零距離美語會話[信仰]Lesson 1:Do you believe in God?

Unit 2 Beliefs
One Do you believe in God?
你有什麼宗教信仰嗎？

1 Introduction
A Most Westerners are Christians. Some go to churches as often as twice a week, some less often. Religious services include the singing of songs and listening to speakers, sometimes referred to as preachers.
大多數西方人都是基督教徒。一些一週去兩次教堂，一些去得更少一些。宗教儀式包括唱歌、聽講，有時候是聽傳教士佈道。

B God is the all powerful creator and sustainer of the Universe. God is real and accessible. The power of God enables ordinary people to lead extraordinary lives.
上帝是宇宙間萬能的創造者和支撐者。上帝是真的，是可以接近的。上帝的力量可以使普通人過上美好的生活。

2 Sample Sentences
1. Buddhism, Christianity and Islam are the three major religions in the world.
佛教、基督教和伊斯蘭教是世界上三大宗教。
2. People have donated a large sum of money to reconstruct the old temple.
人們已經捐贈了一大筆錢重修這座古寺。
3. Where can I find a priest / minister who speaks English?
哪兒有說英語的神父/牧師？
4. What time is mass / the service?
幾點做彌撒/禮拜？
5. Is there a Catholic church near here?
附近有天主教教堂嗎？
6. I enjoy ministry. To lead a hymn, to facilitate a Sunday School Class discussion, to preach in a tiny chapel, or to listen to a troubled soul, is not at all boring.
我喜歡牧師的職務。領唱聖歌，幫助主日學校進行討論，在一個小教堂說教，或者傾聽一顆受困的心，這些一點都不枯燥。
7. I strive to live each day with earnest gratitude.
我努力使生活的每一天都充滿真誠的感激。
8. My church requires that I tithe every week in order to be a member of their congregation.
爲了成爲他們教會中的一員，我的教堂要求我每週捐款。
9. My wife is currently working in China as a missionary.
我的妻子最近在中國做傳教士工作。
10. They really seem to understand that you would think differently from a typical church member.
他們好像很能理解你會和一個典型的教堂成員想得很不一樣。

3 Conversations
1. College search.
Nancy: How is the college search going?
Ann: It's a huge headache. I have no idea what I want to do.
Nancy: But don't you want to study music? Shouldn't it be easy?
Ann: It should be, but there are too many options. My grades are good enough that I have a lot of choices, but after that…
Nancy: I know. You have to decide if you want to attend a school in a city or in the country, a big school or a small school, a public or private school…
Ann: Yup, you understand. And my parents are trying to pressure me into going to a Catholic1 college. They both attended one and think that it combines2 a good education with good discipline. And the tuition3 is usually pretty low.
Nancy: I see. Well, don't forget to talk to the college counselor4 at the school. He usually gives good advice and can help point you in the right direction. He gave me some information, and next week I'm going to take a look at some of the colleges he recommended.
Ann: Thanks for the information. And good luck in your college search.
【譯文】
——學校找得怎麼樣？
——是件很頭痛的事。我不知道我想幹什麼。
——難道你不想學音樂嗎？難道不容易一點嗎？
——應該是容易，但選擇太多了。我的好成績足夠使我有許多選擇，但除此之外還有……
——我知道。你必須決定是去城市還是去鄉村上大學，是去大學校還是去小學校，是去公立的還是私立……
——是的，你懂。我父母正試圖強迫我去一所天主教大學。他們兩個都上過。他們認爲天主教大學能把良好的教育與良好的紀律結合起來。而且學費通常很低。
——我明白。唔，別忘了跟學校裏的大學指導老師談談。他通常能提出很好的建議，能幫助你指出正確的方向。他給了我一些信息，下週我打算去看一看他給我推薦的幾所大學。
——多謝你給我提供這些信息。祝你找學校時好運。

2. A Chinese student is talking to an American teacher about religion.
Laura: I’m not a Christian. I just want to know why Americans believe that sort of thing.
John: Believe what?
Laura: You know… like, say God is the creator of the universe, the Bible, and Jesus Christ...
John: You don’t believe that? Everyone interprets the Bible in a different way. To some people, the Gospel5 is a source of much comfort.
Laura: What do you believe, John? Are you Christian?
John: To tell you the truth, I don’t know if I’m a Christian or not. Christians don’t often share the same belief. But I believe that we all possess6, by the grace of God, the potential7 to create fantastic changes on this earth.
Laura: Do you believe that one religion is better than another?
John: No, all religions are essentially8 based on the same ideals9, so no one is really better.
Laura: Do you go to church regularly?
John: When I’m home in the States, I go, but not in China.
【譯文】
——我不是一個基督徒。我只想知道爲什麼美國人相信那種事情。
——相信什麼事？
——你知道……像上帝是宇宙的創造者，聖經，以及基督耶穌……
——你不相信這些？每個人對聖經有不同的理解。對一些人來說，聖經福音是安逸、舒適的源泉。
——約翰，你相信什麼？你是基督徒嗎？
——說實話，我不知道我是否是基督徒。基督徒並不常常有共同的信仰。但我相信在上帝的慈悲下，我們都擁有潛力使這個世界發生一些了不起的變化。
——你認爲一種教派比另一種好嗎？
——不，所有教派基本上都基於相同的理想，所以沒有一個真正比另一個好。
——你定期去教堂嗎？
——當我在美國的家時，我去，但是在中國不去。

3. Something about Mormons.
Candy: Which church do you attend?
Joseph: I am Mormon, so I go to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Candy: What’s the difference between this and other Churches?
Joseph: Mormons believe that, after the death of Christ and the death of the Apostles10, their church Christ founded became corrupt11 and the authority of Christ on earth was lost to men. In 1830, a prophet12 named Joseph Smith was brought up by God to restore the church.
Candy: Then does that mean the other churches are corrupt?
Joseph: That means that they all have parts of the original gospel, but not all.
Candy: Do you believe that Mormons have all of it?
Joseph: Yes.
Candy: Why do you really go to church?
Joseph: We gather together to encourage each other; because we have common beliefs. We come together and call it church.
【譯文】
——你去哪一所教堂？
——我是摩門教徒，所以我去摩門教堂。
——這個教堂和其他的有什麼區別？
——摩門教徒相信，在耶穌和使徒死後，耶穌成立的他們的教堂開始變得腐敗，（叛教者）男人濫用世上的基督權利。在1830年，一個名叫約瑟夫•史密斯的先知被上帝養大使教堂復原。
——那麼，那就意味着其他教堂很腐敗嗎？
——那意味着他們都有部分最初的福音，但並不是所有的。
——你認爲摩門教就全有嗎？
——是的。
——你去教堂的真正原因是什麼？
——我們聚在一起互相鼓勵，因爲我們有共同的信仰。我們聚在一起，並稱之爲教堂。

4 Words and Expressions
1. Catholic [] 天主教的，天主教徒
2. combine [] 使結合; 使聯合，兼有,兼備
3. tuition [] 講授,教學；學費
4. counselor [] 顧問,參事，指導老師
5. Gospel [l] 《聖經•新約》福音書，福音
6. possess [] 擁有,持有;具有;佔有
7. potential [] 潛在的,可能的
8. essentially [] 實質上;本來
9. ideal [] 理想,完美的
10. Apostle [] 耶穌的十二使徒(宗徒)之一
11. corrupt [] 腐敗的;墮落的
12. prophet [] 先知,預言者