美国斋月将在周四开始

AS IT IS 2015-06-17 Ramadan Begins Thursday in the US 美国斋月将在周四开始

People are praying at the Islamic Society of Orange County¹, California. The mosque² is preparing for the thousands of people expected to come on June 20, the first Saturday of Ramadan in the U.S. this year.

The day is a large celebration at this mosque. Here people are raising a tent for the party.

Ramadan lasts a lunar month. Muslims around the world fast during daylight hours and study the Islamic holy book, the Quran.

Shayk Mustafa Umar is the director of education at another California mosque. He says Ramadan teaches self-discipline. It also helps Muslims remember to be thankful for all they have.

“When you go without food and drink for an entire day, even for one day, you realize what you have given up, and you realize what you actually have that you had taken for granted³.”

The fast ends at sunset. In Orange County, many Muslims gather at the Islamic Society to share a meal and pray.

Duaa Alwan is president of the Islamic Society. She says members of other faiths join the celebration, too. The people, she says, are as different as the food.  

“You have Pakistani food, you have Indian food, you have Middle Eastern, you have Italian food, you have Mexican food, and it really reflects the diversity that our community shares.”

After they eat, they pray. Mosque member Nawaz Ahmed says Ramadan is a time to think about how you can live a better life. It is, he says, like starting a new year.

Shayk Mustafa Umar says that Ramadan is also a time to strengthen friendships and other relations with the community. He says Muslims around the world celebrate in similar ways.

“So it is kind of a mixture of worshiping⁴ God and also having fun and having a good time, and realizing and appreciating the blessings⁵ that you have in this life.”

Members of the mosque say they feel the excitement in the air, just like they do every year at the beginning of Ramadan.

Words in This Story

lunar – adj. of or relating to the moon

fast – v. eat no food for a period of time

diversity – n. having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization

excitement – n. feeling of eager enthusiasm and interest

1 county   

n.县，郡

参考例句：

• When the good news reached there,the whole county rejoiced.喜讯传到那里时，全县的人都欢欣鼓舞起来。
• In that year county after county fell to the enemy.那一年一个又一个的县城沦入敌人手中。

2 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。

3 granted   

conj.假定，就算v.（退一步）承认( grant的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指正式地或法律上）同意；准许；让渡

参考例句：

• The president granted a general amnesty for all political prisoners. 总统大赦了所有的政治犯。
• She feared she would not be granted re-entry into Britain. 她担心不会获准再次踏足英伦。

4 worshiping   

v.崇拜，尊崇( worship的现在分词 )；做礼拜；热爱；爱慕

参考例句：

• In a sense, they also should have been worshiping the world's plants. 从某种意义上说，他们还应当尊崇地球上的植物。 来自辞典例句
• The great enemy to our worshiping God is busy-ness. 我们敬拜神常有的大障碍就是繁忙。 来自互联网

5 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》