一封給更新傳道會的信

敬啟者:


本人非常喜愛閱讀《鐵證待判》Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Historical Evidence fro the Christian Faith一書，手上也有2004年初版的《新鐵證待判--25週年更新版》Firm Evidence That Demands a Verdict。

惟有一個問題，使我大惑不解，就是原書作者Josh Mcdowell麥道衛先生的名字，在我買的2004年初版中不見了，遍尋封面、封底、序言、內文都沒有發現他的名字，中文英文都沒有，只看到<更新製作小組 製作>，我感到非常奇怪。這本更新版，內容大部分都取自Josh Mcdowell麥道衛先生的著作，為甚麼就是沒有他的名字了?

我不知道是不是因為初版漏印的關係，也不知道後來加印的版本中有沒有加上原作者的姓名，又或許是否更新傳道會完全接管了版榷。但個人覺得，這書原來就是麥道衛先生的偉大著作，對基督教、聖經、耶穌的真確性影響深遠，現在連作者名字更沒有，只有出版商的名字，實在對原作者有欠尊重(讓人以為是更新傳道會的同工們自己寫的)，也對有興趣知道作者其他文章書籍、學術背景的讀者們帶來很大的不便。

要不是我看過舊版，就無從得知這《新鐵證待判》是誰寫的，對於生在21世紀，尊重知識產權的我們來說，真的很不可思譏。我知道有時候為著傳福音的緣故，著作權、個人擁有權要稍微讓路，但隻字不提，未免太過，未知背後原因何在?

另外，我在香港城市大學圖書館看過，知道原作者的Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Historical Evidence fro the Christian Faith/ More Evidence that Demand a Verdict，還有一部份關於form criticism, textual criticism的， 貴社未有翻譯出來，市面上也未見其他出版社有這些翻譯。請問 貴社有沒有考慮過把書的另外一半也翻譯出來，讓一眾有心研究人士有中文版可讀呢?
我期待著 貴出版社對於上述兩個問題的回覆，希望更多人閱讀這本好書，並書的另外一部份。

Daniel 上
For the benefits of English readers, an abstract of the above letter is translated below.
To whom it may concern,

I have read and highly appreciated both the older version and 25th anniversary version of "Evidence That Demands a Verdict" before.

This is a very well-written and solid book that defend Christian faith in the academia, and I know that the writer of the book is Sir Josh Mcdowell. However, in the fisrt edition of the Traditional Chinese "25th anniversary renewed version" of "Evidence That Demands a Verdict", the name of the writer totally disappear! I cannot find his name in the cover, back, content page, preface or references. I wonder how this can happen as I deem it as a disrespect of the writter and an infringement of copyright law in any developed country.

May anyone tell me if it was a mistake [and have it been added in reprint versions]? Or the copyright of Mcdowell was completely sold to the Christian Renewal Ministries that the original author does not deserve any acknowledgement in a great book like this?

Besides, it seems that the Christian Renewal Ministries did not translate the whole book of Mcdowell into Traditional Chinese. I happened to find the Englsih version of the book in the library of City University of Hong Kong and knew that only half of it was translated, leaving another essential part on formal and textual criticisms unattended. So, may I give a warm suggestion that your misionary had better translated the other half of the book into traditional chinese so that Chinese Christian at large will be largely benefited?

I am looking forward to your reply.

In Him,

Daniel