作者：(美)卡萝尔·吕克特(Carol Rueckert),(美)阿曼达·克兰德尔·朱(Amanda Crandell Ju),(澳)格雷厄姆·佩特森(Graham Paterson)
出版社：湖南文艺出版社
格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT
英语畅谈世界文化100主题：汉英对照试读：
前言
在国际交流场合，作为一名中国人，用流利的英语谈论世界文化中一些有意思的话题，无疑是营造融洽气氛的最佳手段。在你面前的就是这样一本能帮助你突破语言障碍、实现良好沟通的书。试想，当你和一个英国人说起披头士乐队，和一个美国人说起总统大选，和一个法国人说起拿破仑时，你们的谈话是否会立即升温呢？而你眼前这本书，会让你无论遇到世界哪个地区的人，都能找到有趣的话题。
首先，100个话题让你说遍世界。每个话题的主体部分是对话，以多元的视角、诙谐的口吻围绕主题展开。你可以根据交流对象的不同，在世界五大洲不同国家的文化标志中选择谈资。你还可以根据不同的人群选择话题，比如，跟文艺青年聊美剧和英剧，跟体育迷聊英超和巴西足球，跟古典乐迷聊巴赫和贝多芬，跟美术迷聊印象派和凡·高，跟旅行家聊美国国家公园和西班牙斗牛，甚至跟历史宗教迷聊耶路撒冷和雅典卫城。
其二，生动的语言让你表达得体。本书的对话语言秉承生动、简洁、有效的原则，生词、难词很少见，而英美人士间耳熟能详的固定表达法却很丰富。这样的语言让你的谈话听起来有修养、不做作，也便于模仿记忆，迅速运用到实际交流中。无论用于课堂教学还是自学，此书都具有相当大的伸展度和灵活性。全部对话都配有MP3。读者可以根据自身的学习目的和喜好的学习方式，有选择地进行口语、听力、语音、听写、口笔译、词汇等各种练习。
其三，阅读的过程让你惊奇不断。此书的历史文化底蕴将之与一般的赏析类英语读物区别开来，其选材的一大特色就是挖掘出熟悉话题的新亮点，比如，过圣诞节节庆用品的宗教意义、埃及金字塔与星象的关系、埃菲尔铁塔的建造过程、关于披头士乐队四人的新颖见解等。还有的话题是对零散知识的系统梳理，比如，希腊和罗马神话、世界三大宗教、世界四大博物馆、英国王室温莎王朝、美国总统大选等。
本书由三位作者共同完成。澳大利亚作者格雷厄姆·佩特森（Graham Paterson）完成“著名人物”“音乐和美术”“大洋洲”“非洲”“亚洲”部分；长居英国的美国作者卡萝尔·吕克特（Carol Rueckert）完成“文学”“英国”“欧洲”部分；美国作者阿曼达·克兰德尔·朱（Amanda Crandell Ju）完成“神话和宗教”“节日”“著名建筑”“美洲”部分。他们以不拘一格的创作灵感、妙趣横生的表现手法将读者引进了斑斓多彩的世界文化之旅。本书编者
Part 1 节日 Festivals
01 圣诞节 Christmas
背景介绍圣诞节是西方传统宗教节日，在每年12月25日，为纪念耶稣诞辰而设。据《圣经》记载，耶稣是因着圣灵成孕，由童女马利亚所生的。上帝派遣使者在梦中晓谕马利亚的未婚夫约瑟，叫他不要因为马利亚未婚怀孕而不要她，反而要尽快与她成亲，给那孩子起名为“耶稣”，意思是要通过这个孩子把百姓从罪恶中拯救出来。当马利亚快要临盆的时候，罗马政府命令全体百姓到伯利恒申报户籍。约瑟和马利亚到达伯利恒时天色已晚，两人未能找到旅馆，只好在一个马棚暂住。最终耶稣降生在马槽里。后人为纪念耶稣的诞生，将12月25日定为圣诞节。情景对话
Karen: Merry Christmas! I see you have your Christmas decorations up already. What a beautiful Christmas tree. It looks great!
Lance: Thanks! Maybe it's a little early for decorations, but I love the Christmas spirit, I like to get in a Christmas mood. December is my favorite month.
Karen: So that's why you've got the Christmas carols cranked up. I love Christmas too. Some may think I am a scrooge because I don't go overboard with things … but it's the commercialism that turns me off. Too much shopping!
Lance: Well, you're right that Christmas has been commercialized. But most of the Christmas traditions we celebrate remind us of the reason for the season, which is to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Karen: Well, obviously, the Nativities you see up around everywhere are reminding us of the story of Jesus’ birth, being born in a stable and put in a manger. But what about all the hubbub? The lights and decorations, the candy and gifts…
Lance: These represent aspects of Christianity as well. For example, Christmas candles and Christmas lights remind us of the light of the world, which is Jesus Christ. The candy canes we give to children and hang on our Christmas trees represent the canes used by the shepherds who came to visit the baby Jesus. Christmas trees, which are always evergreen trees, remind us of the everlasting life we can receive through Jesus. And the star on top of the tree represents the star of Bethlehem, which appeared in the sky to announce the birth of a Savior. Even the colors of red and green, which represent the blood of Christ and everlasting life…
Karen: …like the evergreen tree. OK, I get your point. But what about Santa Claus and all the gift-giving?
Lance: Santa Claus is based on a real person. You might hear him called Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas or Papa Noel. A Christian Bishop, Saint Nicolas, took care of poor children by throwing coins down chimneys. The coins would land in the children's socks, which had been hung on the hearth to dry. So now we have the tradition of Santa coming down the chimney and filling stockings with presents. Gift-giving represents the gifts of the wise men, or Magi, who visited the baby Jesus. It also represents the gift of eternal life that Jesus offers to the world.
卡伦：圣诞快乐！我看到你已经摆出圣诞节的装饰品了。那棵圣诞树真漂亮啊，看上去棒极了！
兰斯：谢谢！现在摆出这些圣诞装饰品可能有点早，不过我喜欢圣诞节的氛围，我喜欢沉浸在圣诞节的气氛中。12月是我最喜欢的月份。
卡伦：所以你都开始大声放圣诞颂歌了。我也喜欢圣诞节。有人可能会觉得我抠门，因为我不会买很多东西……可是让我倒胃口的是那些商业行为，过分地买呀买！
兰斯：是呀，你说得对，圣诞节已经被商业化了。不过我们的大部分圣诞节传统庆祝活动都提醒我们，这是纪念耶稣基督诞辰的时节。
卡伦：好吧，四处可见的《耶稣诞生图》显然是让我们忆起耶稣诞生的故事，他出生在马棚里，然后被放在马槽里。可是那些闹哄哄的声音是干什么的？还有那些灯光、装饰品、糖果、礼物……
兰斯：那些也是代表基督教的不同方式。比如，圣诞蜡烛和圣诞灯光让我们想起世界之光，也就是耶稣基督。我们送给小孩子以及挂在圣诞树上的拐杖糖代表牧羊人去拜望刚出生的耶稣时所用的拐杖。常青的圣诞树让我们想起耶稣赋予我们的永恒的生命。圣诞树上的那颗星代表圣诞星，也就是耶稣出生时出现在伯利恒上空的星，它宣布救世主的诞生。甚至那些红红绿绿的色彩也代表耶稣基督的血液和永恒的生命……
卡伦：…… 就像那常青树一样。嗯，我明白你的意思了。不过圣诞老人和赠送礼物又是代表什么呢？
兰斯：圣诞老人是以真实的人物为原型的。你可能听说过圣尼克、克里斯·柯林格勒、圣诞老公公等称呼。圣尼古拉斯是一位基督教主教。他关爱穷苦的孩子，把硬币扔进烟囱里，孩子们把袜子挂在壁炉边烘干，硬币就通过烟囱落进袜子里，所以现在我们就有了这样的传统：圣诞老人从烟囱里进来，在袜子里装满礼物。赠送礼物代表智者（或者拜访刚出生的耶稣的“东方三贤人”）的礼物，也代表耶稣给这个世界带来的礼物，即永恒的生命。词汇注解
02 复活节 Easter
背景介绍复活节是基督教的重要节日之一，定在每年春分月圆之后的第一个星期日，是为纪念耶稣基督被钉死在十字架后第三天复活的日子。按《圣经》的解释，耶稣基督乃道成肉身的圣子，来世上为要赎世人的罪。耶稣死并不是因为他有罪，而是要按上帝的计划替世人赎罪。任何人只要信靠他，向他认罪，就可得上帝赦免。而耶稣的复活，则代表他胜过了死亡，所以凡是信靠他的人，都能得到永生。在西方，与复活节相关的物品有复活节兔子和复活节彩蛋，而这些民间风俗都不是起源于基督教的。情景对话
Xiaomei: Three dozen eggs? What do you need so many eggs for? Are you making omelets for an army?
