VOA慢速英语2013 这是一个教堂，一座清真寺，还是一个博物馆?

 

AS IT IS 2013-12-12 Is It a Church, a Mosque¹, or a Museum? 这是一个教堂，一座清真寺，还是一个博物馆?

Hello again, and welcome.  I’m Jim Tedder² in Washington.  Today we travel to the beautiful and mysterious city of Istanbul, Turkey.  A famous building there is the  center of a dispute about what it should be!  No doubt you have seen the large ancient structure in photographs.  If you did not know, what would you guess?  Is it a  church, a mosque, or a museum?  We will provide details about what it was, is, and what it might become.

Then we hear from people who love music, especially live concerts.  But they say the experience is being ruined more and more by something that people carry in their  pockets. The program you are listening to is called As It Is.  It’s a way for you to learn and improve your English, courtesy³ of the Voice of America.

A Turkish government minister’s call to return the Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul to an Islamic worship center has started a dispute.  The argument is both religious  and diplomatic⁴.  The Hagia Sofia was first built as a church.  And the structure remains⁵ an important sign of Christianity for many Christians⁶.

People have always argued about the Hagia Sofia. For 1,000 years, it was the most important church of Christians at the center of the Byzantine Empire.  It became a  mosque when Istanbul, then called Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Turks. Then in 1931, Turkey’s secular⁷ rulers turned it into a museum.  Now Deputy⁸ Prime Minister  Bulent Arinc says the present museum might again be changed.    He commented in November while visiting the Hagia Sofia.

He said, “There was a time when former mosques⁹ could function as museums. But there is a different Turkey now.  The Hagia Sophia is sad now.  But, God willing, it  will soon smile again.”

Professor Istar Gozaydin of Istanbul’s Dogus University is an expert on religion and the state.  She says elections and politics are likely to be reasons pushing such  a move.

“For a pro-Islamic government it’s important to have the monument be a mosque.  So now are they trying to convert¹⁰ it back to a mosque?  It’s got to do with the  current political climate in the country, the local elections approaching that would be a significant source for votes.”

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is already campaigning.  He is travelling the country, often using a mixture of religious and nationalist speech to support  changing the Hagia Sofia into a mosque.  Observers say changing is back will also please many nationalist voters who see it as a sign of the once powerful Ottoman  Empire.   Along with millions of tourists, many Turks also visit the Hagia Solfa every year. One such Turkish young person believes strongly that it should be turned back into a  mosque.  He said, “We don’t want to lose our culture; we want to come here for Friday prayers.  I believe with our prime minister and deputy prime minister’s  support, it will be a mosque again.”

Istanbul is home to the Orthodox¹¹ Church’s Ecumenical Patriarchate.  And concern is growing about the recent change from museums to mosques of two small historical  churches that share the Hagia Sophia’s name.  Eminence Metropolitan¹³ Gennadios of Sassima disapproves¹⁴ of the possibility of turning Istanbul’s Hagia Sofia into a  mosque.  “They have to realize very concretely how seriously the consequences of the whole world and the international community and how it would react. Because this  historical monument is visited every year by millions of people, Christians and non-Christians who realize it’s the image and picture of a religion which is  Christianity.  “The Greek government has already condemned¹⁵ even the suggestion of turning the Hagia Sofia into a mosque.  But a Turkish Foreign Ministry¹⁶ official says Turkey does not  need speeches about religious freedom.

The official said Turkey’s record for respecting the holiness of religious places is very well known and needs no proof.  Some observers say that the words of the  dispute could predict deeper disagreement to come.

Please Put That Away and Listen to the MusicIf you ever get the chance to visit the Hagia Sophia in Instanbul, you can be sure that many of the tourists will be taking pictures of the beautiful and historic¹²  building.  There was a time when we used mostly large cameras and rolls of film in order to save our favorite memories.  But these days, you are more likely to see  people using their smartphones.  They are so handy.  We make phone calls, send text messages, surf the Internet, and take photos and even movies with them.  Most  people love them, right?

