美国国家公共电台 NPR--Retired Pope Benedict XVI's body begins lying in state at the Vatican

Retired¹ Pope Benedict XVI's body begins lying in state at the Vatican

Transcript²

Ahead of a funeral on Thursday, mourners are paying respects to the late Pope Benedict, whose remains³ are on public display at the Vatican.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The body of former Pope Benedict XVI is on public view at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:

The Vatican has announced that Thursday's funeral will be solemn and simple.

INSKEEP: And NPR's Sylvia Poggioli will be covering it. She's on the line from Rome. Hi there, Sylvia.

SYLVIA POGGIOLI, BYLINE⁴: Hi there, Steve.

INSKEEP: What's the funeral going to be like?

POGGIOLI: Well, we don't know much. When reigning⁵ popes die, there are very precise, elaborate rituals that take place over a nine-day period. But Benedict was the first pope to resign in more than 600 years. So it's likely that many precedents⁶ will be set this week. For instance, as far as is known, this will be the first ever funeral in more than 2,000 years of a former pope to be led by his successor, the reigning Pope Francis. The Vatican has said there will be only two official delegations⁷ from Italy and from Benedict's native Germany. And we know that according to Benedict's wishes, the funeral will be solemn but simple and that he'll be buried alongside other popes in the Vatican grottoes under St. Peter's Basilica.

INSKEEP: OK. So we don't know how this is all going to play out or what the symbolism will be. But you do have that public viewing today. What do people see?

POGGIOLI: Well, photos issued by the Vatican yesterday showed the body lying on a burgundy-colored bier near the altar of the chapel⁸ in the monastery⁹ on Vatican grounds where he lived for almost a decade. He was dressed in red and gold liturgical¹⁰ vestments, a miter on his head and a rosary in his hand. Nearby, there was a decorated Christmas tree. Now, the setting inside the basilica is certainly more somber¹¹ and more imposing¹². And several Italian officials have already paid their respects this morning.

INSKEEP: Sylvia, I'm thinking about Benedict's place in history. And I feel that he cut a smaller figure than his predecessor¹³ or his successor. What kind of public reaction is likely now after his death?

POGGIOLI: Well, you know, after Pope Francis revealed last Wednesday that Benedict was seriously ill, only small groups of people went to St. Peter's Square. This morning, though, thousands were lined up before dawn, waiting to view the body and to pay their respects. Today's viewing will last 10 hours. And security officials expect at least 25,000 people to pass by the body today. You know, Benedict was highly revered¹⁴ in particular by conservative Catholics. But he did not have the charisma¹⁵ of either his predecessor, John Paul, or his successor, Francis.

INSKEEP: What's his substantive¹⁶ legacy¹⁷, though?

POGGIOLI: Well, it's a complicated legacy. He was a very polarizing figure, a strict disciplinarian on issues of sexual morality and theological dissent¹⁸. He made many missteps seriously offending Jews, Muslims and other Christian¹⁹ religions. And by his own admission, he was a very poor manager of the Vatican bureaucracy. As a former pope, he became a lightning rod for conservative Catholics opposed to the much more liberal Pope Francis. And many Benedict loyalists considered Benedict the real pope. He himself created confusion by calling himself emeritus²⁰ pope and by continuing to wear white. But the real Benedict paradox²¹ is that with his shocking decision to resign, one of the most conservative popes in recent memory set the papacy on a radical²² new course. It will no longer be an anomaly to have a pope and a former pope living at the same time.

INSKEEP: Interesting historical figure. Sylvia, thanks so much.

POGGIOLI: Thank you, Steve.

INSKEEP: NPR's Sylvia Poggioli is in Rome.

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 reigning   

adj.统治的，起支配作用的

参考例句：

• The sky was dark, stars were twinkling high above, night was reigning, and everything was sunk in silken silence. 天很黑，星很繁，夜阑人静。
• Led by Huang Chao, they brought down the reigning house after 300 years' rule. 在黄巢的带领下，他们推翻了统治了三百年的王朝。

6 precedents   

引用单元； 范例( precedent的名词复数 )； 先前出现的事例； 前例； 先例

参考例句：

• There is no lack of precedents in this connection. 不乏先例。
• He copied after bad precedents. 他仿效恶例。

7 delegations   

n.代表团( delegation的名词复数 )；委托，委派

参考例句：

• In the past 15 years, China has sent 280 women delegations abroad. 十五年来，中国共派280批妇女代表团出访。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• The Sun Ray decision follows the federal pattern of tolerating broad delegations but insisting on safeguards. “阳光”案的判决仿效联邦容许广泛授权的做法，但又坚持保护措施。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

8 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

9 monastery   

n.修道院，僧院，寺院

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• She was appointed the superior of the monastery two years ago.两年前她被任命为这个修道院的院长。

10 liturgical   

adj.礼拜仪式的

参考例句：

• This period corresponds with the liturgical season of Christmas.这个时期与圣诞节的礼拜季节相一致。
• This is a book of liturgical forms.这是一本关于礼拜仪式的书。

11 somber   

adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。
• His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。

12 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

13 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

14 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

15 charisma   

n.(大众爱戴的)领袖气质，魅力

参考例句：

• He has enormous charisma. He is a giant of a man.他有超凡的个人魅力，是个伟人。
• I don't have the charisma to pull a crowd this size.我没有那么大的魅力，能吸引这么多人。

16 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

17 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

18 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

19 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

20 emeritus   

adj.名誉退休的

参考例句：

• "Perhaps I can introduce Mr.Lake Kirby,an emeritus professor from Washington University?"请允许我介绍华盛顿大学名誉教授莱克柯尔比先生。
• He will continue as chairman emeritus.他将会继续担任荣誉主席。

21 paradox   

n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法；自相矛盾的人(物)

参考例句：

• The story contains many levels of paradox.这个故事存在多重悖论。
• The paradox is that Japan does need serious education reform.矛盾的地方是日本确实需要教育改革。

22 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。