2021年经济学人 拜登和主教--圣餐可以不吃,堕胎必须支持(2)

Two-thirds of American Catholics think Mr Biden should be allowed to receive communion, according to a poll from the Pew Research Centre.

根据皮尤研究中心的一项民意调查，三分之二的美国天主教徒认为应该允许拜登接受圣餐。

The vote shows the gap between church hierarchy¹ and its flock. Yet for some conservative bishops² this is no great concern.

投票结果显示了神职人员和其信徒之间的差异。然而，对于一些保守的主教来说这并不是什么大问题。

As Charles Chaput, Philadelphia's former archbishop, said in 2016, "We should never be afraid of a smaller, lighter³ church if her members are more faithful, more zealous⁴."

正如费城前大主教查尔斯·查普特在2016年所说，“如果教会的成员更忠诚、更积极，我们就永远不会害怕一个更小、更无足轻重的教会。”

Denying someone the eucharist is rare. When John Kerry ran for president in 2004, some bishops wanted to deny him communion, but never did.

拒绝接受圣餐是很少见的。2004年约翰·克里竞选总统时，一些主教想要拒绝他参加圣餐仪式，但从未成功。

The latest dispute has sharpened the rift⁵ between the American church and Rome.

最近的争端加剧了美国教会和罗马之间的裂痕。

The Vatican issued a letter telling the American bishops to back off. They ignored it.

梵蒂冈发表了一封信，要求美国主教们退让。然而他们忽略了这封信。

Meanwhile, politicians who favour the death penalty (which Pope Francis wants abolished) face no such sanction from the church.

与此同时，支持死刑(教皇方济各希望废除死刑)的政客们不会受到来自教会的这样的制裁。

Stephen Schneck of the Franciscan Action Network, an advocacy group, who does not approve of abortion⁶, cannot see the point of this measure.

倡导组织方济会行动网络的斯蒂芬·施内克不赞成堕胎，他不明白这项措施的意义所在。

The Vatican will not approve it. It is unlikely to shame Mr Biden into reversing his stance.

梵蒂冈不会批准的。让拜登感到羞愧而改变自己的立场不太可能。

Wilton Gregory, archbishop of Washington, DC, has said he will not deny Mr Biden communion.

华盛顿大主教威尔顿·格雷戈里表示，他不会拒绝拜登参加圣餐仪式。

John Carr, a former spokesman for the Conference now at Georgetown University, a Catholic institution, believes that "we would all be better off if the bishops walked away from using the eucharist as a punishment."

约翰·卡尔是该会议的前发言人，现就职于天主教机构乔治城大学。他认为，“如果主教们不再使用圣餐作为惩罚，我们都会过得更好。”

1 hierarchy   

n.等级制度；统治集团，领导层

参考例句：

• There is a rigid hierarchy of power in that country.那个国家有一套严密的权力等级制度。
• She's high up in the management hierarchy.她在管理阶层中地位很高。

2 bishops   

（基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象

参考例句：

• Each player has two bishops at the start of the game. 棋赛开始时，每名棋手有两只象。
• "Only sheriffs and bishops and rich people and kings, and such like. “他劫富济贫，抢的都是郡长、主教、国王之类的富人。

3 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

4 zealous   

adj.狂热的，热心的

参考例句：

• She made zealous efforts to clean up the classroom.她非常热心地努力清扫教室。
• She is a zealous supporter of our cause.她是我们事业的热心支持者。

5 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

6 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。