VOA常速英语2015--美国东正教教徒支持传统

美国东正教教徒支持传统

A Russia Orthodox Choir¹ sing during a sunday service in Moscow,but this choir is composed of Russian orthodox faithful who are citizens of United States.

周日，在莫斯科的一次礼拜仪式上，一只俄罗斯东正教唱诗班正在演唱，不过，组成这支唱诗班的俄罗斯东正教信徒却是美国公民。

The group of 35 amateur singers is in Russia for their first time to practice the Slavonic tradition.

这支由35名业余歌手组成的团体首次在俄罗斯践行斯拉夫传统。

"We have nothing to do with politics. We are to do with faith. We are the people of one country called Orthodoxy, so to speak,"

“我们跟政治一点关系都没有，我们是为了信仰，不妨说，我们同属一个叫‘正教’的国度。”

Organizers say they are motivated by a need to strengthen friendship between Russians and Americans, at a time of heightened tensions over Ukraine.

组织者称，在乌克兰问题造成局势紧张之际，有必要加强俄美两国人民的友谊。

But Russia's Orthodox Church leadership is closely connected to the Kremlin and both preach what they see as the decline of Western civilization.

然而，俄罗斯东正教领导层跟克里姆林宫联系密切，双方都在宣扬他们所谓的“西方文明之衰败”。

"Russian Orthodox Church is used by Putin, by president, as a tool for mobilization of the population, of Orthodox population, in order to support what power, secular² power, is doing now,"

为了支持他的世俗权力，普京总统把俄罗斯东正教会变成了他的工具，动员正教群众。

The Russian Orthodox churches in the U.S. share religious values with the church in Russia but are independent from its leadership and politics.

美国的俄罗斯东正教会跟俄罗斯教会有着共同的宗教价值观，但不受其领导，政治独立。

"The government and the church have always been closely intertwined in Russia. The government's changed more so than the church has. You know, I think there are some things that have caused tension as a result of that,"

在俄罗斯，政府和教会总是彼此紧密相连的。政府的改变要多于教会。我想，这也产生了一些矛盾。

But the music group Lukianov emphasizes the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia is doing a lot of good as well, including building and restoring churches and monasteries³.

但是卢克亚诺夫强调，俄罗斯境内的俄罗斯东正教会也做了很多好事，包括修建教堂和修道院。

 

With the help of the Russians, they hope to bring a group of Russian Orthodox Americans to Moscow every year,to continue learning this spiritual tradition.

他们希望，在俄罗斯人的帮助下，他们每年都能把美国的俄罗斯东正教徒带到莫斯科，继续学习这一精神传统。

1 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

2 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。

3 monasteries   

修道院( monastery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• In ancient China, there were lots of monasteries. 在古时候，中国有许多寺院。
• The Negev became a religious center with many monasteries and churches. 内格夫成为许多庙宇和教堂的宗教中心。