环球英语 — 86：Purposely Imperfect

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight¹. I’m Liz Waid
Voice 2
And I’m Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
People all around the world try very hard to reach perfection². People change their bodies hoping to look perfect. Companies try to make perfect products. We want everything to work without any problems but it seems like people always fail. This desire for perfection is not a new idea.
Today’s Spotlight is on perfection and imperfection.
Voice 2
Recently I visited the British Museum in London, England. In the museum, there were many things from ancient cultures. People travelled from all over the world to see these things.
I walked past huge stone animals, and art from the houses of ancient kings. I entered a large room with shiny white stone floors. It was then that I saw the most amazing thing in the museum. The statues were from ancient Greece. They were thousands of years old. I could not believe that artists could cut stone into such realistic shapes. The statues looked like real people! But then I noticed that the stone people’s bodies were different than normal human bodies. The top parts of their bodies were longer than real humans. Parts of their bodies were not normal sized.
I had read a sign near some of the sculptures and discovered the reason for this. These sculptures were the Greek artists idea of perfection.
Voice 1
Artists in ancient Greece thought perfection was very special. They saw perfection as a godly quality. People in ancient Greece believed that humans were very special. They believed that man was the best thing created by their gods. But the ancient Greek people believed that their gods were more special than humans. They believed that the gods were perfect.
Voice 2
So, the Greek people showed their beliefs in their art. Greek artists made large blocks of stone into the shapes of gods they believed in. The gods had human forms. But the Greeks believed that the god’s bodies were better, stronger and more beautiful. So the artists created bodies they thought were perfect, more perfect than human bodies.
Voice 1
But not all people honour God by making something perfect. Some people honour God by making imperfect things! Things that are not perfect. They add imperfections purposely.
Voice 2
Rugs⁴ are special pieces of cloth. People use rugs for many reasons. People put rugs on the ground. Rugs provide a soft place to walk. People in some cultures also use special rugs for prayer.
Voice 1
Some rugs are very special. Oriental⁵ rugs are some of the most beautiful rugs on earth. These rugs come from all over Asia and the Middle East. People in China, Turkey, Iran, and India all make oriental rugs. They make the most valuable rugs by hand, not by machine. The rug³ makers⁶ create complex images in the cloth. It takes a lot of time and skill to make an Oriental rug.
Voice 2
You may think that something with so much detail would be perfect. You may think that since a person works⁷ very hard to make the rug, that there would be no imperfections. But some people include an imperfection purposely. This imperfection may be an incorrect colour. It may be a missing⁸ line in the images on the rug. The rug-maker does this to make sure that the rug is imperfect.
Voice 1
But why would a person try to make something? Well, in some cultures, people believe that they should not try to make something perfect. They believe that only God is able to make something that is perfect. Only God is perfect. The rug makers do not want to make it seem as though they think they are perfect. The rug makers do not think that they are perfect. They believe they show that God is better when they make these imperfections.
Voice 2
The Navajo people, a Native American tribe⁹, also put imperfections in their rugs and blankets. But they do this for a different reason. They call the line of imperfection the “spirit path.” They believe that when they die, their spirit can escape through this line. Then their spirit can continue weaving rugs and blankets.
Voice 1
In Navajo culture, people often use pottery¹⁰, or containers made from earth. The artists who make this pottery also include an imperfection. They never make a line that makes a circle around the pottery. The artists never connect the lines. They believe that if they make a perfect circle around the pottery, their spirit will be trapped inside the container.
Voice 2
We can find another example of imperfection in quilts. A quilt is a blanket made from many pieces of cloth. African American slaves used to put imperfections in their quilts. They said it would “distract the devil¹¹ at night.” They thought perfect quilts were unlucky.
Voice 1
Some people who make quilts today also include imperfections. They make an imperfect square of cloth on a quilt. The person may use a colour that does not appear in other areas of the quilt. They call this imperfect square of cloth a “humility square.” Historians¹² say that “humility squares” were started by the Puritans. The Puritans were some of the first Christians¹³ to settle in America. Including a “humilty scquare” is similar to the mistakes in oriental rugs. These imperfections show a person’s imperfections. The person making the quilt includes this “humility square” to show their imperfection. They make sure to show that only God is perfect.
Voice 2
Christians today have very similar beliefs. Christians believe that the earth is still imperfect. They believe that humans are imperfect. But God is perfect. And God cares for people. He helps them to live better lives. Because of God, Christians try to show that they need God’s perfection. They need God to cover their imperfection. And God does this because he loves his creation¹⁴, people.
Voice 1
Imperfection is all around us. We see mistakes in most things. But maybe next time you see an imperfection, you can look at it in a different way. You can see the imperfection as a way to remember that even though we are imperfect, God is perfect. You can remember that his perfect love hides all our imperfections.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 perfection   

n.尽善尽美，无比精确

参考例句：

• Their works reach to a great height of perfection.他们的作品到了极完美的境地。
• The picture wants something of perfection.这幅画还有些不够完美。

3 rug   

n.毯子，地毯，旅行毯

参考例句：

• The rug can double up.这条地毯能卷起来。
• It will be more beautiful if you work some blue into the rug.如果你再织些蓝色的图案，这毯子会更好看。

4 rugs   

n.小块地毯( rug的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• rugs handmade by local craftsmen 由当地工艺师手工制作的小地毯
• Try to avoid colours that jar when choosing curtains and rugs. 选择窗帘和地毯时，尽量避免颜色不调和。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 oriental   

adj.东方的，东方人的，东方文化的

参考例句：

• China is an oriental country with a long history.中国是一个有着悠久历史的东方国家。
• They maintain a very powerful fleet in Oriental waters.他们在远东海域保持着一支非常强大的舰队。

6 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

8 missing   

adj.遗失的，缺少的，失踪的

参考例句：

• Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具，看有无丢失。
• All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了，就短他一个。

9 tribe   

n.部落，种族，一伙人

参考例句：

• This is a subject tribe.这是个受他人统治的部落。
• Many of the tribe's customs and rituals are as old as the hills.这部落的许多风俗、仪式都极其古老。

10 pottery   

n.陶器，陶器场

参考例句：

• My sister likes to learn art pottery in her spare time.我妹妹喜欢在空余时间学习陶艺。
• The pottery was left to bake in the hot sun.陶器放在外面让炎热的太阳烘晒焙干。

11 devil   

n.魔鬼，恶魔

参考例句：

• It is easier to raise the devil than to lay him.召鬼容易驱鬼难。
• Susie,you're a determined little devil.苏茜，你真是个坚决的小家伙。

12 historians   

n.历史学家，史学工作者( historian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Historians seem to have confused the chronology of these events. 历史学家好像把这些事件发生的年代顺序搞混了。
• Historians have concurred with each other in this view. 历史学家在这个观点上已取得一致意见。

13 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。

14 creation   

n.创造，创造的作品，产物，宇宙，天地万物

参考例句：

• Language is the most important mental creation of man.语言是人类头脑最重要的产物。
• The creation of new playgrounds will benefit the local children.新游戏场的建立将有益于当地的儿童。