VOA慢速英语2015 基督教徒列出最不适合基督教的国家

 

AS IT IS 2015-01-11 Christian¹ Group Lists Worst Countries for Christians² 基督教徒列出最不适合基督教的国家

An international religious group has released its list of the worst countries for Christians to live in. As in past years, North Korea was at the top of the list. But for the most part, the greatest threat to Christians came from an extreme form of Islam.

Damaris Atsen lives in Nigeria.

“So on their way home, he met with the Boko Haram!” 

She remembers how supporters of the Muslim militant³ group Boko Haram stabbed her husband to death.

“I was hopeless. I said, ‘My life is useless!’” 

Her story was presented at the release earlier this month of an annual list of countries said to be most dangerous for Christians. The list is a project of the Christian missionary⁴ group Open Doors.

David Curry⁵ is president of Open Doors USA. He says Islamic extremism was the main threat to Christians in Nigeria and most of the other 50 countries on the list.

“The world still does not get it. The persecution⁶ of Christians is real, it is horrifically violent.”

David Curry says the mistreatment of Christians is a serious issue.

“The persecution of Christians is a bellwether⁷ for the other human rights issues. When people begin to attack people for the expression of their faith, you see the rest of the societal issues start to pop up.”

In Iraq, militants⁸ have also targeted Muslims - both Shia and Sunni. But Nina Shea of the Center for Religious Freedom says the persecution of Christians in Iraq is different.

“There will be - we can be sure - a Sunni and a Shi'ite presence when peace returns to Iraq someday. We can’t be sure that there will be a Christian presence.

The group Open Doors was founded in the 1950s to smuggle⁹ Bibles to people behind what was known as the Iron Curtain. Its members worked to secretly send copies of Christianity’s holy book to the Soviet¹⁰ Union and its communist allies.                                                                                   

Today, for the 13th time in as many years, North Korea tops the list of worst countries for Christians. There, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is presented to the North Korean people as god-like.      

Words in This Story

stab - v., to wound (someone or something) with a pointed¹¹ weapon (such as a knife)

annual - adj., happening once a year

persecution - n., to treat (someone) cruelly or unfairly especially because of race or religious or political beliefs

smuggle - v. to move (someone or something) from one country into another illegally and secretly

communist - adj., a person who believes in communism or is a member of a political party that supports communism

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

3 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

4 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。

5 curry   

n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革

参考例句：

• Rice makes an excellent complement to a curry dish.有咖喱的菜配米饭最棒。
• Add a teaspoonful of curry powder.加一茶匙咖喱粉。

6 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

7 bellwether   

n.系铃的公羊，前导，领导者，群众的首领

参考例句：

• University campuses are often the bellwether of change.大学校园往往引领变革的新潮。
• For decades the company was the bellwether of the British economy.几十年来，这家公司一直是英国经济的晴雨表。

8 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

9 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。

10 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

11 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。