美國(guó)文化口語-宗教信仰
TODD: So, are you going to come for brunch with us tomorrow?
REBECCA: What time?
TODD: 11:00. We'll meet at the restaurant at eleven.
REBECCA: I'm sorry. I won't be able to come then.
TODD: Why not?
REBECCA: I go to Mass at 10:30.
TODD: Mass? I didn't know you were Catholic.
REBECCA: Yes, I am.
TODD: Hmm. Do you go to Mass every Sunday?
REBECCA: I try to.
TODD: I wasn't raised religiously, so I don't quite understand some things.
REBECCA: Like what?
TODD: Why do Christians call their leaders pastors,but Catholics call their leaders priests?
REBECCA: Oh, that's just traditional. But there is something I should tell you.
TODD: What? REBECCA: You just talked about Christians on the one hand,and Catholics on the other.But that is not the way to say it in English.
TODD: Why not?
REBECCA: Because Catholics are also Christians.In America, there are two main groups.There are the Catholics, and there are the Protestants.But they both follow Jesus Christ, so in English they are both called Christians.
TODD: So you use the words Catholic and Protestantand not Catholic and Christian?
REBECCA: Yes, that's right.We Americans don't talk about Catholics and Christians because Catholics are Christians too.
TODD: It's very confusing.
REBECCA: I know, but it's a mistake Chinese speakers often make.I am a Catholic. All Catholics follow Jesus Christ. So of course I am a Christian.Sometimes when Chinese people ask me about my belief,they say, "Are you Catholic or Christian?"But in English that question is nonsense.It is like saying, "Are you a woman or female?"And some people might even be offended by the question.
TODD: I see. So when I meet religious people in America,I should ask, "Are you Catholic or Protestant?" Is that right?
REBECCA: Yes. There you go.
查德：你明天要跟我們?nèi)コ栽缥绮蛦?
麗蓓嘉：幾點(diǎn)?
查德：11 點(diǎn)。我們 11 點(diǎn)在餐廳碰面。
麗蓓嘉：很抱歉，那時(shí)我到不了。
查德：為什么呢?
麗蓓嘉：我10點(diǎn)半去做彌撒。
查德：彌撒?我不曉得你是天主教徒。
麗蓓嘉：我是的。
查德：你每個(gè)周日都去做彌撒嗎?
麗蓓嘉：我盡量。
查德：我沒有宗教信仰，所以有一些事不太了解。
麗蓓嘉：比如什么?
查德：為什么基督徒稱指導(dǎo)者為“牧師”，而天主教徒稱為“神父”?
麗蓓嘉：那只是傳統(tǒng)。但是有件事我應(yīng)該告訴你。
查德：什么事?
麗蓓嘉：你剛剛區(qū)分成基督徒和天主教徒。但是英文不這么說。
查德：為什么呢?
麗蓓嘉：因?yàn)樘熘鹘掏揭彩腔酵健Ｔ诿绹?guó)有兩大團(tuán)體：天主教徒和新教徒。他們都是基督徒，所以英文都是基督徒。
查德：所以你們是用天主教和新教而不是天主教和基督教。
麗蓓嘉：沒錯(cuò)。我們美國(guó)人不說天主教徒和基督徒因?yàn)樘熘鹘掏揭彩腔酵健?/p>
查德：很難理解。
麗蓓嘉：我知道，但是中國(guó)人常常說錯(cuò)。我是天主教徒，所有的天主教徒都信奉基督，所以當(dāng)然我也是基督徒。有時(shí)候當(dāng)中國(guó)人問到我的信仰，他們說：“你是天主教徒還是基督徒?”但是在英文里這樣問沒有意義。這就好比問人“你是女人還是女的?”。有些人甚至對(duì)這種問題反感。
查德：我懂了。所以當(dāng)我在美國(guó)碰到有宗教信仰的人，我應(yīng)該問：“你是天主教徒還是新教徒?”，對(duì)嗎麗蓓嘉：對(duì)了，沒錯(cuò)。