Hattie: Did you forget Easter is this Sunday? I bought so many eggs because I want to dye Easter eggs!
Xiaomei: Easter already? But it's only March… I thought Easter was in April.
Hattie: Easter is a movable holiday. It's not on a fixed date according to our calendar. Easter is always the first Sunday after the full moon following the March equinox. That means that Easter could fall any time between March 22nd and April 25th. This year it's a bit earlier. Good thing I remembered and bought the eggs!
Xiaomei: You know, we don't really celebrate Easter in China where I'm from… From all the decorations I see, I guess it's mostly about bunnies?
Hattie: Ha! You're hilarious. You see a lot of bunnies in Easter decorations, it's true. And we also decorate and hide eggs and candy for the children. Kids take their Easter baskets and rush to find the hidden candy and eggs. We tell them the Easter bunny is the one who hid them. But apart from all these fun traditions, Easter is actually a holiday to remind us of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Xiaomei: Bunnies remind you of Jesus?
Hattie: In a way they do. All the symbols of Easter have to do with new life and birth. For example, eggs. They are a symbol of new birth, a beginning of life. Bunnies, too… They are associated with a very high level of proliferation, new life. As Christians we believe that Jesus Christ brings new life. He died on the cross to atone for the sins of the world, but was resurrected three days later. With the atonement Jesus Christ overcame physical and spiritual death, and we believe that we can overcome our past mistakes and will also be resurrected and live again. When we become Christian, we begin a new life as followers of Jesus Christ. Easter is a reminder of all that. It's a celebration of Christ's triumph over death and our opportunity to overcome our own weaknesses.
Xiaomei: Wow, I guess there's a lot more to Easter than I thought…
小梅：三打鸡蛋？你要这么多鸡蛋干什么呀？你要给一大群人做煎蛋卷吗？
哈蒂：这个星期日是复活节，你忘了吗？我买了这么多鸡蛋是要制作复活节彩蛋！
小梅：都要过复活节了呀？可是现在才3月呀……我以为复活节是4月呢。
哈蒂：复活节的日期不是固定的，根据每年年历的不同有所变化。复活节总是3月春分月圆后的第一个星期日。这就意味着复活节可能出现在3月22日至4月25日之间的任何一天。今年的复活节来得有点早。我记着这个节日呢，所以买了这些鸡蛋！
小梅：你知道的，在我的祖国中国，我们不怎么庆祝复活节……根据我所看到的所有装饰物，我猜这个节日主要是关于兔子？
哈蒂：哈！你真逗！你看到复活节的装饰物中有许多兔子，没错。此外，我们还用鸡蛋和糖果做装饰，并把鸡蛋和糖果藏起来让小孩子找。孩子们拿着自己的复活节篮子跑去寻找被藏起来的糖果和鸡蛋。我们告诉孩子们：是复活节兔子把鸡蛋和糖果给藏起来的。不过除了这些有趣的传统以外，复活节实际上是纪念耶稣基督复活的节日。
小梅：兔子提醒你们纪念耶稣？
哈蒂：从某种意义上讲，是这样的。复活节的所有象征都是关于“新生命、重生”的。例如，鸡蛋象征着新生和生命的开始。而兔子让人们联想到很强的繁殖能力，也象征着新生命。我们基督徒相信耶稣带来了新生。耶稣被钉在十字架上为这个世界赎罪。三天以后，耶稣复活。在替世人赎罪的过程中，耶稣基督战胜了肉体和精神的死亡。于是我们相信，我们能克服以往的过错，获得重生。复活节就是为了纪念这些信仰。它庆祝耶稣基督战胜了死亡，也庆祝人们有机会克服自身的弱点。
小梅：哇，我想，复活节的意义远远超出我的想象啊……词汇注解
03 万圣夜 Halloween
背景介绍诸圣日（All Saints' Day）在每年的11月1日，10月31日被称为万圣夜（Halloween）。万圣夜起源于不列颠凯尔特人的传统节日。他们相信10月的最后一天是夏天的终结、冬天的开始，各种鬼魂会在世间游走。在基督教传统里，诸圣日是纪念殉道者的日子。万圣夜的主题是鬼怪，标志颜色是黑和橙。南瓜灯、稻草人等是节日的象征。当晚小孩会穿上化装服扮鬼，挨家挨户收集糖果。情景对话
Franklin: Wow, Kerry, I didn't know you could sew… What are you making?
Kerry: I'm putting together my Halloween costume for costume party this Saturday… I am going as a vampire. I have my fake fangs, white face make-up, and now this cape that I'm making to pull things all together.
Franklin: So all that black material is going to be your cape?
Kerry: Yep, that's right… What about you? Are you going to dress up for Halloween?
Franklin: No, I don't think so. That's kid's stuff… Plus I heard that Halloween is a Satanic holiday.
Kerry: What? You're kidding, right? Because Halloween is definitely not a Satanic holiday! Haven't you ever heard of All Hallows’ Day? That's where Halloween came from. Halloween is the celebration on the evening before the Christian All Hallows’ Day feast. So that's why it's called Hallows’ Eve, or as we now say, Halloween.
Franklin: So it isn't about ghosts and ghouls?
Kerry: Not originally, no. The celebration of All Hallows’ Day was a time to remember the saints and martyrs—faithful Christians who had died. Hallow means saint, so All Hallows’ Day is the day to honor the saints. Hallows’ Eve is the night before Hallows’ Day. It doesn't have anything to do with scary monsters or witches.
Franklin: Well, maybe it didn't before, but it does now. As soon as Halloween rolls around, all you see is scary stuff…
Kerry: That's not true… Costumes can be anything, not only scary stuff. Kids can dress up as characters from movies or as princesses or pirates. The only limit to your costume possibilities is your imagination.
Franklin: The holiday has changed a lot, I guess. Nowadays we might celebrate Halloween by going trick-or-treating, having costume parties, or decorating and carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns.
Kerry: Don't forget lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted houses, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films… My favorite is trick-or-treating, though.
Franklin: Aren't you a bit old for trick-or-treating? It should be just kids that go door-to-door asking for candy.
Kerry: Yeah, I know, but I still enjoy taking my younger cousins out. They get so excited to dress up in costume and go around the neighborhood.
