泰国兴起供奉“娃娃神” 上飞机有专座

 　　A craze for lifelike dolls thought to bring good luck is sweeping¹ Thailand, reflecting widespread anxiety as the economy struggles and political uncertainty² persists nearly two years after a coup³.

　　泰国最近刮起了一股追捧仿真玩偶的热潮，据说这种玩偶能带来好运。自两年前发生军事政变以来，泰国政局动荡，经济萎靡不振，老百姓人心惶惶。玩偶潮流或由此产生。

　　Thailand is predominantly Buddhist⁴ and has been modernizing⁵ rapidly over the past two or three decades but many people are highly superstitious⁶, their Buddhist beliefs co-existing with notions of animism, astrology and "black magic".

　　泰国民众主要信奉佛教。过去二三十年，泰国现代化进程发展迅速，但许多民众仍然很迷信，他们在修佛的同时，也相信鬼神、占星以及巫术之说。

　　The plastic dolls, about the size of a real baby, are called "look thep", or "child angel".

　　这种塑料玩偶约为真人婴儿大小，人称“娃娃神”、“天使娃娃”。

　　Devotees buy them in shops or online and invite benevolent⁷ spirits to possess them, hoping they will bring good luck.

　　信奉者从实体店或网店买来这种娃娃，然后开光供奉，希望以此给自己带来好运。

　　娃娃神

　　"The economy is bad right now. Everybody needs something to hold on to," said Mananya Boonmee, 49, a doll owner and seller.

　　49岁的玩偶店主曼安亚·波密称：“现在经济不好，大家都想寻求精神安慰。”曼安亚同时也是个“娃娃神”信奉者。

　　Mananya told Reuters her doll, called Nong Petch, or baby jewel, had helped her win the lottery⁸ by telling her what numbers to buy in her dreams.

　　曼安亚告诉路透社，她供奉的名为“宝珠”的娃娃提前告诉她彩票中奖号码，使她得以中奖。

　　Panpimon Wipulakorn, deputy director-general of the Department of Mental Health, said the economic downturn exacerbated⁹ the phenomenon.

　　泰国精神健康部副部长潘门·维普康表示，经济下行助长了这个风气。

　　"There have always been groups in Thai society that hold such beliefs and economic worries only help to heighten these beliefs," Panpimon told Reuters.

　　潘门告诉路透社，“泰国一直就有这种迷信群体，而经济不景气则进一步推动了这股风潮。”

　　"These people do not have mental health problems."

　　“这些人并不是有什么精神问题。”

　　Thailand has been ruled by a junta¹⁰ since a May 2014 coup and the generals have struggled to revive the export-dependent economy, while promising¹¹ to restore democracy with an election next year.

　　2014年5月，泰国发生军事政变，后来该国一直由军政府统治。军中领袖重振经济的举措一直不奏效，已承诺明年恢复民主选举。泰国是个严重依赖出口的国家。

　　Such fads¹² have happened before. After a 2006 coup, many people turned to plasticine amulets¹³, or charms, in the belief they would bring riches.

　　类似的迷信风潮以前也出现过。2006年发生军事政变后，当地曾流行过泥塑护身符，据说能带来财运。

　　Devotees of the dolls lavish¹⁴ attention on them.

　　信奉者都非常痴迷这种娃娃神。

　　"My life has changed a lot, for the better," said beauty salon¹⁵ owner Natsuda Jantabtim, 45, who has had her doll - Nong Ruay Jung, or baby so rich, for eight months.

　　45岁的美容店老板那素达·詹他廷供奉“财神娃娃”已有8个月了。她表示，“我的生活因此改变了很多，变得越来越好。”

　　"When I hug her, I know it's love. I tell her I love her all the time."

　　“每当我抱她时，会有一种说不出的爱的感觉。我告诉她我会永远爱她。”

　　Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha weighed in saying people who could not afford to buy the dolls should not do so.

　　泰国总理帕拉育也发表了看法，建议买不起娃娃的人，就不要参与了。

　　"I've never raised a child angel doll," he quipped.

　　他自嘲说：“我就从来没供过娃娃神。”

　　The dolls cost from 1,500 baht to up to 30,000 baht and some businesses are tapping in on the craze.

　　每个娃娃售价在1500至3万泰铢（约合275至5500元人民币）不等，不少商家趁机涨价。

　　Thai Smile said it would charge passengers who bring dolls on board and would serve them snacks.

　　泰国微笑航空公司表示，娃娃神享有座位的话须同样付费，该公司也会为“它们”提供零食。

　　But the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand said it would stop airlines selling tickets for dolls over concern they could be used to smuggle¹⁶ drugs.

　　不过泰国民航局已表示，将禁止航空公司向“娃娃神”售票，因为担心这种玩偶可能被用来藏毒。

　　Vocabulary

　　exacerbate：使恶化；使加重；使加剧

　　junta：（以武力夺取政权的）军政府

　　lavish：慷慨给予

1 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

2 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

3 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

4 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

5 modernizing   

使现代化，使适应现代需要( modernize的现在分词 )； 现代化，使用现代方法

参考例句：

• Modernizing a business to increase its profitability and competitiveness is a complicated affair. 使企业现代化，从而达到增加利润，增强竞争力的目的，是一件复杂的事情。
• The young engineer had a large share in modernizing the factory. 这位年轻工程师在工厂现代化的过程中尽了很大的“力”。

6 superstitious   

adj.迷信的

参考例句：

• They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。
• These superstitious practices should be abolished as soon as possible.这些迷信做法应尽早取消。

7 benevolent   

adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的

参考例句：

• His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him.他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。
• He was a benevolent old man and he wouldn't hurt a fly.他是一个仁慈的老人，连只苍蝇都不愿伤害。

8 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

9 exacerbated   

v.使恶化，使加重( exacerbate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The symptoms may be exacerbated by certain drugs. 这些症状可能会因为某些药物而加重。
• The drugs they gave her only exacerbated the pain. 他们给她吃的药只是加重了她的痛楚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

11 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

12 fads   

n.一时的流行，一时的风尚( fad的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It was one of the many fads that sweep through mathematics regularly. 它是常见的贯穿在数学中的许多流行一时的风尚之一。 来自辞典例句
• Lady Busshe is nothing without her flights, fads, and fancies. 除浮躁、时髦和幻想外，巴歇夫人一无所有。 来自辞典例句

13 amulets   

n.护身符( amulet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Amulets,\"guards,\" as they are popularly called, intended to ward off evil spirits. 护身符――或者象他们普遍的叫法：“警卫”用来抵御妖魔鬼怪。 来自辞典例句
• However, all oval amulets in a single game are the same. 当然，所有的魔法用品也有类似的情形。 来自互联网

14 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。

15 salon   

n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室

参考例句：

• Do you go to the hairdresser or beauty salon more than twice a week?你每周去美容院或美容沙龙多过两次吗？
• You can hear a lot of dirt at a salon.你在沙龙上会听到很多流言蜚语。

16 smuggle   

vt.私运；vi.走私

参考例句：

• Friends managed to smuggle him secretly out of the country.朋友们想方设法将他秘密送出国了。
• She has managed to smuggle out the antiques without getting caught.她成功将古董走私出境，没有被逮捕。