是诱使我到这个国家的部分原因吧。
It would be a long time before visas would be issued to foreign people, to again live in China.
外国人要获得签证再回到中国居住需要等待很长时间。
And so here I am! The clearance for my visitor's visa had been administered swiftly. My surroundings aroused in me a sense of heritage.
但是，我到了这里，并很快通过了访问签证的检查。周围的这一切在我心中激发起一种传统承续的感觉。
Today, sitting here pondering, allowed me to be a participant rather than just a spectator in a new chapter of China's history.
今天，坐在这里沉思让我成为一个在中国历史新篇章里的参与者，而不只是一个旁观者。