富兰克林：哇，克丽，我以前都不知道你会做针线活儿呀…… 你在做什么呢？
克丽：我在缝制我的万圣夜的服装呢，这个星期六有盛装聚会…… 我要打扮成吸血鬼。我有了假的尖牙和白色面具，现在就差我缝的这个斗篷了。
富兰克林：那你就是要用这块黑料子做斗篷？
克丽：是呀……你呢？你也要为万圣夜打扮一下吗？
富兰克林：不了，我不想弄。那都是小孩子的把戏……另外，我听说万圣夜是魔鬼的节日。
克丽：什么？你在开玩笑吧？万圣夜才不是魔鬼的节日！你听说过诸圣日吗？万圣夜就是由此而来的。万圣夜的庆祝活动开始于基督教诸圣日盛宴的前夜，因此人们称之为万圣夜，现在也叫万圣节前夕。
富兰克林：那么这个节日不是关于盗尸者和鬼怪的？
克丽：一开始不是的。诸圣日是纪念已故的忠实的基督教圣人和殉道者的。“圣人”是指圣徒，所以诸圣日是纪念圣徒的节日。万圣夜是指诸圣日的前夜。它跟吓人的鬼怪或巫婆没有任何关系。
富兰克林：哦，可能以前没有，不过现在有了。随着万圣夜的到来，到处都是吓人的玩意儿……
克丽：不是的……万圣夜服装可以是任何一种，不局限于吓人的服装。小孩子可以打扮成电影里的公主、海盗等形象，只有你想不到的，没有不能打扮的。
富兰克林：我想，这个节日已经经历了许多变化。现在，我们庆祝万圣夜的方式有“不给糖就捣蛋”游戏，有盛装聚会，还有装饰和制作空心南瓜灯。
克丽：别忘了还有点篝火、咬苹果、访鬼屋、恶作剧、讲鬼故事、看恐怖片…… 不过我最喜欢的还是“不给糖就捣蛋”游戏。
富兰克林：你玩这个游戏是不是年纪大了点呀？应该只有小孩子才挨家挨户地要糖果吧。
克丽：嗯，我知道，不过我还是很喜欢带着我的堂弟堂妹出去玩这个游戏。他们盛装打扮，到附近的邻居家要糖果，玩得很开心。词汇注解
04 感恩节 Thanksgiving
背景介绍感恩节是美国和加拿大的节日，原意是为了感谢上帝赐予的好收成。在美国，感恩节是在每年11月的第四个星期四。1620年，102名英国清教徒为了躲避宗教迫害，乘坐“五月花号”帆船离开英国驶向美洲新大陆。他们到达时正值严冬，结果近一半的人死在那个冬天。1621年的春天，他们得到一个会说英语、信奉基督教的印第安人司光恩徒的帮助。司光恩徒教会他们种植玉米、蔬菜和制作枫树糖浆等生存技能。当年他们得到了一个极好的收成。清教徒们认为是神带领他们来到新大陆，而且还赐给他们印第安朋友帮助他们生存下来，还和当地印第安人建立了友好的关系。他们就把11月的一天定为感谢上帝的日子。情景对话
Francie: Wow, look at all the turkey leftovers! We'll be eating turkey sandwiches for a week! I wonder why we always eat turkey for Thanksgiving anyway. Every year we always have the same turkey and dressing, pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce.
Louis: My favorite is the cornbread and green bean casserole. Oh, and the pecan pie! I look forward to the Thanksgiving feast every year! And there is a reason why we eat the types of foods we do on Thanksgiving.
Francie: Really? What's the reason?
Louis: Supposedly, the foods we eat on Thanksgiving are the same as the foods they ate way back in 1621 at the first Thanksgiving feast.
Francie: The first Thanksgiving feast?
Louis: Oh, come on… You know the story of the first Thanksgiving feast, don't you?
Francie: Something about Pilgrims and Indians? Plymouth Rock? The Mayflower?
Louis: Yes, that's right. When the Puritans left England to find religious freedom in the new world, they sailed in a ship called the Mayflower. They finally landed in America much further North and much later in the year than they had anticipated. They named the place where they landed Plymouth Rock. In the Plymouth settlement, the winter was harsh and half of the settlers died. In the spring, they met the local Native American tribe and were helped immensely by their new friends. They learned how to grow crops like corn in the sandy soil, they learned how to take advantage of the local resources of wild fish and turkeys. They learned the skills needed to survive in a new world. And at the end of harvest in the fall, they held a three-day long feast with the Native Americans to offer thanks for their friendship, thanks for the harvest, and thanks to God that they were still alive.
Francie: Yeah, everyone knows that story. So the traditional foods we eat are the same as what was eaten in the feast then. But what I want to know is why in the United States we have our Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November, and in Canada it is much earlier, on the second Monday of October.
Louis: Well, that's easy… Canada is further North than the United States, so they have an earlier harvest. It only makes sense that they would have an earlier Thanksgiving, or Jour de l'Action de grâce as they say in French Canada.
弗朗西：哇，看看那些剩下的火鸡肉吧！我们得吃一个星期的火鸡三明治了！真不明白我们为什么总是在感恩节吃火鸡。一样的火鸡和配菜，一样的南瓜派，一样的蔓越莓果酱，每年都是一个样。
路易斯：我最喜欢玉米面包和焖青豆。噢，还有核桃派！我每年都盼着这顿感恩节大餐！我们在感恩节吃这些食物是有缘由的。
弗朗西：是吗？有什么缘由呢？
路易斯：我们在感恩节吃的食物大概和1621年第一次感恩节宴会的食物差不多。
弗朗西：第一次感恩节宴会？
路易斯：哦，我说……你知道第一次感恩节宴会的故事吧？
弗朗西：关于清教徒移民和印第安人的故事？普利茅斯海岸巨砾？“五月花号”？
路易斯：对，就是那个故事。一些清教徒离开英国到新世界去寻找宗教自由，他们乘坐的帆船叫“五月花号”。最后，他们抵达美洲大陆，不过抵达的位置不是事先预期的位置，而是向北很远的地方，抵达的时间也比预期的晚了很久。他们把自己登陆的地方命名为普利茅斯海岸巨砾。普利茅斯的冬天酷寒，他们中有一半人死在了那个冬天。次年春天，他们遇到了当地的印第安部落。部落里的新朋友给了他们极大的帮助。他们学会了如何在沙土地里种植玉米等农作物、如何利用当地的野生鱼和火鸡资源，以及如何在新世界里生存的各种技巧。在那年秋天收获结束后，他们与当地的印第安部落一起举行了长达三日的宴会，感谢友好的印第安人的帮助，感恩于这一年的丰收，感激上帝保佑他们活下来。
弗朗西：是呀，大家都知道那个故事。所以我们的感恩节传统食物和当时宴会的食物是一样的。不过美国的感恩节是11月的第四个星期四，加拿大的感恩节却比这早很多，是10月的第二个星期一，这是为什么呢？
路易斯：哦，这很容易解释……加拿大在美国北面，所以加拿大的收获季节早于美国的收获季节，加拿大的感恩节也就早一些。在加拿大，感恩节在法语里叫作“Jour de l'Action de grâce”。词汇注解
05 威尼斯狂欢节 Carnival of Venice
背景介绍威尼斯狂欢节从2月初到3月初之间到来的大斋节的前一天开始，延续大约两个星期，是历史最久、规模最大的狂欢节之一，据说它起源于古代每年初春的神农节，另有传说起源于公元12世纪威尼斯城邦共和国在一场大战中的胜利。到18世纪，狂欢活动盛极一时，欧洲各国的王公贵族都赶到威尼斯，观看精彩的室内音乐和戏剧演出，参与街头和广场上的民众狂欢。威尼斯狂欢节最大的特点是色彩斑斓的面具和服饰。在面具的后面，权贵和穷人融合在一起，贫富、阶级、性别差异都暂时消除，人们无忧无虑地享受节日快乐。情景对话
Giselle: Wanna see the pictures I took from my trip to Italy? We had such a great time in Venice.
Jim: You went to Venice? Lucky you! Wow, look at all those beautiful masks… Why is everyone dressed up in these pictures?
Giselle: We were really lucky! During the time we were in Venice, it just so happens that the Carnival of Venice was in full-swing. It's an annual festival that ends with Lent, forty days before Easter. There were a ton of people there. About 3 million visitors come to Venice every year for the festival. You see all the people in masks because one of the most important events is the contest for the most beautiful mask. It's called la maschera più bella and it is decided on the last weekend of the Carnival by a panel of international costume and fashion designers.
Jim: Wow, there are some pretty interesting designs… This one that looks like a giant bird beak is kind of weird!
Giselle: Each type of mask has its own unique story and history. The one you think is weird looking is called the Medico della peste. It is one of the most recognizable masks and it started as a method of preventing the spread of the plague. A 17th-century French physician named Charles de Lorme created the mask as a sanitary precaution. It is usually white with a hollow beak and round eyeholes covered with glass discs to look almost like glasses. The other parts of the costume include a black hat and a long black coat, white gloves and a stick.
Jim: How interesting! How about this one, it sure is pretty...
