The Manichaeans were a religious sect that was extremely characteristic of late antiquity.

摩尼教是一个极具古代晚期特征的宗教教派。

Manichaeism rejected belief in an omnipotent god.

摩尼教拒绝相信全能的神。

For how much better were the fables of the grammarians and poets than these snares [of the Manicheans]!

文法学家和诗人的寓言比这些[摩尼教]的陷阱要好得多！

But the fantasies of the Manicheans were not in any way like thee as thou hast spoken to me now.

但摩尼教的幻想与你现在对我所说的完全不同。

Of all theological systems, the most convincing is Manicheism, which, of course, under another name, was held by the Puritans themselves.

在所有神学体中，最有说服力的是摩尼教，当然，摩尼教是清教徒自己持有的另一个名称。

Focusing on the battle between good and evil, the teachings of Manichaeism were based on the beliefs of the Iranian prophet, Mani.

摩尼教的教义着眼于善与恶之间的斗争，其教义基于伊朗先知摩尼的信仰。

Had the Manichean doctrine of Good and Evil as rival deities been orthodox, it would alone have accounted for this simultaneous victory of hostile powers.

如果摩尼教将善恶视为敌对神灵的教义是正统的，那么仅凭它就可以解释敌对势力的同时胜利。

However, unlike other religions on this list, although Manichaeism eventually mysteriously disappeared, there is believe it or not now a growing interest in this ancient religion.

然而，与这份名单上的其他宗教不同，尽管摩尼教最终神秘地消失了，但不管你信不信，现在人们对这个古老宗教的兴趣越来越大。

(spooky music) Founded in what is now modern Iran during the third century, Manichaeism was a religion which spread as far as China only to finally fade away by the 15th century.

（幽灵般的音乐）摩尼教于三世纪创立于现在的现代伊朗，是一种传播到中国的宗教， 直到 15 世纪才最终消失。

Notwithstanding this, if a fig was plucked, by not his own but another man's wickedness, some Manichean saint might eat it, digest it in his stomach, and breathe it out again in the form of angels.

尽管如此，如果一颗无花果被摘下，不是因为他自己， 而是因为另一个人的邪恶，某个摩尼教圣人可能会吃掉它，在胃里消化它， 然后以天使的形式再次呼出它。

For verses and poems I can turn into food for the mind, for though I sang about " the flying Medea" I never believed it, but those other things [the fantasies of the Manicheans] I did believe.

对于诗句和诗歌， 我可以把它变成心灵的食粮，因为虽然我唱的是“飞翔的美狄亚” ，但我从来不相信它，但那些其他的东西（摩尼教的幻想）我确实相信。