192. Reverend Jessie Johnson牧师杰西.约翰逊 revitalization-risky
Reverend Jessie Johnson is a revival minister. He travels from town to town holding vigorous religious meetings in tents with the intention of reviving the souls of those who attend. His sermons are often filled with rhetoric that vergeson the ridiculous, yet people do not revolt, nor do they ridicule him because the rigorous religious principles laid out in his sermons are tempered by rhythmical gyrations that the congregation finds inspirational. This is a sample from one of his sermons:
“My fellow brethren and sisteren, I have come here to pose a riddle of life. The time is ripe for each one of us to answer this riddle. Are you gonna rifle across the ridge of the tops of the mountains of life, or are you gonna rip open a big rift in the earth and ride on the rim of the gullies? Do I hear an amen?”
“Amen?” replied the congregation.
The Reverend shot his hands in the air, wiggled his bum, and gave a “woa!”
“It’s time for everyone here to rinse his soul in the blood so that the fruit of your spirit may ripen in the sunshine of the Lord. Do I hear an amen?”
“Amen?” replied the congregation.
The reverend flapped his arms like a chicken and turned around three times saying, “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”
“There ain’t no risk involved. There ain’t nothin’ risky. You don’t have to worry about no spiritual rigor or rigidity. All you got to do is say YES! Do I hear a YES?”
“Yes!” replied the congregation.
“Do I hear a YES?”
“Yes!” The congregation, now with all the fervor of a riot, was waving their arms in excitement.
The Reverend, pleased with the revitalization, did a back flip off the stage, and, dancing to the rhythm of the music, passed around the offering plate, saying “Open up them rigid wallets of yours and give your money to the Lord. Give it all now, you hear. Don’t be stingy with the Lord. If you’re stingy with the Lord, the Lord’s gonna be stingy with you.”
revitalization n.新生,复兴
revival n.复兴,复活
revive vt.使复活,使振奋
revolt v.反抗,起义,反叛n.叛乱,起义,反抗
rhetoric n.修辞,修辞学
rhythm n.节奏,韵律
rhythmical adj.有韵律的,有节奏的
riddle n.谜
ridge n.脊,山脊
ridicule v.嘲笑
ridiculous adj.荒唐的,可笑的
rift n.(地理上)裂缝,断裂,长峡谷
rigid adj.坚硬的,不易弯曲的,严格的
rigidity n.僵化,死板,刚性,硬度
rigor n.严酷,严格,严厉
rigorous adj.严格的
rim n.边缘
rinse v.用清水冲洗,漱
riot n.暴乱,骚动
rip vt.撕,撕裂
ripe adj.熟的,成熟的
ripen vi.成熟
risk n./vt.冒险
risky adj.危险的,冒险的 |