3-5:1
Καί μοι φαθὶ καὶ ὧδε. γενητὸν τὸ μὴ γενέσεως ἔχον ἀρχὴν φαίης ἄν; Οὐ δῆτα· εἰ γὰρ μὴ ὑποπίπτει γενέσεως ἀρχῇ, ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἀγένητόν ἐστιν. Εἰ δὲ γέγονεν, ὑπὸ αἰτίου τινὸς δίδως αὐτὸ γεγονέναι· πάντῃ γὰρ ἀδύνατον χωρὶς αἰτίου γένεσιν ἔχειν; Ἀδύνατον
也請告訴我這事。那沒有生成之開端的,你會稱它為「受造的」麼?——當然不會;因為它若不落在生成的開端之下,便必然是非受造的。——但它若已生成了,你便承認它是藉著某種緣由而生成的;因為斷無可能沒有緣由便有生成,是麼?——斷無可能。
And tell me this too. Would you call that 'created' which has no beginning of generation? — Certainly not; for if it does not fall under a beginning of generation, it is of necessity uncreated. — But if it has come to be, you grant that it has come to be by some cause; for it is wholly impossible to have generation without a cause? — Impossible.
3-5:2
Κόσμον δὴ οὖν, καὶ ὅσα ἐν αὐτῷ μῶν ἄλλου τινὸς ἢ θεοῦ δημιουργοῦντος φήσομεν γεγονέναι ὕστερον, πρότερον οὐκ ὄντα; Δῆλον ὅτι θεοῦ. Ἀδύνατον γὰρ τὸ γενέσεως ἀρχῇ περιορισθὲν συναπέραντον εἶναι τῷ ἀπεράντῳ; Ἁδύνατον
——那麼,我們要說這世界以及其中的萬物,是後來才生成的——先前並不存在——並且是藉著某一位別的去創造它,還是藉著神呢?——顯然是藉著神。——因為那被生成之開端所限定的,斷不可能與那無限者在無界之中同等並存,是麼?——斷不可能。
— Shall we then say that the world, and all that is in it, came to be later—not existing before—by some other one crafting it, or by God? — Plainly by God. — For it is impossible that what is bounded by a beginning of generation should be coextensive in limit with the Limitless? — Impossible.