VOA慢速英语--基督徒保持社交距离举行宗教仪式

Most Christians² around the world are observing Holy Week, a period of great importance to the religion. The faithful are finding new, safe ways to share in the event as many churches around the world are closed because of the new coronavirus.

Peace Lutheran Church serves a Christian¹ community around Baldwin, Wisconsin. On a recent Sunday, its leader Pastor³ John Hanson spoke⁴ to his church members in an open area where people could listen from their cars.

"People really enjoyed seeing each other from their little bubbles..." Hanson said, meaning members' cars.

The 60 year-old has led Peace Lutheran for 28 years. At the beginning of Holy Week, a day Christians call Palm Sunday, Hanson used electronics to broadcast his words. His followers⁵ listened to his message over their car radios. The congregation also sang songs together from a safe social distance.

In North Carolina, people in more than 200 cars gathered for a service led by Pastor Chris Griggs of Denver Baptist Church. Griggs said, "A lot of people had taken for granted what it means to get together for worship...But when it's taken away, you realize, it's a really important part of my faith."

Worship in a time of social distancing

But not every religious act is possible under the coronavirus closures. Leonard Blair is an Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. He informed local Church officials that Catholics could not receive the sacrament of confession⁶ by telephone. The sacrament of confession is a follower's declaration of personal wrongdoing for which they may receive forgiveness.

In Vatican City, Pope Francis observed Palm Sunday in an empty St. Peter's Basilica. The coronavirus has hit hard in Italy. The country has reported more deaths from COVID-19 than any other nation.

For many in clergy⁷ service, carrying out important duties during Holy Week from a safe distance has been tricky⁸.

In Warsaw, Poland, Catholic clergyman Mateusz Kielarski has started taking confessions⁹ from people in the parking lot of his church. He told Reuters news agency, "From the safety of their cars, they can take care of their soul while protecting their bodies from germs in this special time."

Kielarski said that confession from a car can be private although it takes place outside in public. "There is enough distance," he said.

Szymon, a 23-year-old Catholic from Warsaw, was happy to confess from his vehicle.

He said, "What's important is the moment, not whether it takes place in a beautiful church, within nature or in a car."

Holy Week ends Saturday. The next day is Easter, the day Christians believe Jesus, the human form of their God, returned to life from death.

Words in This Story

preach –v. to make a speech about religion in a church or other public place

congregation –n. people who regularly attend religious services

take for granted –phrasal verb to fail to appreciate that something is important to you

worship –n. to honor and show love and respect for God

sacraments –n. a Christian religious observance that is believed to be ordered by Jesus Christ

confession –n. the act of telling a cleric your sins to be forgiven

soul –n. the spiritual part of a person beyond their physical selves

discretely¹⁰ –adv. separately

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 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。

6 confession   

n.自白，供认，承认

参考例句：

• Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
• The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

7 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。

8 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

9 confessions   

n.承认( confession的名词复数 )；自首；声明；（向神父的）忏悔

参考例句：

• It is strictly forbidden to obtain confessions and to give them credence. 严禁逼供信。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Neither trickery nor coercion is used to secure confessions. 既不诱供也不逼供。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 discretely   

分离地，离散地

参考例句：

• The mesh is the outcome of discretely decomposing the continuous space. 网格是对连续空间进行离散剖分的结果。
• The sensitive flesh must choose the product which discretely these mark sensitive flesh may use. 敏感型肌肤也要谨慎挑选那些标明敏感肌肤可以使用的产品。