評論
打印
2. The Amish
亞米希人
In the land of rock and roll, the space shuttle, and computerized living,
在搖滾樂、航天器和計算機化生活的國度里，
who could imagine that about 50,000 Americans do not use telephones, electric lights, or cars, not because they are poor, but out of choice?
誰會想到有大約5萬名美國人不用電話、電燈或汽車，不是因為他們窮，而是出自于選擇呢？
As hard as this may be to imagine, the Amish, or more properly, the Amish Mennonites, still live a traditional, rural lifestyle direct from 17th century Europe!
同樣令人難以想象的是，亞米希人，或更正確的稱呼——亞米希·門諾那特人，如今仍過著17世紀歐洲延續下來的傳統鄉村生活方式呢！
To understand these unique Americans better, it is necessary to understand their history.
想更進一步了解這些獨特的美國人，我們必須了解他們的歷史。
Beginning with the revolution started by Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation in Germany in the 16th century, Europe was wracked by religious wars for several hundred years.
自16世紀德國新教徒改革領袖馬丁·路德所發起的革命之后數百年間，歐洲就飽受宗教戰爭的摧殘。
Modern Europe is a product of these wars and of the political and religious philosophies of those times.
現代歐洲是這些戰爭和當時政治和宗教哲學的產物。
The main figures in this tragic period were the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestants, those who rebelled against papal rule from Rome.
這段悲劇時期的主角是羅馬天主教會和反羅馬教皇統治的新教徒們。
Among the thousands of splinter groups formed outside of Rome's religious rule were the Mennonites, a group of particularly conservative, rural Christians situated in what is today Switzerland, part of eastern France, and southern Germany.
在數以千計脫離羅馬宗教統治而形成的支派中，門諾那特人是其中特別保守、屬于鄉間基督徒的一支，他們當時聚居在今天的瑞士、法國東部的一部分和德國南部一帶。
To make a long story short, the Mennonite Amish were so conservative that they made more enemies than friends.
長話短說，亞米希·門諾那特人由于太過保守以致樹立的敵人比交到的朋友還多。
In order to preserve their peculiar lifestyle, they began to immigrate to the British colonies in North America in about 1720 (before Canada and the United States were formed as independent countries).
為了保存他們獨特的生活方式，他們于1720年左右（在加拿大和美國成為獨立國家之前）開始移居到北美的英國殖民地。
There they found the religious freedom they had sought.
在那兒他們找到追求已久的宗教自由。
Amish settlements sprang up in the colonies and territories of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana as well as in Ontario, in what is today Canada.
亞米希人的新建村落出現在賓西法尼亞州、俄亥俄州和印第安納州，以及現今的加拿大安大略省等殖民區和領地。
Surprisingly, there are no Amish groups today in Europe.
令人驚訝的是，歐洲現在竟沒有亞米希人的團體。
Little has changed about their lifestyle since then.
自從那時候開始，他們的生活方式幾乎沒有改變。
Just how conservative are the Amish?
亞米希人到底有多么保守？
A group of Amish looks like a cast from a biblical movie set.
一群亞米希人看起來就像圣經電影中的一個場景。
All the men wear large brimmed black hats, beards (but not mustaches), and clothes made by their wives.
男人都戴著有帽檐兒的黑色大帽子、留胡子(但不留八字胡)以及穿妻子親手做的衣服。
The women wear a hair covering called a bonnet, long dresses, and black shoes.
女人都戴著一種綁帶子的包頭軟帽，穿連衣裙和黑鞋。
Even though all Amish men and women marry, you will not see a wedding ring, for even this simplest type of jewelry is banned among them.
盡管亞米希人也男婚女嫁，你卻看不到一只結婚戒指，因為即使這種形式最簡單的珠寶，在他們當中也是被禁止的。
The Amish are primarily farmers, and good ones, despite the fact that they do not use modern farm machinery.
亞米希人主要是農民，而且盡管不使用現代農耕機械，他們還是把農事做得很好。
Their children are educated in local primary schools, but secondary education is in the home.
他們的孩子在當地的小學受教育，但中等教育卻在家里教授。
Sundays are spent mostly in church.
禮拜天大多在教堂里度過。
An old dialect of German mixed with English is used in church and at home.
上教堂和在家時，他們使用一種混合德語和英語的古老方言.
Their lives are uncomplicated and few Amish leave their homes to enter the mainstream American society.
他們的生活不復雜，而且很少有亞米希人離家進入美國主流社會。
Rural Pennsylvania where most of the Amish live is beautiful countryside.
田園式的賓西法尼亞州有著美麗的鄉間，大部分的亞米希人就居住于此。
If you have the opportunity to drive through the gentle, rolling hills amidst lush farmlands,
如果你有機會開車穿過那些綠油油農田中靜謐、逶迤的山丘，
perhaps you will see a horse and buggy driven by a family dressed mostly in black.
也許你會看見駕著四輪馬車大部分都穿著黑衣的一家人。
These are the Amish, an enduring and endearing people.
這些就是亞米希人，一個屹立不搖又令人喜愛的民族。
