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Amish: Back to a Simpler Time 阿漫教派：反璞归真的世界

课文朗读

课文讲解

 繁體中文譯本

Have you ever felt that modern life was too complicated? Ever wanted to get away from all the noise and smoke of the modern city? Imagine living without a cell phone, a television, or even a computer. Now imagine sewing your own clothes, growing your own food, and even building your own house! Believe it or not, there are people who consider this a normal way of life. Come take a peek into the world of the unique and peaceful religious sect known as the Amish.

你是否觉得现代生活太过复杂？曾想远离现代都市废气与噪音？想象自己过着没有手机、电视甚至计算机的生活。再想想你必须缝制衣服，栽种食物，甚至自己盖房子！信不信由你，有群人认为这才是正常的生活方式。就让我们一窥阿曼教派独特而详和的世界。

There are around 200,000 Amish living in the US and Canada altogether, with the largest communities in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Most speak a German dialect called Pennsylvania Dutch at home and learn English in school. Because the Amish usually travel in traditional horse-drawn buggies, each district is small and has only about 30 or 40 households.

约有廿万名的阿曼教徒居住于美国及加拿大境内，绝大多数分布于俄亥俄州、宾夕法尼亚州及印第安纳州。他们在家中大多使用一种称为「宾州荷语」的德国方言，英文则在学校习得。由于阿曼教徒通常以传统马车作为交通工具，因此每个辖区都不大，只有三、四十户人家。

The Amish reject modern technologies such as automobiles and most electrical appliances. They believe these modern devices can lead to outside temptations and weaken church and family life. Modern goods are also seen as frivolous and likely to distract people from their duties to God. Another reason for this rejection is to maintain their traditional reliance on one another. A good example of Amish teamwork is barn-raising. At the crack of dawn, a group of men gather together to construct a barn that will be built in one day.

阿曼教徒拒绝使用汽车、家电等现代科技产品。他们认为现代化设备会引致外界的诱惑，进而削弱教会及家庭生活的力量。现代化商品亦被视为不必要的东西，且可能使人分心而无法善尽对上帝的义务。另一抗拒文明产物的理由，是为了维护互相扶持的一贯传统。阿曼教徒团结合作的最佳例子就是搭盖谷仓。天刚破晓，一群男子便集结上工，短短一天之内便盖好谷仓。

Vocabulary

单词发音

take a peek into 一窥…

sect [sɛkt] n.【宗】分裂出来的教派

dialect [ˋdaɪəlɛkt] n. 方言

district [ˋdɪstrɪkt] n. 辖区，行政区

household [ˋhaʊs͵hold] n. 家庭

temptation [tɛmpˋteʃən] n. 诱惑物，引诱物

frivolous [ˋfrɪvələs] adj. 无聊的，琐碎的

distract [dɪˋstrækt] v. 使分心[（+from）]

rejection [rɪˋdʒɛkʃən] n. 拒绝

reliance [rɪˋlaɪəns] n. 依赖，依靠[U][（+on/upon）]

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单词发音

sew [so] v. 缝制；缝补

Dutch [dʌtʃ] n. 荷兰语

buggy [ˋbʌgɪ] n.【美】四轮单马轻便马车

barn [bɑrn] n. 谷仓，粮仓

raise [rez] v. 竖起；建起

the crack of dawn【口】黎明; 破晓

课文讲解

Gender roles for the Amish are clearly divided in both their dress and daily duties. Amish men are in charge of rearing animals to produce meat and milk. The crops they grow are for feeding animals and people, while their earnings are made through subsistence farming. The role of Amish women is to look after children and perform all household chores. They sew their clothing themselves, and often create beautifully quilted blankets. Clothing is washed by hand, and food is cooked from scratch.

