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The Modern Primitives 摩登原始人

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In the central United States, hundreds of thousands of people appear to live in a time warp in rural communities without cars, electricity, or television. Dressed in plain clothing and traveling by horse-drawn carriage, they live simply, spending the day tending to their land and caring for their families. These traditional, religious people are known as the Amish.

在美国中部，有数十万人生活在没有汽车、电力及电视的乡村小区，时间在此似乎停滞。他们穿着朴素的衣服，交通靠着马车，过着简单的生活，白天多花在种田和照顾家人。这些笃信宗教、传统的人被称为艾米绪人。

The Amish are known for their wariness of the modern world, fearing that its many temptations could corrupt their traditional way of life. They are largely governed by the rules of the Amish church, whose teachings emphasize close ties with family and the community. For Amish children, “formal” education ends after the eighth grade, at which time boys are taken to the fields to work with their fathers, while girls learn the basics of homemaking from their mothers.

艾米绪人着称的便是他们对现代世界的提防心态，担心它的许多诱惑会腐化他们传统的生活方式。他们主要受艾米绪教会所规范，其教义重视与家庭和小区间的密切关系。对艾米绪儿童来说，「正式」教育到八年级为止，之后男孩被带到田里和父亲一起工作，而女孩则向母亲学习基本的家事操作。

The Amish faith also calls for a strict resistance to modern technology, although interesting exceptions do exist. For example, though you are unlikely to find an iPod in an Amish home, many communities have adopted innovative solar technology. By “tapping into God’s grid,” they are able to power their refrigerators or the lights of their horse-drawn buggies.

艾米绪的信仰也要求他们要严格排拒现代科技，尽管还是有一些有趣的例外存在。举例来说，虽然你在艾米绪人家可能找不到iPod，可是许多小区却采用新式的太阳能科技。藉由「利用上帝的电力网」，他们能够供给冰箱或轻便四轮马车照明所需的电力。

Despite the ongoing pressure to resist the modern world, the tight-knit Amish communities see their simple rural way of life not as a restriction, but rather a cherished freedom.

尽管与现代世界抗衡的压力不断，关系紧密的艾米绪小区并不认为他们简朴的乡村生活是限制，反而是一种可贵的自由。

−by Anita Wong

Vocabulary

单词发音

tend to【口】注意，关心[（+to）]

corrupt [kəˋrʌpt] v. 使腐败，使堕落

emphasize [ˋɛmfə͵saɪz] v. 强调

resistance [rɪˋzɪstəns] n. 抵抗，反抗

ongoing [ˋɑn͵goɪŋ] adj. 继续进行的

More Information

单词发音

time warp 时间暂停

warp [wɔrp] n. 弯曲，歪斜

rural [ˋrʊrəl] adj. 农村的；田园的

carriage [ˋkærɪdʒ] n. 四轮马车

care for 照料 take care of

Amish [ˋæmɪʃ] n. 孟诺教派；孟诺教派之教徒

wariness [ˋwɛrənɪs] n. 谨慎；小心翼翼；警惕

temptation [tɛmpˋteʃən] n. 引诱，诱惑

call for 要求, 需要 to require; demand

adopt [əˋdɑpt] v. 采取；采纳

tap into 利用，开发 to take advantage of

grid [grɪd] n. 金属格栅

buggy [ˋbʌgɪ] n.【美】四轮单马轻便马车

tight-knit 紧密团结的 closely and firmly integrated

Reading Questions

1. Why don’t the Amish people have modern luxuries, like cars, electricity, or television?

A. They live a humble life and cannot afford such things.

B. They are preparing for the end of the world.

C. They believe that God will punish them if they have luxuries.

D. They are afraid it would corrupt their traditional lifestyle.

2. According to the passage, what is unique about the Amish system of education?

A. Classes are taught by members of the Amish church.

B. A large part of it takes place outside the classroom.

C. Adult females learn the basics of homemaking.

D. Children are taught how to avoid temptation.

3. What can we say about the Amish community?

A. They are angry and wish they had more stuff.

B. They feel lucky to be ahead of the times.

C. They think sin will earn them freedom in Heaven.

D. They find freedom in their simple way of life.

Trouble in Amish Paradise (1 of 6)

Trouble in Amish Paradise (Part 2 of 6)

Answer