VOA’s Christopher Cruise¹⁷ would like to introduce you to a gentleman who thinks otherwise.

Smartphones are ruining the concert-going experience. So says Andy Greene of Rolling Stone magazine. He says he realized what a problem smartphones were becoming  during a concert by singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen.

“I’m in the first row of the balcony. And I look down at the orchestra¹⁸ and it was like looking at the stars; almost every seat was sort of lit up by a screen and  people were staring at their screens. And I just wanted to scream ‘Do you realize you’re watching one of the greatest songwriters ever perform some of the greatest  songs ever? And it’s just such a rare, unique treat, it’s a gift we’re all here experiencing this, and you’re not even watching it. You’re all on your freaking  cell phones!”

Andy Greene is not the only critic of smartphones. Maura Johnston writes for a blog on the Village Voice website. She listed “Six Reasons Why Your Phone Is Probably  Ruining Your Concert Experience (And Everyone Else’s).”

Among her reasons, she says people filming a performance are not really listening to the music. And, she says they are not taking part in the social experience of  being at a show.

Many bands are also unhappy about the use of smartphones at concerts. But, they do not want to anger concert-goers by banning the activity.

Classical pianist Krystian Zimerman recently stopped a performance when he saw someone in the theater filming him on a smartphone.

However, plenty of musicians accept such filming as a way to market their shows. Mark Katz says this is especially true for new artists. He wrote a book called  “Capturing Sound: How Technology Has Changed Music.”

“Someone records what was a truly amazing performance and posts it on YouTube and it starts to get attention. That could help the performer who might not have any  other way of reaching out to such a broad audience.”

Even some well-established groups support smartphone use and the social media revolution as a way to earn more money. But Rolling Stone Magazine’s Andy Greene sees no  value in filming a concert.

1 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

2 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网

3 courtesy   

n.谦恭有礼，礼貌的举止，好意，恩惠

参考例句：

• She called on us merely for the sake of courtesy.她来访只是为了礼貌。
• After a few words of courtesy,they got down to business.双方客气了一番，就开始谈正事。

4 diplomatic   

adj.外交的，从事外交的，策略的，有手腕的

参考例句：

• There are certain forms that must be followed in diplomatic circles.在外交界有一些礼节是必须遵守的。
• You must be more diplomatic in handling the situation.你在处理这一情况时，必须圆滑。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 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。

7 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

8 deputy   

n.代理人，代表，副职；adj.代理的，副的

参考例句：

• John will act as a deputy for me during my absence.我离开期间，约翰将代理我的职务。
• She is the deputy headmistress of the school.她是那所学校的代理校长。

9 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。

10 convert   

v.（在形式、状态、用途等方面）（使）改变

参考例句：

• I must convert sorrow into strength.我要化悲痛为力量。
• At what rate does the dollar convert into pounds?美元以什么汇率兑换成英镑？

11 orthodox   

adj.正统的，传统的，惯常的

参考例句：

• They are orthodox Jews.他们是正统的犹太教徒。
• His ideas are very orthodox.他的思想非常合乎规范。

12 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

13 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

14 disapproves   

v.不赞成( disapprove的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She disapproves of unmarried couples living together. 她反对未婚男女同居。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her mother disapproves of her wearing transparent underwear. 她母亲不赞成她穿透明的内衣。 来自辞典例句

15 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

16 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

17 cruise   

v.巡航，航游，缓慢巡行；n.海上航游

参考例句：

• They went on a cruise to Tenerife.他们乘船去特纳利夫岛。
• She wants to cruise the canals of France in a barge.她想乘驳船游览法国的运河。

18 orchestra   

n.管弦乐队；vt.命令，定购

参考例句：

• He plays the violin in an orchestra.他在管弦乐队中演奏小提琴。
• I was tempted to stay and hear this superb orchestra rehearse.我真想留下来听这支高超的管弦乐队排练。