阿曼教徒的性别角色在男女衣着及职权上划分明确。男性负责饲养牲畜以生产肉类及牛奶；所种植的作物则供家人及牲畜食用；同时，自给自足的农业亦提供收入来源。女性负责照顾小孩；料理家务。她们自己织衣，并常缝制美丽的拼布毯；她们亲手洗涤衣物，从头开始料理食物。

The Amish believe that wearing plain clothes encourages humility and separation from the contemporary world. So the women avoid jewelry and make-up, dressing themselves in long-sleeved plain, solid-colored dresses. Over the dresses they sport white or black capes and aprons, and bonnets cover their heads. Men and boys wear dark-colored suits, trousers with suspenders, and black socks and shoes. In the summer they wear wide-brimmed straw hats, and in the winter black felt hats.

阿曼教徒相信朴素的衣着使人更谦卑，并与当代社会有所区隔。因此，阿曼妇女不配戴珠宝首饰也不化妆。而是身着长袖单一素色服装，外罩白或黑色斗篷及围裙，头戴绑带帽子。成年男性和男孩则穿深色西装、吊带裤及黑色鞋袜。夏天时，他们头戴宽边草帽，冬天则戴黑色毡帽。

Amish communities have traditionally been quite closed; they even operate their own schools in order to maintain their values and philosophies. However, social and financial pressures are forcing many Amish people to turn to making and selling crafts like indoor and garden furniture, quilts and leather goods, and to allow tourism. Profits always go towards the entire community. There is no such thing as private wealth among the Amish. Despite being forced to do business with the outside world, the Amish remain committed to their traditional way of life.

阿曼教徒的小区向来极为封闭，他们有自己的学校以维持阿曼教徒的价值观及生活理念。不过，社会和经济压力迫使许多阿曼教徒投入生产、贩卖手工艺品，包括室内或庭院家具、拼布毯及皮革制品等，他们也开放观光旅游。阿曼教徒没有所谓私人财产的观念，所得利润皆全数回归整个小区。即使被迫与外界做生意，阿曼教徒仍坚守其传统生活方式。

−by Amy Gittelson

Vocabulary

单词发音

gender [ˋdʒɛndɚ] n.【口】性别

in charge of 负责

rear [rɪr] v. 抚养，培养

humility [hjuˋmɪlətɪ] n. 谦卑，谦逊

sport [sport] v. 引人注目地穿戴 display, wear

financial [faɪˋnænʃəl] adj. 经济的

craft [kræft] n 工艺，手艺

profit [ˋprɑfɪt] n. 收益

be committed to  致力于

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单词发音

subsistence [səbˋsɪstəns] n. 生计，赖以活命的东西

look after 照顾, 照看

chore [tʃor] n. 家庭杂务；农庄杂务

quilted [ˋkwɪltɪd] adj. 中间夹有轻软之物的; 绗有衬料的; 夹层的

from scratch 从头开始 begin (again) from the beginning

plain [plen] adj. 简朴的；朴素的

solid-colored 纯色的

cape [kep] n. 披肩；斗篷

apron [ˋeprən] n. 围裙；工作裙

bonnet [ˋbɑnɪt] n.（有带子的）女帽，童帽

suit [sut] n. 西装，套装

trouser [ˋtraʊzɚ] n.（常复数）裤子

suspender [səˋspɛndɚ] n.【美】〔男裤的〕吊带; 背带

-brimmed [brɪmd]（构成形容词）表示"有……边的"（如：wide-brimmed）

felt [fɛlt] n. 毛毡；毡制品

quilt [kwɪlt] n. 被（子）；被褥

Reading Questions

1. Which of the following is likely to be an important reason why the Amish live a simple life?

A. To speak Pennsylvania Dutch.

B. To take a buggy life.

C. To raise a barn in just a day.

D. To avoid earthly temptations.

2. The word “contemporary” in the article is closest in meaning to _______.

A. modern

B. electronic

C. antique

D. economic

3. The purpose of this article is to ______.

A. draw attention to the growing problems of subsistence farming

B. provide detailed information about the Amish architecture

C. give the reader a general idea of Amish culture and life

D. show how Amish people are less independent than people living in the city

4. According to the article, which of the following is a proper title?

A. Living Life the Simple Way

B. The Complications of Modern Life

C. Becoming a Faithful Church Member

D. Successful Craft Business

Amish Barn Raising

Answer