Giselle: That's the Columbina, which is actually only a half-mask. It only covers the eyes, nose, and upper cheeks. This one is decorated with many feathers, but you also see them with embellishments of gold, silver, or crystals. The name comes from a character in Italian theatre and it is only a half-mask because the stunning Italian actresses didn't want to completely cover their beautiful faces.
Jim: Well, anyone wearing these masks would certainly be beautiful!
吉赛尔：想看看我在意大利拍的照片吗？我们在威尼斯玩得非常开心。
吉姆：你去威尼斯了？你真幸运啊！哇，看看那些漂亮的面具…… 为什么照片中的人个个盛装打扮呢？
吉赛尔：我们确实很幸运！我们在威尼斯的时候，正好赶上热闹的威尼斯狂欢节。那是一年一度的节日，以大斋节作为结尾。大斋节是指复活节前40天。当时人山人海的。每年大约有300万游客去威尼斯参加这个狂欢节。你看到所有人都戴着面具，因为狂欢节最重要的活动之一就是最美面具比赛，这在意大利语里叫作“la maschera più bella”（最美面具）。在狂欢节的最后一个周末，由一些国际时装设计师组成的评审组评出比赛的结果。
吉姆：哇，有些设计非常有趣…… 这个设计像大大的鸟喙，有点怪怪的！
吉赛尔：每种面具都有自己独特的故事和历史。你觉得奇怪的这个面具叫作“鸟嘴医生”，是最具辨识度的面具之一，最初是用于预防瘟疫的传播。17世纪一位名叫查尔斯·德洛尔姆的法国医生发明了这种面具，用于卫生预防措施中。它通常是白色的，呈中空的鸟嘴状，眼睛部位有两个圆圆的玻璃片，看上去像眼镜一样。这套装束的其他部分包括一顶黑帽子、一件黑色长外套、一副白手套和一根棍子。
吉姆：太有意思了！那这个呢，这个当然漂亮……
吉赛尔：那是科隆姆比纳面具。它实际上只有一半，只能遮住眼睛、鼻子和上脸颊。它上面不仅装饰着许多羽毛，还装饰着金、银或者水晶。它的名字源于意大利戏剧中的一个人物。它只有一半，因为那些相貌出众的意大利女演员不想让面具完全遮住自己的美丽容颜。
吉姆：嗯，谁戴上这些面具都会变美的！词汇注解
06 里约热内卢狂欢节 Rio Carnival
背景介绍里约热内卢简称里约，是巴西第二大城市，又被称为巴西第二首都。里约热内卢港是世界三大天然良港之一，里约热内卢基督像是该市的标志，也是世界新七大奇迹之一。里约热内卢狂欢节相传始于19世纪中叶，于每年2月盛夏时节举办。其桑巴舞演员之多、服装之华丽、场面之壮观堪称世界之最，每年吸引大约40万名外国游客。在长达一个星期的狂欢节中，整个城市都由“狂欢国王”“统治”，全体市民和游客按照自己的方式尽情狂欢。情景对话
Xavier: I wish I were back in Rio this week! I am so homesick because it's almost time for Carnival…
Garret: Carnival? You mean the giant festival every spring?
Xavier: Yes, the Carnival in my hometown of Rio de Janeiro is the biggest carnival in the world. There are more than two million people per day partying on the streets. It's one of the most amazing experiences to participate as one of the dancers or even just watch.
Garret: I've seen footage of the Carnival in Rio on TV, it does seem like one huge party. Is there a reason behind the party, or is it just for fun?
Xavier: Well, it is a lot of fun, of course, but the whole idea behind Carnival is to celebrate and party before Lent.
Garret: Lint? What's that? Sounds like what I find in my pockets after washing my clothes.
Xavier: Not lint, silly, Lent. Lent is a Catholic holiday for people to prepare themselves for Easter and the Holy week. We remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ by making a sacrifice of our own. So, after Lent we have to be pious. Right before Lent, we want to have parties.
Garret: I guess that makes sense… That's probably why Carnival is so much bigger in South American countries… There are a lot more Catholics.
Xavier: That's right. But anyone and everyone participate in the Rio Carnival, not just Catholics. The parade is filled with samba groups. The groups make giant floats, create elaborate and fantastic costumes, and choreograph amazing dances.
Garret: But it's a little more complicated than just floats and dancing, right?
Xavier: Yes, it is… There is a special order that every group has to follow with their parade entries. First there is the comissão de frente or the front commission, which is only ten or fifteen people who introduce the group and set the mood. Then there is the first float for the group, called abre-alas which means the opening wing. There are special dancers, including the porta-bandeira and mestre-sala. There are also many dancers on the floats, they are called destaque. Actually, now that I think about it, Carnival is really quite complicated.
Garret: Complicated and beautiful!
泽维尔：真希望我这星期就能回到里约热内卢！我好想家啊，因为差不多要过狂欢节了……
加勒特：狂欢节？你是说每年春季的那个盛大的节日？
泽维尔：对呀，在我的家乡里约热内卢举行的狂欢节是世界上最大的狂欢节。每天有200多万人在大街上狂欢。在狂欢的队伍里跳舞，或者仅仅是观看表演都是人生中最美好的体验之一。
加勒特：我在电视上看过里约热内卢狂欢节，确实规模很大。这个狂欢节有什么典故吗，还是只是为了热闹呢？
泽维尔：它当然很热闹，不过它是为了在“Lent”节前举行庆祝活动。
加勒特：“Lint”节？那是什么节日？“Lint”听上去好像洗完衣服后衣袋里的软布。
泽维尔：不是“lint”，傻瓜，是“Lent”——大斋节。这是天主教的一个节日，让人们为复活节和圣周做准备。为了纪念耶稣基督所做出的牺牲，我们也要做出牺牲。所以在大斋节后，我们就要朴素敬神。在大斋节前，我们想狂欢。
加勒特：我想我明白了……可能正因为如此，南美洲国家的狂欢节规模远大于其他国家的……南美洲国家信奉天主教的人更多。
泽维尔：是的。不过每个人都会参与到狂欢节中，不仅仅局限于天主教教徒。欢庆的队伍里有许多桑巴舞团，他们装点出各种巨大的彩车，制作出精美绝伦的服装，表演美轮美奂的舞蹈。
加勒特：不过狂欢节不仅仅是彩车和舞蹈，对吧？
泽维尔：是的，它是……它有一个特别要求：每个舞蹈团都要遵循自己的出场方式。首先出场的是引领团，大概由10到15个人组成，他们介绍队伍，为后面的表演定基调。然后是第一个舞蹈团的彩车，他们叫“展翼”。还有一些特别的舞者，包括旗手。彩车上也有很多舞者，叫作“重彩”。实际上，现在想一想，狂欢节的确是很丰富的。
加勒特：丰富又美好！词汇注解
07 日本樱花节 Japan's Cherry Blossom Festivals
背景介绍每年的3月15日到4月15日是日本的樱花节。日本樱花有300多个品种。花开时节，日本所有公园里满目都是樱花。樱花在日本被尊为国花，是民族精神的象征。日本人民认为樱花具有高尚的气节。樱花的花期很短，也就持续一个星期左右，开放时繁盛美丽，凋落时转瞬消逝，其生时的辉煌和死时的尊严体现出一种令人敬佩的“樱花精神”。每当花开时节，人们就聚集在樱花树下，放歌畅饮，用整个身心去赞美春天，祈祷神灵的保佑。情景对话
Kimberly: You know what I've always wanted to see? The cherry blossoms in Japan… It's supposed to be something really special!
Mandy: Oh! You know what? I actually went to Japan last spring to see them!
Kimberly: Really? What was it like?
Mandy: The sakura or cherry blossom festivals are one of the most celebrated cultural holiday times for Japan and definitely the best time to visit. It happens in springtime, from late March to early May. Many cherry trees all over Japan burst into color with beautiful blooms. Festivities follow the flowers as they bloom from south to north. The beautiful spring cherry trees have been compared to a delicate pink breeze sweeping across the nation.
Kimberly: Wow, what a romantic idea! Besides looking at the flowers, what do people actually do to celebrate?
