The Talmud is the great collection of writings that hold Jewish law and Jewish learning — rules about religious life, but also about the ordinary business of living: money, marriage, farming, food, courts, how to treat a neighbour, what to do when two people both claim the same coat. It was written down in the first several hundred years after the fall of the Temple in Jerusalem, and it is enormous — many volumes.

The Talmud is the great collection of writings塔木德是一部龐大的文獻彙編， that hold Jewish law and Jewish learning裡面裝著猶太律法和猶太學問── — rules about religious life,包括宗教生活的規範， but also about the ordinary business of living:也包括日常生活的種種事務： money, marriage, farming, food, courts,金錢、婚姻、農業、食物、法庭， how to treat a neighbour,該怎麼對待鄰居， what to do when two people both claim the same coat.當兩個人都說某件外套是自己的時該怎麼辦。It was written down in the first several hundred years after the fall of the Temple in Jerusalem,它是在耶路撒冷聖殿被毀後最初的幾百年間寫成的， and it is enormous而且份量非常龐大── — many volumes.有很多卷。

What makes it different from most law books is its shape. It is not a tidy list of rules. It is a record of argument.

What makes it different from most law books讓它跟大部分法律書不一樣的地方， is its shape.就是它的形式。It is not a tidy list of rules.它不是一份整整齊齊的規則清單。It is a record of argument.它是一份爭論的紀錄。

A short older statement of law (the Mishnah) sits on the page, and around it runs a long discussion (the Gemara) in which rabbis question it, object, tell stories, disagree — and very often the disagreement is left standing, with both opinions written down. A printed page of Talmud shows this visually: the old text in the middle, commentaries from later centuries wrapped around it on all sides.

A short older statement of law (the Mishnah) sits on the page,一段較早、較簡短的律法陳述（Mishnah，米示拿）放在頁面上， and around it runs a long discussion (the Gemara)周圍圍繞著一長串的討論（Gemara，革馬拉）， in which rabbis question it, object, tell stories, disagree在裡面拉比們會質疑它、反對它、講故事、意見不合── — and very often the disagreement is left standing,而且這種不同意見常常就這樣被保留下來， with both opinions written down.兩種說法都被寫了下來。A printed page of Talmud shows this visually:一頁印出來的塔木德，會用畫面把這個特色呈現出來： the old text in the middle,古老的文本放在中間， commentaries from later centuries wrapped around it on all sides.後世好幾個世紀的註解，從四面八方包圍著它。

Studying it is traditionally done out loud and with a partner, arguing your way through. Because of this, English speakers sometimes use 'Talmud' and 'Talmudic' loosely, about any body of writing full of fine, detailed argument.

Studying it is traditionally done out loud and with a partner,傳統上，研讀它是大聲說出來、而且找個夥伴一起做的， arguing your way through.一路辯論著讀下去。Because of this,正因為如此， English speakers sometimes use 'Talmud' and 'Talmudic' loosely,英語使用者有時候會把「Talmud」和「Talmudic」用得比較鬆散， about any body of writing full of fine, detailed argument.來指任何充滿細膩、詳盡論證的文獻。

Almost always used with 'the': 'the Talmud'. Capital T.

Almost always used with 'the':幾乎總是會加「the」： 'the Talmud'.也就是「the Talmud」。Capital T.T 要大寫。