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Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammāsambuddhassa[1. This Pāḷi sentence is the formula of great honour paid to the Buddha which may be translated "Honour to Him the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One." A Buddhist literary work usually begins with it to show the author's exclamation of obeisance.]

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammāsambuddhassa[1. 這一句巴利文常用於向佛陀致最高的敬意。譯為「禮敬他世尊、阿羅漢、正等正覺者」。一般上，佛學著作皆以這一句作為開場，以示作者對佛陀的最高敬意。]

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammāsambuddhassa[1. 这一句巴利文常用于向佛陀致最高的敬意。译为「礼敬他世尊、阿罗汉、正等正觉者」。一般上，佛学著作皆以这一句作为开场，以示作者对佛陀的最高敬意。]

Chapter 1
Salutation & Intention[2. The original word in Pāḷi is Paṭiññā; which literally means "promise" or "vow".]

第一章
禮敬 與 原意[2. 這裡「原意」的巴利原文是 Paṭiññā，意思是「承諾」或「願」。]

第一章
礼敬 与 原意[2. 这里「原意」的巴利原文是 Paṭiññā，意思是「承诺」或「愿」。]

With most respectful adoration I pay obeisance to the Buddha who, like his predecessors, has made a very rare appearance; who, like them, has no peers among Brahmās, Devas and human beings in the three worlds; who, like them, forms a refuge for all these beings who bow in homage; and who is like them in all aspects of glory, virtues and attributes (except in eight individual features [3. These are called Aṭṭhavemattāni, which Malalasekera translates "eight particulars in which the Buddhas differ from each other." His rendering of these eight are: "length of life in the epoch in which each is born, the height of his body, his social rank, (some are born as Khattiyas, others as brahmins), the length of his austerities, the aura of his body (thus in the case of Maṅgala, his aura spread throughout the ten thousand world-systems, while that of Gotama extended only one fathom), the conveyance in which he makes his renunciation, the tree under which he attains Enlightenment, and the size of the seat (Pallaṅka) under the Bodhi tree." Dictionary of Pāḷi Proper Names under Buddha (DPPN)] such as life-span, height, lineage, duration of strenuous exertion, rays emitted from body, conveyance used on renouncing the world, Bodhi-tree and size of dais as seat).

我以最高的敬意頂禮佛陀。有如過去諸佛一樣，他的出現是稀有的；在人、天與梵天三界裡沒有與他同等的伙伴；作為信他的眾生的歸依處，以及擁有一切的榮譽、美德與素質。( 除了八個各自的特徵[3. 八個各自的特徵的巴利原文是 Aṭṭhavemattāni，被譯為「佛與佛之間不同的特徵」。這八個是∶壽命 ( 命劫，當時人類的壽命 )、家族（剎帝利 ( 王族，Khattiya) 或 婆羅門 (Brahmin) ）、修苦行的時間、身體的身光（吉祥佛 (Buddha Maṅgala) 的身光遍佈一萬個世界，釋迦牟尼佛的身光則只有八十腕尺 ( 一腕尺大約是十七至廿二英吋 )）、出家時所用的交通工具、菩提樹的種類、證悟時所用的 金剛座 (Pallaṅka) 的面積。]，即∶壽命、高度、家族、修苦行的時間、身體的身光、出家時所用的交通工具、菩提樹與金剛座的面積 ) 。

我以最高的敬意顶礼佛陀。有如过去诸佛一样，他的出现是稀有的；在人、天与梵天三界里没有与他同等的伙伴；作为信他的众生的归依处，以及拥有一切的荣誉、美德与素质。( 除了八个各自的特征[3. 八个各自的特征的巴利原文是 Aṭṭhavemattāni，被译为「佛与佛之间不同的特征」。这八个是∶寿命 ( 命劫，当时人类的寿命 )、家族（剎帝利 ( 王族，Khattiya) 或 婆罗门 (Brahmin) ）、修苦行的时间、身体的身光（吉祥佛 (Buddha Maṅgala) 的身光遍布一万个世界，释迦牟尼佛的身光则只有八十腕尺 ( 一腕尺大约是十七至廿二英吋 )）、出家时所用的交通工具、菩提树的种类、证悟时所用的 金刚座 (Pallaṅka) 的面积。] ，即∶寿命、高度、家族、修苦行的时间、身体的身光、出家时所用的交通工具、菩提树与金刚座的面积 ) 。

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With most respectful adoration I pay obeisance to the Dhamma, which, through his Omniscience and out of profound compassion for all beings, has been well taught[4. This is the first attribute of the Dhamma.] by that Buddha, and which has been held in high esteem by himself.