Mandy: People come from all over the world to watch the blossoms. They use the time to take picnics under the cherry trees. People might bring home-cooked meals or take-out foods to eat while they enjoy the scenery. They also talk and sing songs. The official song is a traditional Japanese folk song called Sakura Sakura. Oh, and sake… they drink lots of sake, of course.
Kimberly: Oh, yeah, of course!
Mandy: There are many locations to enjoy the festival. There's the Yaedake Cherry Blossom Festival in Okinawa, the Matsue Jozan Koen Festival in Matsue city, the Tsuyama Kakuzan Koen Festival in Tsuyama city, the Hirosaki Festival in Hirosaki, and many, many more.
Kimberly: Did you visit them all when you were there?
Mandy: No, unfortunately not. But I did visit the Matsuyama Shiroyama Koen festival in Matsuyama. It lasts three whole days. They have a castle there that is lit up with paper lanterns at night. It's so beautiful!
Kimberly: Gosh, I really hope I get a chance to go some day.
Mandy: Well, don't worry. If you don't make it all the way to Japan to see the flowers, you can visit Washington DC. Every year they have the National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorating the gift of Japanese cherry trees in 1912 from Tokyo to the United States.
金伯莉：你知道我一直都想看什么吗？我想看日本的樱花……据说，樱花很特别！
曼蒂：噢！你知道吗？实际上去年春天我去日本看樱花了！
金伯莉：真的呀？樱花是什么样的？
曼蒂：樱花节是日本最盛大的文化节日之一，也是去日本游玩的最好时节。樱花在春季盛开，从3月末到5月初，日本到处都是盛放的樱花，美不胜收。随着樱花从南方开到北方，庆祝活动也由南向北逐步展开。人们把美丽的樱花树比作粉红色的微风吹遍日本各地。
金伯莉：哇，这个比喻真浪漫呀！除了赏樱花，人们都怎样庆祝这个节日呢？
曼蒂：人们从世界各地来到日本赏樱花。他们会在樱花树下野餐，带着自制的或外卖的食物，一边享用美食，一边欣赏美景。他们也会聊天，唱歌。正式的节日歌曲是一首日本传统民歌，叫作《樱花啊樱花》。哦，还有清酒……当然他们会喝许多清酒。
金伯莉：噢，是呀，当然！
曼蒂：很多地方都有庆祝活动。有冲绳的八重岳樱花节，松江的定山樱花节，津山的鹤山樱花节，弘前市的弘前樱花节，等等。
金伯莉：你在日本的时候，这些地方都去了吗？
曼蒂：很遗憾我没能都去。不过我去看了松山的城山樱花节。这个节日为期3天。那里有一座城堡。晚上，城堡里点了许多纸灯笼，非常漂亮！
金伯莉：天哪，真希望什么时候我也能有机会去看看。
曼蒂：别担心。如果你不能去万里之外的日本看樱花，你可以去华盛顿特区，那里每年举行全国樱花节，纪念1912年东京送给美国的樱花树。词汇注解
Part 2 神话和宗教 Mythologies and Religions
08 《圣经》 Bible
背景介绍犹太教的《圣经》包括《律法书》《先知书》《圣录》三个部分，主要内容为关于世界和人类起源的故事传说，犹太民族古代历史的宗教叙述和犹太法典、先知书、诗歌、格言等，原文为希伯来文，公元前3世纪至前2世纪译成希腊文。基督教《圣经》包括《旧约全书》和《新约全书》。《旧约全书》即犹太教的《圣经》。《新约全书》主要记载耶稣及其使徒的言行和故事，原文为希腊文，公元4—5世纪译成拉丁文。16世纪宗教改革运动前后，《圣经》被译成欧洲各国文字。英国国王詹姆士一世委托47名学者一起翻译并出版的“钦定版”是标准的英文版《圣经》。情景对话
Harriet: How do you like your comparative religion class? What are you studying?
Jenny: It's actually really fascinating. I like learning about all the different ideas that people have about religion. Right now we are learning about holy books. We've talked about the Quran, the Torah, Sutras, Hindu texts, the Book of Mormon, and of course, the Bible.
Harriet: The Bible is probably the best known of all of those, don't you think?
Jenny: In the Western world, sure! It's not only the best-known book, but it is also considered to be the best-selling book of all time. There is an estimated sale of 100 million copies of the Bible every year! It was the very first book printed with the printing press, and it has had an incredible influence on literature and history. It is the book of books!
Harriet: That's what the word Bible means, anyway, doesn't it? The book?
Jenny: Yeah, actually, it does. Bible in English comes from the Latin word biblia which means the books. The Bible is actually a collection of books considered sacred in Judaism and Christianity. Each book is usually named for the prophet who wrote them. The Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh has twenty-four books divided into three sections, the Torah, which means teachings or law, the Nevi'm, meaning the prophets, and the Ketuvim, or writings. Christian Bibles are divided into two parts, before the birth of Jesus Christ and after. The first is the Old Testament, which contains the writings of the prophets who testified of the coming of Christ. It has the same twenty-four books of the Hebrew Bible as well as some additional books. The second part tells of the birth, life, and ministry of Jesus Christ and is known as the New Testament. It contains twenty-seven books.
Harriet: Are there that many books in the New Testament? I thought there were just four… Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John… Named for the apostles, right?
Jenny: You're thinking about the four gospels. There are also more writings, like the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and the Book of Revelation.
Harriet: Wow… a lot of books… and in just one little book.
Jenny: …one very important book!
哈丽雅特：你觉得宗教比较课怎么样？你在学什么呢？
珍妮：这门课实际上很有意思。我喜欢了解人们对于宗教的各种看法。现在，我正在学习宗教典籍。我们讨论了《古兰经》、《律法书》、佛经、印度教典籍、《摩门经》，当然还有《圣经》。
哈丽雅特：《圣经》可能是大家最熟知的吧？
珍妮：在西方世界，《圣经》当然是广为流传的！它不仅是大家熟知的典籍，也是史上最畅销的书。《圣经》每年的销量大概有1亿册！它是印刷机所印制的第一本书，对文学和历史产生了巨大的影响。它是万书之书！
哈丽雅特：“Bible”这个词本身就是这个意思，对吧？“书”？
珍妮：是的。英语中的“Bible”一词源于拉丁语的“biblia”，意思是“书”。《圣经》实际上是指被犹太教和基督教奉为圣书的一套书。其中的每一本通常都以著书的先知来命名的。《希伯来圣经》共24卷，分成3个部分，《律法书》是法律的意思，《先知书》是很多先知所著的典籍，《圣录》是许多文章的结集。基督教的《圣经》分为两个部分，即耶稣基督诞生前和诞生后。第一部分是《旧约全书》，包括一些先知的作品，先知证实了耶稣基督的降临。它包括了《希伯来圣经》的24卷以及其他几卷。第二部分讲述了耶稣基督的出生、生命和传道，这就是《新约》，共有27卷。
哈丽雅特：《新约》有那么多卷吗？我以为只有4卷呢……《马太福音》《马可福音》《路加福音》和《约翰福音》……是根据传道者的名字命名的，对吧？
珍妮：你说的是“四大福音”。还有其他的典籍，比如，《使徒行传》《使徒书信》《启示录》。
哈丽雅特：哇……很多卷呀……而且是在一本书里。
珍妮：……一本非常重要的书！词汇注解
09 耶路撒冷 Jerusalem
背景介绍耶路撒冷位于亚洲西部巴勒斯坦地区的中部，居民主要为阿拉伯人和犹太人。相传古犹太王所罗门在此建造“圣殿”后，成为犹太人政治和宗教的中心。基督教相信耶稣被钉死于此，伊斯兰教相信穆罕默德曾在此登霄，故犹太教、基督教和伊斯兰教都奉为“圣地”。情景对话
Marcus: You know what I've always wondered? What's so special about Jerusalem? I mean, you hear of the troubles in the Middle East and all the fighting that happens between Israel and Palestine. Why is everyone fighting over the same little place?
Renee: Well, in reality, it's kind of complex. But one thing to think about is that Jerusalem is very important to three of the major religions in the world. Christians, Jews, and Muslims all see Jerusalem as a holy city.
Marcus: Why do all these religions see Jerusalem as holy?
