VOA常速英语2020--美国国际开发署对国际宗教自由挑战的回应

Next, an editorial reflecting the views of the United States government. An unexpected side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is increased pressure on religious minorities, including violations¹ of freedom of religion or belief. According to U.N. Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief Ahmed Shaheed,“The pandemic has caused a flare-up in existing religious intolerance in many countries. I am alarmed to see the upsurge in incitement² to hatred³, scapegoating⁴ religious or belief communities, including Christians⁵, Jews, and Muslims for the spread of virus.” The fact is that 83 percent of the world’s population lives in places with high or very high restrictions⁶ on worship and religious expression, most of them targeting religious minorities. The coronavirus pandemic did not create these conditions, but it has made the situation worse.

接下来是一篇反映美国政府观点的社论。由新冠肺炎疫情引发的一个意外的副作用是对宗教少数群体的压力增加，包括侵犯宗教或信仰自由。根据联合国宗教或信仰自由问题特别报告员艾哈迈德·沙希的说法，“这场疫情引起了许多国家现有宗教不容忍现象的爆发。我对于很多现象的激增感到震惊，包括煽动仇恨，将基督教、犹太教和穆斯林等宗教或信仰团体作为传播冠状病毒的替罪羊。”事实上，世界上83%的人口生活在对礼拜与宗教表达高度限制的地方，其中大多数地区会针对宗教少数群体。冠状病毒疫情并未创造这些条件，但是却使情况更糟。

For that reason, U.S. President Donald Trump⁷ on June 2 signed an Executive Order to advance international religious freedom by integrating it into U.S. diplomacy⁸. The Executive Order requires the Secretary of State to develop a plan within six months that will prioritize international religious freedom in the planning and implementation⁹ of United States foreign policy and the foreign assistance programs of the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. It also provides at least $50 million per fiscal¹⁰ year for programs that advance international religious freedom. “USAID will play a critical role in the implementation of the Executive Order,” said USAID Acting¹¹ Administrator¹² John Barsa in a written statement. “Americans have always believed our first freedom is the freedom of religion, and it is a key component¹³ of our national security strategy.” USAID's efforts toward fulfillment of the President's Executive Order on Advancing International Religious Freedom will be managed by Samah Norquist, Senior Advisor¹⁴ on Religious Freedom and Pluralism in the Middle East. Ms. Norquist has “decades of experience working in international affairs and religious liberty issues in the Middle East and globally.” “Promoting religious liberty is a pillar of our new multi-year country strategies,” said Acting Administrator Barsa. “Whether in response to genocide committed against Christians and Yazidis in Northern Iraq, or the ethnic¹⁵ cleansing¹⁶ of the Muslim Rohingya in Burma, the institutional culture regarding international religious freedom has become a top priority at USAID.”That was an editorial reflecting the views of the United States government.

为此，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普在6月2号签署行政命令，将国际宗教自由纳入美国外交中，以推进国际宗教自由。行政命令要求国务卿在6个月内制定一项计划，在规划和实施美国外交政策以及国务院和美国国际开发署（USAID）的对外援助计划时，优先考虑国际宗教自由。还为每个财政年度提供至少5000万美金，用于促进国际宗教自由。美国国家开发署代理署长John Barsa在一份书面声明中表示，“美国国际开发署将在执行行政命令方面发挥关键作用。”“美国人一直认为我们的首要自由是宗教自由，它是我们国家安全战略的关键组成部分。”美国国际开发署为执行总统关于促进国际宗教自由的行政命令所作的努力将由中东宗教自由和多元化问题高级顾问萨马·诺奎斯特负责。诺奎斯特女士“在中东和全球的国际事务和宗教自由问题上有数十年的工作经验” 代理署长Barsa表示，“促进宗教自由是我们新的多年期国家战略的支柱”“无论是应对伊拉克北部针对基督教徒和雅兹迪人的种族灭绝，还是缅甸针对穆斯林罗兴亚人的种族清洗，有关国际宗教自由的制度文化都已成为美国国际开发署的首要任务。”这是一篇反映美国政府观点的社论。

1 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

2 incitement   

激励； 刺激； 煽动； 激励物

参考例句：

• incitement to racial hatred 种族仇恨的挑起
• Interest is an incitement to study. 兴趣刺激学习。

3 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

4 scapegoating   

v.使成为替罪羊( scapegoat的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Washington's scapegoating of China could take the world to the brink of a very slippery slope. 华盛顿方面找中国作替罪羊，可能会把世界推向灾难性下滑的边缘。 来自互联网

5 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。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

8 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

9 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

10 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

11 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

12 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

13 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

14 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

15 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

16 cleansing   

n. 净化(垃圾) adj. 清洁用的 动词cleanse的现在分词

参考例句：

• medicated cleansing pads for sensitive skin 敏感皮肤药物清洗棉
• Soap is not the only cleansing agent. 肥皂并不是唯一的清洁剂。