我以最高的敬意頂禮法。這是由於佛陀憐憫眾生而作出最適當的教法[4. 這是法寶的第一個素質。]。而且佛陀本身也對法懷有很高的敬意。

我以最高的敬意顶礼法。这是由于佛陀怜悯众生而作出最适当的教法[4. 这是法宝的第一个素质。]。而且佛陀本身也对法怀有很高的敬意。

With most respectful adoration I pay obeisance to the Saṅgha, the Order of Noble Ones, who have become true sons of the Master by their proper and upright practice[5. These are the first and second of the attributes of the Saṅgha.] of the Dhamma.

我以最高的敬意頂禮僧，聖者的僧團。他們正確與正直地修習法[5. 這是僧寶的首兩個素質。]，是導師真正的兒子。

我以最高的敬意顶礼僧，圣者的僧团。他们正确与正直地修习法[5. 这是僧宝的首两个素质。]，是导师真正的儿子。

Having paid obeisance to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha, I shall now write in a language neither too brief nor too elaborate, neither too simple nor too difficult, and relying mainly on the canonical texts of the Buddhavaṁsa[6. The fourteenth book of the Khuddaka Nikāya of the Sutta Piṭaka.] and its commentary and also taking relevant materials from other texts and commentaries, the Mahābuddhavaṁsa, the Great Chronicle of the Buddhas - a book on the lives of twenty-five Enlightened Ones from out of innumerable Buddhas past, whose number is far greater than that of the grains of sand of the Ganges,[7. Cp. "Few are the sands of the Ganges, Innumerable are the Conquerors, Who have entered Nirvana …" This is from U Pe Maung Tin's translation of the popular Pāḷi gāthā beginning with the word "Sambuddhe". The relevant Pāḷi composition in two lines are; "Appakā vālukā gaṅgā, anantā nibbutā jinā …"] beginning with the account of the Exalted Dīpaṅkara, from whom the Future Gotama as the Hermit Sumedha received the definite prophecy[8. Receiving of the Definite Prophecy (Niyata-vyākaraṇa) is an important feature in the spiritual evolution of a Bodhisatta. We shall see more about it when we come to the story of Sumedha.] that he would become a Perfectly Self-Enlightened One.

禮敬佛法僧之後，我應該以不太短也不太長，不太簡單也不太難懂的文法，主要根據經典中的《佛史》或《佛種姓經》(Buddhavaṁsa[6. 經藏中的《小部》(Khuddaka Nikāya) 的第十四部經。]) 和它的註疏，以及其他有關的經典與註疏，著作這部《大佛史》(Mahābuddhavaṁsa) 一本有關過去多過恆河沙數的無數量佛之中的二十五尊佛的生平之書，始於授記[8. 授記 (Niyata-vyākaraṇa，肯定的預測 ) 是成為菩薩很重要的一個特徵。我們將在須彌陀隱士的故事裡更深入地討論。]須彌陀隱士 ( 妙智，Sumedha) 為菩薩的 燃燈佛 (Buddha Dīpaṅkara)。

礼敬佛法僧之后，我应该以不太短也不太长，不太简单也不太难懂的文法，主要根据经典中的《佛史》或《佛种姓经》(Buddhavaṁsa[6. 经藏中的《小部》(Khuddaka Nikāya) 的第十四部经。]) 和它的注疏，以及其他有关的经典与注疏，著作这部《大佛史》(Mahābuddhavaṁsa) 一本有关过去多过恒河沙数的无数量佛之中的二十五尊佛的生平之书，始于授记[8. 授记 (Niyata-vyākaraṇa，肯定的预测 ) 是成为菩萨很重要的一个特征。我们将在须弥陀隐士的故事里更深入地讨论。]须弥陀隐士 ( 妙智，Sumedha) 为菩萨的 燃灯佛 (Buddha Dīpaṅkara)。

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May those virtuous people, who are desirous of seeking merit and knowledge; who, with abiding faith, have established a firm foundation of refuge in the Buddha[9. Here the author adds an adjectival clause reading "whose supremacy in the three worlds is like the ruby-studded pinnacle of a palace." The three worlds here are the three realms of Sensuality (Kāma), Materiality (Rūpa) and Immateriality (Arūpa). The first corresponds to the realm of five senses, comprising the four Woeful States (Apāya), the human world and the six celestial worlds. The material and immaterial worlds belong to the Brahmās.], the Dhamma and the Saṅgha; and who are properly and uprightly cultivating the threefold practice of Morality (Sīla), Concentration (Samādhi) and Insight (Paññā) - may they easily attain the Path, Fruition and Nibbāna.

願那些欲尋求善業與智慧的有德之士，已具備信心地歸依了佛法僧三寶，正確與正直的培育 戒 (Sīla),、定 (Samādhi)、慧 (Paññā) 三學的人，能夠證得道、果與涅槃。

愿那些欲寻求善业与智慧的有德之士，已具备信心地归依了佛法僧三宝，正确与正直的培育 戒 (Sīla),、定 (Samādhi)、慧 (Paññā) 三学的人，能够证得道、果与涅槃。