Renee: For Jewish people, the city is holy because the Torah reports Jerusalem as first established by King David as the capital of the Kingdom of Israel. Later Solomon's Temple was built in Jerusalem by his son, King Solomon. For Jewish people, the temple is the most sacred place on earth. For Christians, the city is holy because Jesus was crucified here. In Sunni Islam, Jerusalem is the third most holy city in the world after Mecca and Medina. It was the first Qibla, or focal point for Muslim prayer and according to the Quran, Muhammad ascended to heaven in Jerusalem. For almost 3000 years, Jerusalem has been sacred to Judaism. For Christianity the city has been important for nearly 2000 years. And to Islam, Jerusalem has been sacred for approximately 1400 years. So, even though the old part of Jerusalem has an area of only 0.9 square kilometers, it is so very important to many religions. The Old City has the Temple Mount and its Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Dome of the Rock Mosque.
Marcus: Sounds like a lot to fight over!
Renee: No kidding. It's one of the oldest cities in the world, and throughout history it has been destroyed twice, attacked 52 times, besieged 23 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times. In modern times, Jerusalem is still one of the core issues in the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The Old City is a World Heritage site, and it is on the list of World Heritage in Danger.
Marcus: No wonder why they would consider it in danger…
马库斯：你知道我一直困惑什么吗？耶路撒冷有什么特别之处吗？我的意思是，你听说过中东地区的战乱吧，就是以色列和巴勒斯坦之间多年的战争。为什么他们要争夺那么小的一块地方？
勒妮：哦，实际上这是个很复杂的问题。不过有一件事值得注意：耶路撒冷对于三个世界主要宗教来说都非常重要。基督教信徒、犹太教信徒和穆斯林都把耶路撒冷视为圣城。
马库斯：为什么这三个宗教都把耶路撒冷看得如此神圣呢？
勒妮：对于犹太教信徒而言，耶路撒冷是圣城，因为根据《律法书》，大卫王建成了耶路撒冷，并把它定为以色列王国的首都。后来，他的儿子所罗门王在耶路撒冷建了所罗门圣殿。对于犹太教信徒来说，这个圣殿是世界上最神圣的地方。对于基督教信徒来说，耶路撒冷是耶稣被钉在十字架上受难的地方，因此它是很神圣的。对于伊斯兰教逊尼派而言，耶路撒冷是继麦加和麦地那之后的第三大圣城，也是穆斯林祷告中的第一个焦点。根据《古兰经》，穆罕默德就是在耶路撒冷升天的。近3000年来，犹太教一直视耶路撒冷为神圣之地。近2000年来，基督教一直以此城为重。近1400年来，伊斯兰教一直视其为圣城。因此，虽然耶路撒冷的旧城只有0.9平方公里，但它对很多宗教来说都极为重要。旧城有圣殿山、哭墙、圣墓教堂和圆顶清真寺。
马库斯：听上去是有许多值得争斗的意义呀！
勒妮：这可不是开玩笑的。它是世界上最古老的城市之一。历史上，它被摧毁过两次，被侵袭过52次，被包围过23次，被夺取过44次。在现代，耶路撒冷仍旧是以色列和巴勒斯坦争端的核心焦点之一。耶路撒冷旧城是一个世界遗址，被列入“濒危世界遗产”列表。
马库斯：难怪人们把这里视作濒危地区……词汇注解
10 耶稣 Jesus
背景介绍耶稣是基督教所信奉的救世主。据《福音书》记载，他是上帝（或称天主）的儿子，为救赎人类，降世成人。生于犹太伯利恒，30岁左右在加利利和犹太各地传教。拣选彼得、雅各等十二人为门徒。后为犹太教当权者所嫉恨，被门徒之一犹大出卖，以“谋判罗马”罪被送交罗马帝国驻犹太总督彼拉多，钉死于十字架上，死后复活升天。情景对话
Tirzah: I saw a report the other day that archeologists have found what they believe is the sepulcher where Jesus was buried 2000 years ago… Do you think that's actually possible?
Mathew: Well, whether or not you're Christian and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, nearly all scholars and historical experts agree that Jesus was a real person that actually existed. Maybe you don't believe the Bible or the record in the New Testament about his life, but many things about him have been archeologically proven. Even non-believers know that Jesus was a Jewish teacher or rabbi from Galilee who was baptized by John the Baptist and crucified in Jerusalem by the order of Pontius Pilate, the Roman ruler.
Tirzah: So we can prove some things about Jesus, but many people believe more than just what can be proved.
Mathew: Yes. There are many denominations of Christian religions, but one thing they all have in common is a belief that Jesus Christ atoned for the sins of the world. The Bible tells that he was born to the Virgin Mary as the literal Son of God. He was the Son of God born to a mortal mother so he had the ability to overcome death. Because he was perfect, he had the ability to overcome sin and to pay the price for our sins. He was crucified and three days later was resurrected. We believe that because of Jesus Christ, we can also overcome our personal weaknesses and mistakes, and will also live again after death. That's the good news of the gospel.
Tirzah: Seems to me that Jesus means many things to many people.
Mathew: That's for sure!
蒂尔扎：前几天我看到一则报道，有几位考古学家声称自己发现了2000年前埋葬耶稣的坟墓……你觉得这可能吗？
马修：我想，不管你是不是基督教信徒，也不管你相不相信耶稣基督是圣子，几乎所有的学者和历史专家都一致认为耶稣是一个曾经真实存在过的人。也许你并不相信《圣经》或者《新约全书》中对耶稣生平的记述，然而关于他的许多事都已经得到了考古学方面的证实。甚至连非基督教信徒都知道，耶稣是来自加利利的犹太拉比，施洗约翰为他进行了洗礼，古罗马的犹太总督彼拉多下令在耶路撒冷将他钉死在十字架上。
蒂尔扎：嗯，我们能够证明一些关于耶稣的事情，不过许多人依然相信一些无法得到证实的事情。
马修：是的。基督教有许多教派，不过他们都相信一点，那就是耶稣基督曾为这个世界赎罪。《圣经》里说，圣母马利亚生下圣子耶稣。由于耶稣是经由凡人母体诞生于世的圣子，因此他有能力战胜死亡。耶稣是完美的，因此他能够战胜种种罪，替我们赎罪。他被钉在十字架上，三天以后，他复活了。我们相信，因为耶稣基督，我们也可以克服自身的缺点和错误，也可以在死后重生。这是《福音书》中传达给我们的好消息。
蒂尔扎：在我看来，耶稣对于不同的人有着不同的意义。
马修：那当然了！词汇注解
11 希腊和罗马神话 Greek and Roman Mythology
背景介绍希腊神话包括一切有关古希腊人的神、英雄、自然和宇宙历史的神话。大约产生于公元前8世纪以前的原始氏族社会，是欧洲最早的文学形式，后来在荷马史诗和赫西俄德的《神谱》及古希腊的诗歌、戏剧、历史、哲学等著作中被记录下来。希腊神话中的主神有：众神之主宙斯、天后赫拉、海王波塞冬、冥王哈迪斯、智慧女神雅典娜、太阳神阿波罗、月神阿耳忒弥斯、爱神阿佛洛狄忒、商业神赫耳墨斯、战神阿瑞斯、火神赫菲斯托斯、酒神狄俄尼索斯等。古罗马神话大抵与希腊神话相对应，名称和气质有所变化，太阳系行星就是以之命名的。情景对话
Terrence: You know what we're studying now in my world literature class? We're reading the Iliad and the Odyssey.
Lacy: Homer's epic poems? Do you like them? You know, they are the oldest known Greek literary sources…
Terrence: Yeah, I know… That's what my professor told us. All of Greek mythology are primarily known from Greek literature like Homer's writings, even though they were initially disseminated in an oral-poetic tradition. Learning the stories about all the Greek gods and goddesses is pretty interesting.
Lacy: You mean the pantheon of gods and goddesses living on Mount Olympus? With Zeus at the head of them all?
