VOA常速英语2007年-Taize Pilgrimage Attracts Thousands

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
30 December 2007

Some 40,000 young Christians² are gathering³ in Geneva to participate in a five-day pilgrimage organized by the Taize religious community and Swiss churches. The Taize community, based in Burgundy, France, has invited young adults from 70 countries to attend its 30th European meeting. The gathering has received messages of good will from spiritual leaders, including Pope Benedict XVI and diplomatic personalities⁵ such as U.N. Secretary General Ban ki-Moon. Lisa Schlein attended the Taize gathering and has this report for VOA.

This cavernous exhibition hall in Geneva has been temporarily transformed into a place of worship. Thousands of young people, mainly from Europe, but as far away as Asia and Africa are here to pray, to meditate⁶, to discuss issues of social conscience and to make friends.

Ann Elizabeth Lesseur, 21, is from Angers in France. This is her fourth Taize Pilgrimage. She grew up in a very religious family. But, she says, one day as a child she began to doubt her faith.

"Then I discovered Taize a bit after that. I discovered that a lot of young people are just like me and it is not a problem to doubt. I think Brother Roger said that very well that we can doubt,"  she said.

Roger Louis Schütz-Marsauche, known within the Taize community as Brother Roger, founded the religious organization in the French town of the same name in 1940. The 100 brothers who form the community are from Catholic and Protestant backgrounds. They are committed to a simple, celibate⁷ life and live from their own work. They do not accept donations or gifts.

Brother Emile is originally from Canada. He has been a member of Taize for 30 years. He has spent the past few months organizing the pilgrimage to Geneva. He says people of all ages come to Taize, but the community believes its priority should be to help and be at the service of young people between ages 17 and 29.

"They perhaps have more difficulty finding their place in society and finding their place in the church," he said. "Brother Roger had a great love for young people, a great respect also for young people. He believed in listening to them, listening to their intuitions. Not that he was naïve and thought that everything they were saying was true, but he did believe that their thirst for justice, for unity⁴ was reconciled and was something that was not just idealism. It was something that resonated with the gospels, with something that was true."

Brother Emile says the theme of this year's meeting is "Pilgrimage of Trust Across the Earth." He says the word trust has been a thread throughout all these assemblages.

"Even if the world changes so much, society changes a lot. The context of Europe changes so much," he added. "But the word trust has always been at the heart of these meetings. How to build trust, how to find trust, how to find sources of trust because the trust that Christians have, it should be more accessible. Often it is wrapped in a vocabulary that is so complicated, with theological words that young people cannot relate to."

Prayer services are held three times a day. In between, special workshops are held. Brother Emile says they mainly explore subjects of a religious or humanitarian⁸ nature.

"For example, there are people working with immigrants here in Geneva. They will share with the young people what it means to be close to people in distress⁹, people of another culture because Taize is not just about prayer. It is about human solidarity¹⁰. It is about trying to be present where there are challenges in society," added Brother Emile.

The young people who are here at the Taize pilgrimage realize it is rich with possibilities.

It is easy to enter into prayer," said Nicolas. "If you want to pray, you pray. If you do not, you do not."

I think it is a special way of life," added Emma. "When you come there, it is like holidays from life, from the life you have at home, with a lot of stuff you have to do."

"My name is David Lomber, Junior," added another pilgrim. "I am 19. I just turned 19 and I am from Phoenix¹¹, Arizona. I am a foreign exchange student. My foreign exchange brother, my host brother-he went to Taize and that is why I was interested in seeing what it was like."

"It is also interesting to see there are other people who are believing different things or just thinking differently and to just get some new, different ways of looking on the world and God," said Christian¹.

As more people arrive, the noise level rises. The chemistry changes as they move from one group to another. In the midst of the activity, 12 young people are seen sitting with their legs crossed in a big circle. A young man is strumming the guitar. The others are listening or singing along. Within this vast gathering, they have created an intimate island of their own.

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 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

5 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

6 meditate   

v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想

参考例句：

• It is important to meditate on the meaning of life.思考人生的意义很重要。
• I was meditating,and reached a higher state of consciousness.我在冥想，并进入了一个更高的意识境界。

7 celibate   

adj.独身的，独身主义的；n.独身者

参考例句：

• He had defended the institution of a celibate priesthood.他捍卫了独身牧师制度。
• The instinct of the celibate warned him to hold back.单身汉的本能告诫他回头是岸。

8 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

9 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

10 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

11 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。