美国国家公共电台 NPR In Germany, Churchgoers Are Encouraged To Tweet From The Pews

 

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Protestants have a major birthday to celebrate this year. It has been 500 years since Martin Luther brought about the Reformation. But many Protestant denominations¹ are concerned about a modern phenomenon they see every Sunday - empty pews, more and more of them. So clergy² are turning to new media to try and reel back in those who won't take the time to attend worship in person. Esme Nicholson reports from a, quote, "Twitter service" in Magdeburg, Germany.

(SOUNDBITE OF CHURCH BELLS)

ESME NICHOLSON, BYLINE³: Here in the eastern city of Magdeburg, the monotone peal⁴ of a single church bell calls a modest flock of parishioners to evening prayers. As the faithful file into a high-Gothic church where Martin Luther once delivered a sermon, most fumble⁵ around in handbags and pockets, looking for their cell phones. But instead of dutifully switching off their phones and putting them away, these churchgoers take a pew and bow their heads over their lit-up devices as if they were prayer books.

RALF PETER REIMANN: (Speaking German).

NICHOLSON: This is a Twitter service, where the congregation is encouraged to tweet about the liturgy⁶ and share their prayers online. Pastor⁷ Ralf Peter Reimann says it's an experiment. He believes that social media can help the Protestant church retain and even gain followers⁸.

REIMANN: There are lots of people who live online. And we want to include these people and offer them to participate in a way that's comfortable to them.

NICHOLSON: While Pastor Reimann preaches from behind the lectern, a chorus of young parishioners perching in the choir⁹ stalls tweets about his sermon. Above them, a large screen displays a hashtagged feed, which, in real time, shows tweets coming from both within the church and from around Germany.

REIMANN: Luther talked about the priesthood of all believers. So if you use social media, it's like not only the pastor communicating on behalf of the church but Christians¹¹ commuting¹² among each other.

NICHOLSON: Embracing the latest media trend is nothing new for Protestants. Five hundred years ago, when Martin Luther first protested against corruption¹³ in the Catholic Church, it was the printing press that helped his challenge to papal authority to, well, go viral.

ULRIKE ZITZLSPERGER: I think the parallels with the use of Twitter today are really strong.

NICHOLSON: Ulrike Zitzlsperger is a professor of German Studies at the University of Exeter. She says that in the 16th century, the pamphlet was the social media of the day.

ZITZLSPERGER: You've got a topic that engages not just an educated public but really the wider public, the laypeople. Everybody has a say.

NICHOLSON: Luther's followers shared these pamphlets and responded to them by printing their own. These Twitter-like discussions spread so rapidly that the Catholic Church could do little to censor¹⁴ what it called heresy¹⁵. Today though, it's no longer dissent¹⁶ but disinterest that threatens the Christian¹⁰ church in Europe. Back in Magdeburg, 86-year-old Ingeborg Brunner tiptoes out of church before the Twitter service is over. She doesn't have a smartphone. So she feels a little left out.

INGEBORG BRUNNER: (Through interpreter) It was certainly interesting. But it's not my cup of tea. I'm a little old for Twitter.

NICHOLSON: While Brunner says she's pleased the church is appealing to the digitally devout¹⁷, regular churchgoers like her would rather sing than tweet.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED CHOIR: (Singing in German).

NICHOLSON: After all, congregational singing is another major legacy¹⁸ of the Reformation. For NPR News, I'm Esme Nicholson in Magdeburg.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED CHOIR: (Singing in German).

1 denominations   

n.宗派( denomination的名词复数 )；教派；面额；名称

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• The service was attended by Christians of all denominations. 这次礼拜仪式各教派的基督徒都参加了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 peal   

n.钟声；v.鸣响

参考例句：

• The bells of the cathedral rang out their loud peal.大教堂响起了响亮的钟声。
• A sudden peal of thunder leaves no time to cover the ears.迅雷不及掩耳。

5 fumble   

vi.笨拙地用手摸、弄、接等，摸索

参考例句：

• His awkwardness made him fumble with the key.由于尴尬不安，他拿钥匙开锁时显得笨手笨脚。
• He fumbled his one-handed attempt to light his cigarette.他笨拙地想用一只手点燃香烟。

6 liturgy   

n.礼拜仪式

参考例句：

• A clergyman read the liturgy from the prayer-book.一名牧师照着祈祷书念祷文。
• The mass is the church a kind of liturgy.弥撒是教会的一种礼拜仪式。

7 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

8 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

9 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

10 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

11 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

12 commuting   

交换（的）

参考例句：

• I used the commuting time to read and answer my mail. 我利用上下班在汽车中的时间来阅读和答复给我的函电。
• Noncommuting objects are as real to the mathematicians as commuting objects. 对于数学家来说，不可交换的对象与可交换的对象是一样真实的。

13 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

14 censor   

n./vt.审查，审查员；删改

参考例句：

• The film has not been viewed by the censor.这部影片还未经审查人员审查。
• The play was banned by the censor.该剧本被查禁了。

15 heresy   

n.异端邪说；异教

参考例句：

• We should denounce a heresy.我们应该公开指责异端邪说。
• It might be considered heresy to suggest such a notion.提出这样一个观点可能会被视为异端邪说。

16 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

17 devout   

adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness)

参考例句：

• His devout Catholicism appeals to ordinary people.他对天主教的虔诚信仰感染了普通民众。
• The devout man prayed daily.那位虔诚的男士每天都祈祷。

18 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。