Terrence: The Olympians, yeah. And also, apart from the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus, the ancient Greeks worshipped various other gods of the countryside. Things like Nymphs, who were the spirits of rivers; Naiads, who lived in springs; Dryads, who were the spirits of the trees; the satyr-god Pan; the Furies who were the dark powers of the underworld …
Lacy: Wow, that's a lot of supernatural gods to believe in…
Terrence: For the Greeks, it was just part of their normal life. Most of the gods were associated with specific parts of their lives. For example, Athena was the goddess of wisdom and courage. Apollo was the God of the Sun. Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty. Ares was the god of war. They had complex personalities and were personifications of the issues Greek people had to deal with daily.
Lacy: What about the Romans? Didn't they have similar gods and goddesses?
Terrence: The Romans were heavily influenced by the Greeks, but one of the differences is that Roman mythology focuses more on ritual, prophesy and predicting the future, and institutional ideas while the Greeks were more concerned with theology or cosmogony. The stories were usually related to politics or morality and emphasized how an individual's personal morality is connected to their responsibility to the Roman state. Many Roman stories focus on the theme of Heroism.
Lacy: Hero stories aren't so bad…
Terrence: That's what you think because Greek and Roman mythology have had an immense influence on Western civilization… Our culture, art, literature, language… Even today there is relevance in the themes.
特伦斯：你知道我们现在的世界文学课上学的是什么吗？我们在读《伊利亚特》和《奥德赛》。
莱西：是荷马史诗吗？你喜欢吗？你知道吗，那是已知的最古老的希腊文学史料之源……
特伦斯：是的，我知道……我的教授也是这么说的。所有的希腊神话主要都源于荷马史诗等希腊文学作品，而这些诗作最初都是口口相传的。读一读希腊众神的故事是一件很有趣的事。
莱西：你是指居住在奥林匹斯山的诸神及万神殿？宙斯是希腊诸神的主神，对吧？
特伦斯：对呀，奥林匹斯山的诸神。除此之外，古希腊人还崇拜其他各种神。比如，掌管山林水泽的宁芙女神，掌管河川泉水的那伊阿得，森林女神德律阿得斯，半人半兽的山林和畜牧之神潘，冥间黑暗世界的复仇女神……
莱西：哇，他们信仰好多超自然的神明呀……
特伦斯：对于古希腊人而言，那是他们日常生活的一部分。大多数神都和他们生活的具体部分相关。比如，雅典娜是智慧和勇气之神，阿波罗是太阳神，阿佛洛狄忒是爱与美之女神，阿瑞斯是战神。这些神都有着复杂的性格，象征着古希腊人日常生活中需要处理的种种问题。
莱西：那么罗马人呢？他们没有类似的诸神吗？
特伦斯：罗马人深受希腊人的影响，不过他们之间的一个不同之处是：罗马神话更多地聚焦于宗教仪式、预言、预测未来及一些制度理念，而希腊神话更关注神学和宇宙进化论。罗马神话通常都是与政治和道德相关，强调个人道德与个人对于国家的责任之间的关系。许多罗马故事都以英雄主义为主题。
莱西：英雄故事也不错……
特伦斯：你会这么想，那是因为希腊神话和罗马神话对西方文明产生了巨大的影响……我们的文化、艺术、文学、语言…… 直到今天，这些主题仍具有影响力。词汇注解
12 印度教 Hinduism
背景介绍印度教亦称“新婆罗门教”。公元8—9世纪后流行于印度的宗教。是波罗门教经改革，吸收佛教和耆那教的某些教义而改称。印度教的主要教义，仍是婆罗门教的善恶有因果、人生有轮回之说。情景对话
Kevin: Hey, don't throw your garbage on the ground… It's bad karma.
Tracy: Opps, sorry I didn't see that I had dropped my candy wrapper. Bad karma? What's karma got to do with anything anyway?
Kevin: Karma is a religious idea that comes from Hinduism. The word Karma translates literally as action, work, or deed. It's the moral law of cause and effect. So if you do something bad, you'll have bad consequences. If you do something good, you'll have good consequences.
Tracy: Well, many people believe that's true… What's so special about Hinduism?
Kevin: It's the dominant religion of the Indian subcontinent and an old religion in the world.
Tracy: What actually do they believe?
Kevin: That's where it gets a little complex. The belief system of Hinduism is a group of specific intellectual or philosophical ideas. They're a wide variety of laws and religious practices that are based on karma, dharma, and social norms. It's not what we commonly think of as a rigid, common set of doctrines or beliefs.
Tracy: Huh? So one Hindu could believe and practice a religion very different from another Hindu?
Kevin: Sure. Hinduism is a fusion of many diverse cultures and traditions. It has no single founder. It includes Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism. For Hindi people, the ultimate purpose of life can be understood in many different ways. It can be called moksha, nirvana, or samadhi. It could mean the union of the individual with God, or maybe the realization of one's eternal relationship with God. It could be described as the unity of all existence or the attainment of perfect mental peace. Others see it to be the development of perfect unselfishness and knowledge of self. Or also the detachment from worldly desires.
Tracy: Wow, sounds like pretty heavy stuff…
Kevin: Hinduism is about seeking for the eternal. They believe in the eternal nature of the soul and death is insignificant when you consider your cosmic self. It has a lot in common with other religions, actually.
Tracy: Yeah, that's why we look to religion, to find a purpose for our lives and to help us face our own mortality.
凯文：嘿，别把你的垃圾扔到地上……你会遭报应的。
特蕾西：哦，对不起，我没看到我的糖纸掉了。遭报应？报应究竟是怎么一回事呢？
凯文：因果报应是印度教的一种宗教理念。因果报应这个词直译过来就是行为、行动的意思。它是因果道德律。所以，如果你做了坏事，你就会遭到恶报；如果你做了好事，你就会得到善报。
特蕾西：哦，很多人都相信因果报应…… 那么印度教有什么特别之处呢？
凯文：印度教是印度次大陆的主要宗教，也是世界上一个古老的宗教。
特蕾西：他们实际信仰什么呢？
凯文：这个说起来有点复杂。印度教的信仰体系是由一些具体的智慧和哲学理念构成的，包括以因果报应、印度教律法和社会规范为基础的广义上的各类律法和宗教修行。它并非我们通常认为的那种普通而刻板的教条或信条。
特蕾西：啊？所以不同的印度教教徒可以有迥然不同的信仰和修行方式，对吗？
凯文：那当然了。印度教融合了许多不同的文化和传统，没有具体的创教人。它包括湿婆派、毗湿奴派和性力派。对于北印度人而言，生命的终极意义可以用很多不同的方式来理解，他们称之为解脱、涅槃或三昧，可指梵我如一的境界或实现灵魂与神合而为一，也可以说是万物合而为一或达到完美的精神安宁。另一些人将之视作自我发展和完全忘我的修行，或者说超脱于世俗的欲望。
特蕾西：哇，听上去挺高深的……
凯文：印度教追求永恒。他们相信灵魂是永恒的，一想到宇宙现象的本体，死亡就微不足道了。事实上，印度教与其他宗教有很多共同之处。
特蕾西：是呀，所以我们信仰宗教，要从中找寻生命的意义，以帮助我们面对死亡。词汇注解
13 佛教 Buddhism
背景介绍相传公元前6—前5世纪中，佛教由古印度迦毗罗卫国王子悉达多·乔答摩（即释迦牟尼）所创。基本教课有四谛、五蕴、十二因缘等，以断除烦恼而成佛为最终目的。情景对话
Dalila: Sometimes I think life is so hard! It seems like there's one problem after another… When does it all stop?
Jeremy: If you asked a Buddhist that question, he would likely have a good answer for you.
Dalila: Huh? What do you mean?
Jeremy: Well, according to the Buddhist religion, the purpose of life is for all of us sentient beings to end our suffering, or dukkha, through the elimination of ignorance, called avidya. We can do this by understanding and realizing our origin and eliminating desire, or tanha. If we do this, we can attain the end of all suffering, known as the sublime state of nirvana.
Dalila: So that's what nirvana is… I have heard of that. But Buddhism is kind of confusing to me…
Jeremy: That's OK… It might be confusing to someone with a Western background. Buddhism is an Eastern religion that originated in the Indian subcontinent. There are a lot of different beliefs and practices in Buddhism, and they are mostly based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama.
