VOA标准英语2013--Christians Worldwide Prepare for Easter

 

Christians² Worldwide Prepare for Easter

The pontiff will lead the Easter Vigil service late Saturday and deliver his holiday address and traditional blessing³ on Sunday.

Christians from all over the world have flocked to Italy during the Holy Week with hopes of seeing the first Latin American pope. 

"I came here with my whole family to see the new pope," said Marie-Cruz-Perez, a Spanish tourist. "We are thrilled with the new pope, who we think is a marvellous person, and we are going to sit here on the ground and try to catch a glimpse of him if we can."

Pope Francis has signaled a new era of humility⁴ and service for the Roman Catholic church, rattled⁵ by scandal and allegations of internal conflict in recent years. 

On Thursday, the pontiff washed the feet of 12 inmates⁶ of a juvenile⁷ detention⁸ center in Rome, and on Friday he began the evening mass at the Vatican by prostrating⁹ himself in front of the altar.

His preacher, Father Raniero Cantalamessa, indicated that the church is ready for some adjustments. 

"[The church is] like certain old buildings that over the centuries adapt to current needs and become filled with partitions, staircases, rooms and closets," he said. "The times come when we realize that all these adjustments no longer meet the current needs, but rather are obstacle. So we must have the courage to knock them down and return the building to the simplicity¹⁰ and linearity of its origins."

Holy Saturday, the day before Easter, commemorates¹¹ the day that the body of Jesus Christ was laid in the tomb. On Friday, the faithful observed Jesus's death on the cross. Many traveled to Jerusalem to follow the route they believe Jesus walked carrying his cross to the place of his crucifixion. 

"It touches people's hearts because they see something that they heard about, that all the church is about, and that's Jesus dying for us, and then being put in a tomb, only to rise again," said James Joseph, a christian¹ from the United States.

Eastern Orthodox Christians who follow the old Julian calendar observe Easter on May 5 this year. 

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 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

4 humility   

n.谦逊，谦恭

参考例句：

• Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
• His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和，甚至有点谦卑。

5 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

6 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 juvenile   

n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的

参考例句：

• For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
• Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。

8 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

9 prostrating   

v.使俯伏，使拜倒( prostrate的现在分词 )；（指疾病、天气等）使某人无能为力

参考例句：

• The pain associated with pancreatitis has been described as prostrating. 胰腺炎的疼痛曾被描述为衰竭性的。 来自辞典例句

10 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

11 commemorates   

n.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的名词复数 )v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A tombstone is erected in memory of whoever it commemorates. 墓碑是为纪念它所纪念的人而建的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A tablet commemorates his patriotic activities. 碑文铭记他的爱国行动。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》