2006年VOA标准英语-Pope Benedict Arrives in Poland

By Sabina Castelfranco
Rome
25 May 2006

 
Pope Benedict XVI blesses the crowds upon his arrival at an airport outside Warsaw
  
Pope Benedict XVI began a four-day visit to Poland, Thursday, where he will visit the places important to his predecessor¹, John Paul II. The Pontiff is expected to be a stop at the Nazi² death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

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The Pope will be spending four days in Poland.  It is Benedict's second trip abroad since his election, last year.  It is the first trip chosen by him.  Last summer, he traveled to his native Germany on a visit that had originally been planned by Pope John Paul, who died in April, last year.

In part, his visit to the homeland of his predecessor is expected to be a journey down "memory lane." He will go to places that were significant to John Paul's life and papacy. Pope Benedict will visit John Paul's birthplace, his former archdiocese, Krakow, and two shrines³ that were important to him.

Addressing thousands of pilgrims in Saint Peter's Square, Wednesday, the Pope said he would be traveling to John-Paul's homeland.

He asked for the prayers of the faithful to accompany him on his visit. He says he is traveling to Poland to pray for a spring of renewal⁴ of the faith and civil progress in the country and to keep alive the memory of John Paul II.

Pope Benedict XVI, left, stands with Polish president Lech Kaczynski during the welcoming ceremony upon his arrival at Warsaw airport, May 25, 2006   
  
Pope Benedict is not only paying homage⁵ to his predecessor, but also continuing his dialogue and reconciliation⁶ efforts. The slogan of his visit is, "Remain strong in the faith."

The trip is being seen as cementing the Polish-German reconciliation. Poland is a strongly Catholic country and the Pope is also likely to use the opportunity to make a call against growing secularism⁷ in Europe.

The trip is also expected to be significant for relations between Catholics and Jews. For many, the key moment of the Benedict's visit to Poland will come on his final day, when he visits Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi's biggest and most cruelly efficient death camp. There, the German Pope is expected to pay tribute to the victims of the Holocaust⁸.

1 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

2 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

3 shrines   

圣地，圣坛，神圣场所( shrine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• All three structures dated to the third century and were tentatively identified as shrines. 这3座建筑都建于3 世纪，并且初步鉴定为神庙。
• Their palaces and their shrines are tombs. 它们的宫殿和神殿成了墓穴。

4 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

5 homage   

n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬

参考例句：

• We pay homage to the genius of Shakespeare.我们对莎士比亚的天才表示敬仰。
• The soldiers swore to pay their homage to the Queen.士兵们宣誓效忠于女王陛下。

6 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

7 secularism   

n.现世主义；世俗主义；宗教与教育分离论；政教分离论

参考例句：

• Unless are devoted to God, secularism shall not leave us. 除非我们奉献于神，否则凡俗之心便不会离开我们。 来自互联网
• They are no longer a huge threat to secularism. 他们已不再是民主的巨大威胁。 来自互联网

8 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。