Dalila: Siddhartha Gautama? Who was he?
Jeremy: Maybe you haven't heard of him by that name… He is commonly known as the Buddha, which means the awakened one. He is thought of by Buddhists as an enlightened teacher who taught the people the way to overcome suffering. He lived and taught in India many, many years ago— about 500 years before Christ.
Dalila: Wow, so it's a really old religion…
Jeremy: Yes, it is. But even though it is very old, it is still very popular, especially in Asia and India. There are two main branches of Buddhism — Theravada and Mahayana. Theravada is practiced by many people in Southeast Asia.
Dalila: Like Cambodia?
Jeremy: Yes, as well as Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. Many people in East Asia, including China , Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, practice Mahayana Buddhism.
Dalila: Sounds like most of the places that are Buddhist are all in Asia…
Jeremy: It's true that Buddhism is most popular in that part of the world, but it is one of the fastest growing religions on the earth.
Dalila: If that's true, maybe I can find one to help me deal with all these problems!
达莉拉：有时候，我觉得生活是如此艰难！仿佛一个问题接着一个问题……什么时候才是尽头啊？
杰里米：如果你拿这个问题问佛教徒，他可能会给你一个很好的答案。
达莉拉：啊？为什么呢？
杰里米：根据佛教的信仰，生命的意义就是让我们这些有灵性的生物摆脱无知，结束苦难。我们可以通过理解和认清我们的起源、消除欲望来实现觉知。我们如果做到这些，便能结束苦难，实现涅槃的至上境界。
达莉拉：涅槃是这个意思呀……我听说过这个词。不过佛教对我来说是深奥难懂的……
杰里米：没关系……对于以西方文化为背景的人来说，佛教可能有点难以理解。佛教是一种东方的宗教，源于印度次大陆。佛教有许多不同的信仰和教义，而这些主要都是以悉达多·乔答摩的教义为基础。
达莉拉：悉达多·乔答摩？他是谁呢？
杰里米：你可能没有听说过这个名字……他就是大家都知道的佛陀，也就是“知者”。佛教徒将他奉为教人摆脱苦难的启蒙老师。他在印度生活并传播佛法，那是许多年以前的事了——大概是在公元前500年。
达莉拉：哇，那真是古老的宗教啊……
杰里米：是呀。佛教虽然非常古老，但现在仍然非常受欢迎，尤其是在亚洲及印度。佛教有两个主要的派系——小乘佛教和大乘佛教。东南亚的许多人信奉小乘佛教。
达莉拉：比如柬埔寨？
杰里米：对，还有老挝、泰国和缅甸。在东亚，包括中国、韩国、日本、越南，许多人信奉大乘佛教。
达莉拉：听起来，信奉佛教的人大多都是在亚洲……
杰里米：佛教的确是在亚洲最为盛行，不过它也是世界上发展速度最快的宗教之一。
达莉拉：如果你说的是真的，那么或许我可以找到一个人来帮助我解决所有这些问题！词汇注解
14 伊斯兰教 Islam
背景介绍伊斯兰教是公元7世纪初阿拉伯半岛麦加人穆罕默德所创传的一神教。8世纪初，成为地跨欧亚非三洲的世界性宗教。其教义主要有：信仰安拉是唯一的神，穆罕默德是安拉的使者，信天使，信《古兰经》是安拉“启示”的经典，信世间一切事物都是安拉的“前定”，并信仰“死后复活”“末日审判”等。该教规定念清真言、礼拜、斋戒等为教徒必遵的“功课”，并针对当时阿拉伯社会情况定了若干制度和道德规范。主要节日有开斋节和古尔邦节。主要教派有逊尼和什叶两派。情景对话
Alison: Mamut, I know you're Muslim, and you're one of the nicest guys I know… So why are there so many misconceptions about Islam?
Mamut: Thanks for being willing to ask a practicing Muslim for answers instead of listening to the misconceptions out there. The majority of Muslims are peaceful, respectful people. It's just a few fringe groups causing trouble and using religion as an excuse. Real Islam has nothing to do with terrorist groups.
Alison: What is real Islam about, then?
Mamut: Muslims believe in one all-powerful God we call Allah. The purpose of our existence is to submit to and serve Allah. We believe the Arabic Quran is the true revelation of God. To us Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus were prophets. We also believe that Mohammed was the final prophet.
Alison: So what does a Muslim do? How do you live your faith?
Mamut: To be a practicing Muslim, you have to follow the five pillars, the five basic acts considered obligatory for all believers. They are the shahadah or testimony, salat or daily prayers, zakah which is almsgiving, fasting during Ramadan, and hajj which is the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in your lifetime. The Quran teaches that these five acts are a framework for our worship and a sign of commitment to the faith.
Alison: Do all Muslims believe that?
Mamut: Most Muslims are either Sunni or Shiah and both denominations agree on the essential details of the five pillars. The largest group is Sunni Muslims, we're about 80％ of Muslims world-wide. The largest Muslim country is Indonesia, which has about 13％ of the world's population of Islamic people. 25％ are in South Asia, 20％ are in the Middle East, and about 15％ are in Africa. So we really are a world religion. There are sizable minorities in Europe, China, Russia, and America. There are over 1.2 billion followers, which is 19.6％ of the earth's population.
Alison: I had no idea there were so many!
艾莉森：马穆特，我知道你是穆斯林，你是我认识的最好的人之一了……可为什么关于伊斯兰教有这么多误解呢？
马穆特：谢谢你愿意来问一个虔诚的穆斯林，而不是听信那些误解。大部分穆斯林都是热爱和平、恭敬有礼的。只是几个边缘性的团体借宗教之名引起事端。真正的伊斯兰教和恐怖主义团体没有关系。
艾莉森：那么，真正的伊斯兰教是怎样的？
马穆特：穆斯林信仰一位全能的神，我们称其为真主。我们的存在就是为了顺从和侍奉真主。我们相信阿拉伯的《古兰经》是真主的启示。对我们而言，阿丹、努哈、易卜拉欣、穆萨、尔撒都是先知。我们也相信，穆罕默德是最后的先知。
艾莉森：穆斯林都做些什么呢？你们如何实现你们的信仰呢？
马穆特：作为虔诚的穆斯林，你要遵循五大功修，即所有穆斯林都必须做到的五大基本行为。它们是：念功（或称念清真言）、礼功（或称拜功）、课功（施舍）、（在斋月进行的）斋功和朝功（一生至少去麦加朝圣一次）。《古兰经》教我们：这五大功修是我们的信仰中的要素，也代表了我们对真主的虔诚信仰。
艾莉森：所有的穆斯林都有这样的信仰吗？
马穆特：大部分穆斯林不是逊尼派就是什叶派，这两派都奉行五大功修。其中人数最多的是逊尼派，全世界大约有80％的穆斯林是逊尼派。穆斯林人口最多的国家是印度尼西亚，全世界大约13％的伊斯兰教信徒在印度尼西亚；25％在南亚，20％在中东，15％在非洲。所以伊斯兰教的确是世界性的宗教。在欧洲、中国、俄罗斯和美国也有相当多的穆斯林。穆斯林人数超过12亿，占世界人口的19.6％。
艾莉森：我以前都不知道穆斯林人数这么多呀！词汇注解
Part 3 文学 Literature
15 荷马史诗 Homer's Epics
背景介绍荷马史诗是古希腊文学中最早的史诗，相传由公元前9世纪—前8世纪古希腊盲诗人荷马创作，由两部长篇史诗《伊利亚特》和《奥德赛》组成。荷马史诗被认为是最伟大的古代史诗，有希腊人的《圣经》之誉。情景对话
Dave: Have you ever read Homer's Epics?
Shasta: I've read the Odyssey, but never tackled the Iliad.
Dave: That's interesting. Isn't the Odyssey a sequel to the Iliad?
Shasta: It is, but I was just drawn to this one more. Have you read it?
Dave: No, but I've always wanted to. What is it about?
Shasta: Well, it's mainly about Odysseus (or Ulysses) and his journey home after the fall of Troy.
Dave: What was the fall of Troy exactly? It sounds familiar, but I
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