今天的这段对话，在讨论宗教，

你为什么不相信有神？为什么穆斯林会前往麦加朝圣

来听今天的讲解:

Beginner

A: do you believe in god?

你相信上帝吗？

B: not at all. I’m an agnostic. Go you?

一点也不。我是个不可知论者。你呢？

A: I’m not sure. Why don’t you believe there is a god?

我不确定。你为什么不相信有神？

B: I think everything has a scientific explanation rather than a theological one.

我认为一切都有科学的解释，而不是神学的解释。

A: I basically believe in science over theology. I mean, I believe in evolution for example. However, there are many things that science hasn’t explained yet.

我基本上相信科学而不是神学。我的意思是，我相信进化论。然而，有很多事情科学还没有解释。

B: I’m sure that science will explain everything eventually. I think that the strangest thing about religion is that so many religions people act in ways that their religion claims are wrong.

我相信科学最终会解释一切。我认为宗教最奇怪的事情是，很多宗教的人的行为方式都是错误的。

A: for example?

例如？

B: religions preach tolerance, but many wars are caused by intolerant religious fanatics.

宗教宣扬宽容，但许多战争是由不宽容的宗教狂热分子引起的。

A: yes. Such people don’t appear to be acting in accordance with their religious beliefs.

是的。这些人的行为似乎不符合他们的宗教信仰。

Intermediate

A: hi! What are you watching?

你好！你在看什么？

B: it’s a programme about islam. It’s very interesting.

这是一个关于伊斯兰教的节目，非常有趣。

A: wow! So many people! Where are they and what are they doing?

哇！这么多人！他们在哪里？他们在做什么？

B: they are muslims on a pilgrimage to mecca. Muslims call this pilgrimage “haj”.

他们是前往麦加朝圣的穆斯林。穆斯林称这次朝圣为“haj”。

A: why do they go there?

他们为什么去那里？

B: muslims believe that every man who is able should go on a haj at least once in his life. Mecca is the spiritual centre of the muslim faith.

穆斯林相信，每个有能力的人一生中都应该至少参加一次朝觐。麦加是穆斯林信仰的精神中心。

A: when muslims pray, they face towards mecca.

穆斯林祈祷时面向麦加。

B: that’s right. Unfortunately, so many people go on the haj each year that there are often stampeds and people get killed.

是的。不幸的是，每年都有那么多人参加haj，以至于经常发生踩踏事件，导致人员死亡。

A: I heard about that. The pilgrims must walk around a large, sacred black stone.

我听说了。朝圣者必须绕着一块巨大的、神圣的黑色石头走。

B: that’s right. That’s when accidents often happen. The Saudi government tries to limit the number of pilgrims, to reduce the chances of accidents.

没错。这就是事故经常发生的时候。沙特政府试图限制朝圣者的数量，以减少事故的发生。

A: pilgrimages are common in many faiths.

朝圣在许多信仰中都很常见。

B: yes. In England, Christian pilgrims might go to Canterbury and many Christians go to the Vatican on pilgrimages.

是的。在英国，基督教朝圣者可能会去坎特伯雷，许多基督徒会去梵蒂冈朝圣。

A: isn’t there a place in france where people go to get healed?

法国难道没有一个地方可以让人们去疗伤吗？

B: I think that place is Lourdes. There are many stories of people being healed after visting there.

我想那个地方就是卢尔德。那里有很多人参观后被治愈的故事。

A: do you think that there is something magical about that place?

你认为那个地方有什么神奇的地方吗？

B: personally. I think that people believe they will be healed and that faith causes a change in their mind that cures them. I don’t think place is magical in any way.

就我个人而言。我认为人们相信他们会被治愈，这种信念会改变他们的想法，治愈他们。我不认为这个地方有任何神奇之处。