“我認為，做那些應該做但如果不是我去做就不會被做的事，是我的責任。”

馬禮遜（Robert Morrison，1782年1月5日－1834年8月1日）是英格蘭出生的蘇格蘭傳教士，也是第一位來華的基督新教傳教士。1807年，他受倫敦傳道會派遣抵達廣州，並在英國東印度公司任職25年。馬禮遜在文化交流方面做了大量貢獻，包括翻譯並出版了《聖經》的中文全文，獨自編纂了中國第一部《華英字典》，以及創作了《中國一覽》和《廣東省土語字彙》等重要作品。他也為中國第一位基督教徒蔡高施洗，並按立了第一名華人牧師梁發。此外，馬禮遜還與其他傳教士創辦了英華書院及出版了多部中文報刊，對中西文化交流具有重要影響。

馬禮遜於1782年出生在英國諾森伯蘭郡。他在22歲時加入倫敦傳道會，並於1807年啟程前往中國，最初因東印度公司拒載而經紐約轉船。在到達廣州後，他因無法進入中國內地而在當地隱居，苦學中文。最初面對艱難的環境，但隨著時間的推移，他的中文進步顯著，並開始在1812年編寫《中文文法》。他於1814年成功為蔡科施洗，成為中國第一位基督教徒。馬禮遜於1818年創辦英華書院，並在1823年按立梁發為第一位華人基督教牧師，進一步推動基督教在中國的發展。

馬禮遜的翻譯工作也非常重要，他於1810年開始翻譯《新約》，並在1813年完成。最終，他在1823年出版了合併的新舊約聖經，這是中國本土出版的第一本中文聖經。除了翻譯工作外，他還於1815年出版了面向華人的中文報紙《察世俗每月統記傳》，介紹西方科學與基督教教義。此外，他也兼任廣州商館的中文翻譯，為19世紀的英國中文教學奠定了基礎。馬禮遜在1834年去世，並被葬於澳門的基督教墳場。

Robert Morrison was a pioneering Christian missionary and linguist who became the first Protestant missionary to China. Born in 1782 in Scotland, Morrison felt a strong call to serve as a missionary in a country where the gospel was largely unknown. Sent by the London Missionary Society to China in 1807, he dedicated his life to the mission despite the dangers and cultural isolation he faced as a foreigner in a country hostile to Christianity. One of his greatest accomplishments was translating the Bible into Chinese, a task that took over 12 years to complete. This monumental work, along with his creation of a Chinese-English dictionary, significantly advanced cross-cultural communication and laid the foundation for future missionaries.

Morrison’s journey was marked by immense personal sacrifice. He was often separated from his family due to the hostile political climate, suffered from illnesses, and lived in isolation. After seven years of labor, he baptized his first convert, a testament to his perseverance. One of his most famous moments occurred when a shipowner sarcastically asked, "And so, Mr. Morrison, you really expect to make an impression on the idolatry of the great Chinese Empire?" Morrison replied, "No, sir, but I expect God will." Despite these hardships, Morrison’s faith never wavered. He died in 1834 from tuberculosis after 27 years of service, having opened the door for future generations of missionaries through his lifelong commitment to spreading the gospel.