VOA常速英语2014--California Sunday Assembly Offers Church for Atheists 美国无神论者的团体活动

 

California Sunday Assembly Offers Church for Atheists 美国无神论者的团体活动

LOS ANGELES — Growing numbers of Americans have no religious affiliation¹. Some call themselves skeptics or atheists, and others say they are spiritual, not religious.  Now, some are getting involved in a movement called the Sunday Assembly, a sort of church for non-believers.

洛杉矶 — 在美国，越来越多的人不属于任何宗教。其中有些人自称无神论者或怀疑主义者。有些人说，他们有精神寄托，但是不信教。最近部分无神论者开始参与一个运动，称为“星期天聚会”。它有点像不信教的人们的教会。

There is inspirational music, a dramatic poetry reading, and a collection to pay for the rented hall.

这里有激昂的音乐，富有戏剧性的吟诗，还有为支付大厅租金的捐款活动。

The Sunday Assembly movement, which started in Britain last year, has come to Los Angeles, one Sunday each month.  

“星期天聚会运动”去年在英国开始。它已经传播到洛杉矶。每个月举办一次。

Amy Boyle helped set up the Los Angeles Assembly, which she says is godless.

“The organizers do not believe in a personal god, and we realize that most of the people attending do not," she said. "We do not spend a lot of time belaboring² that point. We feel like, if that is our starting point, then the next question is what do we do from here?”

安妮-博尔帮助组织洛杉矶的聚会。她说，这种活动不崇拜神灵。“组织者不信奉人格化的神。我们意识到，多数来聚会的人都不信神。我们并不特别强调这一点。我们觉得，不信神是我们的起点。下一个问题是，我们的目的地是哪里？”

Meeting other skeptics is part of the attraction of the once-a-month assembly, says Louise Monaco.

无神论者路易斯-莫纳科说，这个每月一次的聚会一个吸引人的地方是，你可以见到别的怀疑论者。

“Because a lot of people who are atheists and agnostics and skeptics and so forth³ feel very isolated⁴ in the mainstream⁵ world, and it is difficult to find a community in which you can speak honestly and openly without expecting some degree of religious condemnation,” she said.

莫纳科说：“在主流世界中，无神论者，不可知论者，怀疑主义者等等这些人感到很孤独。他们很难找到一个社区，可以公开诚实的和别人交流。”

Instead of a Sunday sermon, a visiting professor of secular⁶ studies highlights the blessings⁷ of disbelief. The Pew Research Center says one in five Americans has no religious affiliation - and one third of those under the age of 30. Professor Phil Zuckerman says many have no need for Sunday meetings.

这位研究非宗教社区的教授凸显了聚会的优点。

皮尤调查中心说，美国人口的五分之一，30岁以下人口的3分之一都不属于任何宗教。非宗教社区研究者菲尔-祖克曼教授说，很多人需要星期天聚会。

“But there is a percentage of people who have walked away from religion who still crave⁸ the things that religion provides, other than the supernatural beliefs - like community, things for kids, moral and ethical⁹ engagement with the wider community out there, causes for social justice, music,” he said.

他说：“占一定比例的人离弃了宗教。但是他们怀念宗教提供的一些东西。他们怀念的不是超自然的信仰。而是社区感，儿童活动，道德和操守方面的参与，社会正义，还有音乐。”

Members have the chance to volunteer with charities. Some help children with their studies at an inner city housing project.

参加星期天聚会的人可以志愿从事地方慈善活动。有些人在这个住房项目帮助儿童学习。

Organizer Ian Dodd says members of this movement see some value in religion.

“It has been said before, but we are trying to take the best bits of organized religion and just jettison¹⁰ the part that does not work for us.  In a way, we are trying to keep the bathwater while we throw out the baby Jesus,” he said.

组织人伊安-多德说，活动参与者也看到宗教的一些价值。他说：“以前也有人讲过。我们尝试保留宗教组织的精华，扬弃对我们不适用的糟粕。我们把耶稣婴儿抛掉，但是保留洗澡水。”

 

And create congregations for growing numbers of non-believers.

星期天聚会在为日益增多的无神论者创造集聚活动的场所。

1 affiliation   

n.联系，联合

参考例句：

• There is no affiliation between our organization and theirs,even though our names are similar.尽管两个组织的名称相似，但我们之间并没有关系。
• The kidnappers had no affiliation with any militant group.这些绑架者与任何军事组织都没有紧密联系。

2 belaboring   

v.毒打一顿( belabor的现在分词 )；责骂；就…作过度的说明；向…唠叨

参考例句：

• Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us. 让双方探寻那些能将我们团结在一起的因素，而不是那些刻意挑出那些分裂我们的因素。 来自互联网

3 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

4 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

5 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

6 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。

7 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》

8 crave   

vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求

参考例句：

• Many young children crave attention.许多小孩子渴望得到关心。
• You may be craving for some fresh air.你可能很想呼吸呼吸新鲜空气。

9 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

10 jettison   

n.投弃，投弃货物

参考例句：

• Sometimes you need to jettison unhealthy cargo.有时你必须抛弃不好的货物。
• We jettison an unworkable plan.我们放弃难实行的计划。