瑜伽和电影为印度赢得海外支持

AS IT IS 2015-06-23 India Using Yoga, Films to Win Support Overseas 瑜伽和电影为印度赢得海外支持

The world held its first International Day of Yoga on Sunday. Yoga events took place in almost 200 countries. The Indian government organized many of the events. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the leader who suggested to the United Nations to mark June 21 as International Day of Yoga. He said India wants to protect yoga as the country’s gift to the world.

The U.N. liked the idea and declared the U.N. observance. Some Muslim groups have criticized the act. They see it as part of a program to support the efforts of Hindu nationalists.

Guru Modi popular on Weibo, China's "Twitter"

Yoga is an ancient spiritual, physical and mental practice. In India, Prime Minister Modi has taken on the job of a yoga guru for China’s Internet users. He is providing a daily yoga class to his followers² on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter. His Weibo posts also include images of exercise positions, and a list describing yoga’s effects on human health.

The posts are the latest in a series of Indian efforts to connect directly with people in China. India hopes to use the two countries’ shared links to Buddhism³ and other traditions to build emotional bridges.

Mr. Modi is not the only one seeking to play up the cultural ties between the two. Last month, he and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged Buddhist⁴ artifacts when they visited a religious shrine⁵ in Xian. The shrine was built in memory of Xuanzang, the sixth century religious worker who went to India and brought back the first collection of Buddhist writings to China.

Mr. Modi also joined Premier⁶ Li Keqiang to watch a joint⁷ demonstration⁸ of Chinese Tai Chi and yoga at the Temple of Heavens in Beijing.

A good foundation to develop relations

Ma Jiali is a South Asia expert with the Beijing-based Central Party School of the Communist Party. He says “People in China have respect for Indian culture and traditions. It is a good foundation to develop relations between the two countries.”

China’s first yoga school was launched earlier this month in Yunnan Province. The school is a product of a cooperation agreement reached during Mt. Modi’s visit. The idea is to establish rules for the teaching of yoga in China. Critics say the country’s yoga industry has expanded too quickly. They say this has led to many teachers with questionable⁹ qualifications and a lack of knowledge about the subject.

Zubin Zarthoshtimanesh is a follower¹ of the world famous guru B.K.S. Iyenger. He says, “All over China, you see a rising enthusiasm for yoga. But there is a need to guide students to the proper way of practicing yoga.”

Mr. Zarthoshtimanesh and 19 other Indian teachers recently trained about 1,200 Chinese students in Chengdu city. The five-day camp ended on June 21, the U.N.’s International Day of Yoga.

Sharing popular culture and philosophies

And it is not only in yoga where India is seeking to build ties with China. The two countries recently agreed to push forward with three joint production films. One is called “Kung Fu Yoga” and will star Jackie Chan.

Chinese theaters are now showing a Chinese language version of “PK,” an Indian film that has proved to be popular in different parts of the world. The movie tells the story of a human-like alien that comes to Earth and questions religious customs. The film took fourth place in terms of popularity¹⁰ in China.

In Shanghai, India has helped establish the Center of Gandhian Studies at Fudan University. This is the first time an attempt is being made to offer Gandhian studies in China. The country was fighting a civil war when M.K. Gandhi led his non-violent movement in India. Last September, the Chinese president visited Gandhi’s home in western India at Mr. Modi’s invitation.

Liu Zhen is the Dean¹¹ of the new Gandhian Center. He told VOA, “Most Chinese have no religion. But there is a growing desire for spiritual life. I think Gandhism, with its focus on truth, would be a good starting point for many Chinese wanting to travel the road to spirituality.”

China sees competitor India now as customer India

Han Hua is a South Asia expert at Peking University. He said, “There is a growing sense of shared Asian identity in China. It is now possible to improve the relationship between China and India more than in the past.”

Some observers wonder why China is permitting such direct connectivity with its citizens? For years, the government in Beijing considered India as another competitor in South Asia. And the two countries’ border dispute has lasted many years.

Yet India’s large market and interest in low-cost goods is welcome in China at a time when its exports have fallen sharply¹². India is also one of the biggest markets that China sees as part of its new Silk Road project.

Prime Minister Modi himself attempted an explanation after speaking to students in Beijing and Shanghai. “If a country allows the leader of a foreign country to address its youth,” he said, “it means that it wants to develop good relations with that foreign country. It is investing in faith in the foreign country on a long-term basis.”

Words in This Story

guru – n. a teacher

artifact – n. an object that was produced by people in the past

enthusiasm – n. an excitement or strong interest

proper – adj. correct or right

practice – n. the action of doing or using something

alien – n. foreign or not from our world

focus – v. to direct your attention at something

1 follower   

n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒

参考例句：

• He is a faithful follower of his home football team.他是他家乡足球队的忠实拥护者。
• Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。

2 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

3 Buddhism   

n.佛教（教义）

参考例句：

• Buddhism was introduced into China about 67 AD.佛教是在公元67年左右传入中国的。
• Many people willingly converted to Buddhism.很多人情愿皈依佛教。

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 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

6 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

9 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

10 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

11 Dean   

n.(大学)院长，系主任，教务长

参考例句：

• The students much like the new dean.学生们很喜欢这位新系主任。
• Who is the dean of the Foreign Languages Department?外语系主任是谁？

12 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。