精美英文欣赏:怜悯与正义的抉择

If a butterfly flutters its wings, so chaos¹ theory goes, it can cause the path of a tornado² to change, and so the reverberations can be felt across the world.

混沌学理论提到，如果一只蝴蝶煽动翅膀，卷风的路线会因其改变，全世界都将感觉到随之而来的影响。

In retrospect³, it looks as if what was happening to the cost of food in the Middle East a few years ago had just that impact.

回顾往昔，若干年前中东粮食价格的波动和此如出一辙。

The frustrations⁴ of Tunisian fruitsellers and the seething⁵ anger of Egyptians over the price of basic foodstuffs⁶ were ignored by the rest of the world then

当时其它国家并没有重视中东态势，基本食品价格令突尼斯水果商心情沮丧，令埃及人愤懑不已，

but analysts⁷ have since traced them as the roots of the Arab Spring upheavals⁸.

然而，分析家们认定，这一情形就是动荡不安的“阿拉伯之春”的根源。

Food shortages and high prices have had consequences throughout the ages as the history of revolutions reminds us.

几年来，粮食短缺和高昂的物价带来的后果和以往革命带来的后果一样。

No wonder that politicians and the United Nations are becoming increasingly concerned about rising prices leading to a global food crisis.

难怪政客和联合国都越来越担心上涨的物价会导致全球粮食危机。

Drought, the diversion of corn crops into the production of biofuels, the corruption⁹ and chaotic¹⁰ distribution of food in some developing nations,

旱灾、利用玉米生产生物燃料、某些发展中国家食品分配过程中存在的贪污现象，

all these are shaping a complex global food economy. Add in certain speculators and food conglomerates¹¹ aiming for higher profits,

这些正使全球食品经济变得复杂。谋求暴利的投机商和食品大公司的参与，

and many aid charities warn that this is a recipe for disaster for the poorest in the developing world.

让许多慈善援助机构都发出警告，这将为发展中国家的贫苦人民带去深重的灾难。

But what's it got to do with the ordinary individual? Isn't something as complex as a food crisis just for the politicians and the UN to sort out?

普通人应该怎么做？和食品危机同等复杂的问题是否只有靠政客和联合国去解决？

Morality is surely personal, as is a relationship with God,

道德和上帝相关，是绝对私人的。

and one's religious beliefs stretch as far as dealing¹² with those immediately around us.

一个人的宗教信仰能改变他与周围人相处的方式。

Once in a while the face of a starving child on the news might persuade us to make a donation to a charity

新闻里孩子挨饿的面孔可能一时间让我们捐款给慈善机构，

but the individual's involvement goes no further. The usual reading of Christ's parable¹³ of the Good Samaritan, for example,

但个人的行为并不会产生深远的影响。有关撒玛利亚人的基督教寓言故事

is that it is a call to respond to an individual in need,

旨在号召人们对需要帮助的人施以援手，

albeit¹⁴ that Christianity is a call to help the stranger as well as family and friends.

尽管基督精神就是让人们像对待家人和朋友那样对待陌生人。

But growing Christian¹⁵ thinking is that if we hunger and thirst for what is right

然而，越来越多的基督教徒认为如果我们渴求正义，

then we cannot turn away when something has gone deeply wrong with how the world functions, causing the most vulnerable to suffer.

但当世界局势混乱，最脆弱的人民受苦受难时，不能视而不见。

Putting a few coins in a collecting tin is not enough. Instead the Christian has to combat what is called structural¹⁶ or social sin,

往募捐罐里丢几枚硬币是远远不够的。相反，基督教徒们必须与恶行斗争，

the injustices¹⁷ of the world caused by its systems and institutions which lead people to live without dignity

与各制度、各组织产生的不公正现象斗争，它使人们失去了

and the resources that they need. But structures of course don't have wills, and we do,

应有的尊严与智慧。当然，具有意愿的不是社会机构，而是我们。

and the challenge today is to ask do we have the will to speak up, get involved and change what is unjust?

面临当今的挑战，我们是大声疾呼，踊跃参与，改变不公正的现象，

Or will we pass by on the other side of the road?"

还是熟视无睹地从旁边走过？

1 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

2 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

3 retrospect   

n.回顾，追溯；v.回顾，回想，追溯

参考例句：

• One's school life seems happier in retrospect than in reality.学校生活回忆起来显得比实际上要快乐。
• In retrospect,it's easy to see why we were wrong.回顾过去就很容易明白我们的错处了。

4 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

5 seething   

沸腾的，火热的

参考例句：

• The stadium was a seething cauldron of emotion. 体育场内群情沸腾。
• The meeting hall was seething at once. 会场上顿时沸腾起来了。

6 foodstuffs   

食物，食品( foodstuff的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Imports of foodstuffs accounted for a small proportion of total imports. 食物进口仅占总进口额的一小部份。
• Many basic foodstuffs, such as bread and milk, are tax-free. 许多基本食物如牛奶和面包是免税的。

7 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

8 upheavals   

突然的巨变( upheaval的名词复数 )； 大动荡； 大变动； 胀起

参考例句：

• the latest upheavals in the education system 最近教育制度上的种种变更
• These political upheavals might well destroy the whole framework of society. 这些政治动乱很可能会破坏整个社会结构。

9 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

10 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

11 conglomerates   

n.（多种经营的）联合大企业( conglomerate的名词复数 )；砾岩；合成物；组合物

参考例句：

• At the surface, radioactivity of the conglomerates is locally as high as 30 X background. 在地表，砾岩的局部地段的放射性高达30倍本底值。 来自辞典例句
• The conglomerates failed to understand that books could not be sold like soap. 这些联合大企业不懂卖书不象卖肥皂那样。 来自辞典例句

12 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

13 parable   

n.寓言，比喻

参考例句：

• This is an ancient parable.这是一个古老的寓言。
• The minister preached a sermon on the parable of the lost sheep.牧师讲道时用了亡羊的比喻。

14 albeit   

conj.即使；纵使；虽然

参考例句：

• Albeit fictional,she seemed to have resolved the problem.虽然是虚构的，但是在她看来好象是解决了问题。
• Albeit he has failed twice,he is not discouraged.虽然失败了两次，但他并没有气馁。

15 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。

16 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

17 injustices   

不公平( injustice的名词复数 )； 非正义； 待…不公正； 冤枉

参考例句：

• One who committed many injustices is doomed to failure. 多行不义必自毙。
• He felt confident that his injustices would be righted. 他相信他的冤屈会受到昭雪的。