精美英文欣赏:公共场合下的宗教习惯

Though it may be a small incident, it does raise the issue of personal responsibility and respect towards others, what should and shouldn't be said in public. But it seems to me that it is also another example of religious sentiment being singled out, even privileged, because it's religious, not because any kind of wrong has been committed. And when procedure is sacrificed at the expense of what is increasingly viewed as political correctness, this is bad for a liberal society and in this case bad for Muslims living here. Being Muslim and British shouldn't need any undue¹ protection. I would hope that most Muslims aren't living in a constant state of unsolvable insecurities where any allusion² to Islamic thought or culture is met with either defiance³ or distress⁴. Being a person of faith shouldn't mean protection from normal banter⁵ nor the appeal of the daily humour of human interaction. I'm not advocating that Muslims or anyone else should accept insults and even ridicule⁶ in society, but in everyday exchanges, not intended to offend, the ability to see ourselves as others might see us is a sign of humility⁷ rather than a reason to call the authorities.

虽然小事一桩，但这的确引出了尊重他人，对他人负责的问题，即在公共场合里哪些能说，哪些不能说。但对我来讲，这是宗教情感搞特例的又一明证，即便有特殊待遇又怎样，这只是宗教因素，又不是干了什么坏事。 政治正确性被一再牺牲，这对一个自由的国家来讲很不利，以此事来讲，对生活在这里的穆斯林很不利。作为一名穆斯林英国公民，不应该需要任何失当的保护。我希望，绝大部分穆斯林不要总生活在一种莫名其妙的草木皆兵当中，别一有涉及穆斯林思想或文化的风吹草动就寻衅滋事或倍感挫折。有宗教信仰并不意味着杜绝善意的玩笑或日常生活中的幽默互动。我不提倡穆斯林或者其他任何人去忍受别人的冷嘲热讽或人身攻击，但是，只要不是蓄意冒犯，能在日常互动中了解别人眼中的自己是一种谦恭的体现而不是诉诸有关部门的理由。

1 undue   

adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的

参考例句：

• Don't treat the matter with undue haste.不要过急地处理此事。
• It would be wise not to give undue importance to his criticisms.最好不要过分看重他的批评。

2 allusion   

n.暗示，间接提示

参考例句：

• He made an allusion to a secret plan in his speech.在讲话中他暗示有一项秘密计划。
• She made no allusion to the incident.她没有提及那个事件。

3 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

4 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

5 banter   

n.嘲弄，戏谑；v.取笑，逗弄，开玩笑

参考例句：

• The actress exchanged banter with reporters.女演员与记者相互开玩笑。
• She engages in friendly banter with her customers.她常和顾客逗乐。

6 ridicule   

v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄

参考例句：

• You mustn't ridicule unfortunate people.你不该嘲笑不幸的人。
• Silly mistakes and queer clothes often arouse ridicule.荒谬的错误和古怪的服装常会引起人们的讪笑。

7 humility   

n.谦逊，谦恭

参考例句：

• Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
• His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和，甚至有点谦卑。