VOA常速英语2023 教皇方济各赋予女性投票权

教皇方济各赋予女性投票权

　　Pope Francis has decided¹ to give women the right to vote in an upcoming meeting of bishops².

　　在即将举行的主教会议上，教皇方济各决定赋予女性投票权。

　　AP correspondent Charles De Ledesma reports.

　　美联社记者查尔斯报道。

　　The Vatican has published modifications³, which emphasize Pope Francis's vision for the lay faithful taking on a greater role in church affairs that have long been left to clerics, bishops and cardinals⁴.

　　梵蒂冈公布了修改意见，强调了教皇方济各的愿景，即让信徒在教会事务中发挥更大的作用，而长期以来，教会事务一直由神职人员、主教和红衣主教负责。

　　Francis has approved changes to the norms governing the Synod of Bishops, a Vatican body that gathers the world's bishops together for periodic meetings, following years of demands by women to have the right to vote.

　　方济各批准了对主教会议规范的修改。主教会议是梵蒂冈的一个机构，定期将世界各地的主教聚集在一起举行会议，此前多年来，女性一直在要求投票权。

　　Observers say it's an historic reform reflecting Francis's hopes to give women greater decision-making responsibilities and lay people more say in the life of the Catholic Church.

　　观察人士表示，这是一次历史性的改革，反映了方济各希望赋予女性更大的决策责任，并让普通人在天主教会的生活中有更多的发言权。

　　I'm Charles De Ledesma.

　　我是查尔斯。

　　Brazil's congress on Wednesday opened an inquiry⁵ into the January 8 storming of key government buildings in the capital by violent demonstrators who denied the electoral victory of the recently inaugurated President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

　　巴西国会星期三就1月8日暴力示威者袭击首都政府大楼一事展开调查。示威者否认刚刚就任的总统路易斯·伊纳西奥·卢拉·达席尔瓦在选举中获胜。

　　Lula's Workers Party had tried to avoid the congressional inquiry, hoping to leave investigations⁶ to law enforcement and keep lawmakers focused on his legislative⁷ agenda.

　　卢拉的工人党曾试图避免国会的调查，希望执法部门来调查，并让立法者专注于立法议程。

　　The right-wing opposition⁸ has pushed for an inquiry to blame his new government for security failures in Brasilia that day.

　　右翼反对派坚持要求进行调查，指责他的新政府当天在巴西利亚的安保存在失误。

　　In an escalating⁹ battle between Walt Disney and Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, Disney on Wednesday sued the potential White House contender over a state's efforts to control its Florida theme parks.

　　在华特迪士尼与佛罗里达州共和党州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯之间不断升级的斗争中，迪士尼周三就佛罗里达州试图控制该地主题公园的行为起诉了这位潜在的白宫竞争者。

　　Reuters correspondent Jillian Kitchener reports.

　　路透社记者吉莉安·基奇纳报道。

　　The lawsuit¹⁰ marks the company's response to mounting efforts by DeSantis and his supporters to exert power over Disney World, which draws millions of visitors every year to its massive amusement parks.

　　这起诉讼标志着该公司对德桑蒂斯及其支持者的回应，他们一直尝试对迪士尼世界施加权力。迪士尼世界每年能吸引数百万游客前往其大型游乐园。

　　The battle began last year after Disney criticized a state law dubbed¹¹ "don't say gay" - banning classroom discussion of sexuality and gender¹² identity in schools from kindergarten through grade three.

　　去年，迪士尼批评了一项名为“不要谈论同性恋”的州法律，该法律禁止从幼儿园到三年级的学校讨论性行为和性别认同。

　　Disney argues it was denied its First Amendment¹³ rights to free speech.

　　迪士尼辩称，它被剥夺了宪法第一修正案赋予的言论自由权利。

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 bishops   

（基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象

参考例句：

• Each player has two bishops at the start of the game. 棋赛开始时，每名棋手有两只象。
• "Only sheriffs and bishops and rich people and kings, and such like. “他劫富济贫，抢的都是郡长、主教、国王之类的富人。

3 modifications   

n.缓和( modification的名词复数 )；限制；更改；改变

参考例句：

• The engine was pulled apart for modifications and then reassembled. 发动机被拆开改型，然后再组装起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The original plan had undergone fairly extensive modifications. 原计划已经作了相当大的修改。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 cardinals   

红衣主教( cardinal的名词复数 )； 红衣凤头鸟（见于北美，雄鸟为鲜红色）； 基数

参考例句：

• cardinals in scarlet robes 身披红袍的枢机主教
• A conclave of cardinals was held to elect the new Pope. 红衣主教团举行了秘密会议来选举新教皇。

5 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

6 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

7 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

8 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

9 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

10 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

11 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

13 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。