国家地理:不要让流行病夺走我们的欢庆(1)（在线收听）

Sometimes we let go of things, sometimes things are taken away, and sometimes things break, such as lives, hearts, entire ways of life. Doesn't our world feel broken in the time of COVID-19, maybe especially when holy days arrive?

有时候我们会对某些东西放手，有时候东西会被夺走，而有时候东西会破碎，例如生命、心、整个的生活方式。COVID-19时期，我们不就觉得世界毁灭了吗？或许这种感受在神圣的节日来临时更加深刻。

If we are wise, we avoid large gatherings, dinner indoors with family and old friends, services at our mosques, temples, churches -- so we lose the joyful and profound rituals and gatherings at this time of devastation when we need them most. But does this mean we lose the nurture, bonding, and sacred silliness that ceremonies provide?

如果我们够明智，就会避免大型聚会、与家人或老友在室内吃饭，或参与在清真寺、寺庙、教堂的宗教仪式--因此，当我们在这个灾难性的时期最需要充满喜乐与意义深刻的仪式和聚会时，反而苦无机会。但这表示我们也会失去这些仪式所带来的滋养、连结和神圣的单纯吗？

Maybe we can be fully immersed in the holy even as we keep ourselves and our beloveds safe. Maybe broken isn't the end of the world. Maybe broken is a new beginning, a portal.

或许我们在让自己和所爱之人保持平安时，仍能完全沉浸在神圣之中。或许毁灭不是世界末日。或许毁灭是一个全新的开始，是一道入口。

Let's start with what we mean by "holy."

我们先从“神圣”的意思来看。

The word derives from whole, uninjured, healthy, complete. I am not always feeling whole these days. Rather, I am often rattled, sad, mad, existentially tired, and crunchy. I would love a nice burning bush about now—but the holy doesn't come only from the divine, as I understand it. It's woven through life.

这个词起源于完整、未受伤、健康、完全。这些日子以来我不总是感觉完整。相反地，我经常担忧、悲伤、生气、感到疲倦且易怒。据我所了解，神圣不只来自神，它交织在我们的生活中。

The holy is not a spectacle, the Rockettes on stage at the Taj Mahal backed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It is more often felt in small graces and blessings, although you do have to be paying attention to catch the momentousness of the moment. That's the rub. It is around us, above us, below us, and inside us all the time. It's here, but often we're not.

神圣不是奇观。神圣更常在微小的恩典和祝福中感受到，不过你必须留意才能领会那个时刻的重要性。这就是问题所在。神圣一直在我们四周、在我们头顶、我们脚下和身体内。神圣就在这里，但是我们经常不在。