評(píng)論
打印
If a butterfly flutters its wings, so chaos theory goes, it can cause the path of a tornado to change, and so the reverberations can be felt across the world.
混沌學(xué)理論提到，如果一只蝴蝶煽動(dòng)翅膀，卷風(fēng)的路線會(huì)因其改變，全世界都將感覺到隨之而來的影響。
In retrospect, it looks as if what was happening to the cost of food in the Middle East a few years ago had just that impact.
回顧往昔，若干年前中東糧食價(jià)格的波動(dòng)和此如出一轍。
The frustrations of Tunisian fruitsellers and the seething anger of Egyptians over the price of basic foodstuffs were ignored by the rest of the world then
當(dāng)時(shí)其它國(guó)家并沒有重視中東態(tài)勢(shì)，基本食品價(jià)格令突尼斯水果商心情沮喪，令埃及人憤懣不已，
but analysts have since traced them as the roots of the Arab Spring upheavals.
然而，分析家們認(rèn)定，這一情形就是動(dòng)蕩不安的“阿拉伯之春”的根源。
Food shortages and high prices have had consequences throughout the ages as the history of revolutions reminds us.
幾年來，糧食短缺和高昂的物價(jià)帶來的后果和以往革命帶來的后果一樣。
No wonder that politicians and the United Nations are becoming increasingly concerned about rising prices leading to a global food crisis.
難怪政客和聯(lián)合國(guó)都越來越擔(dān)心上漲的物價(jià)會(huì)導(dǎo)致全球糧食危機(jī)。
Drought, the diversion of corn crops into the production of biofuels, the corruption and chaotic distribution of food in some developing nations,
旱災(zāi)、利用玉米生產(chǎn)生物燃料、某些發(fā)展中國(guó)家食品分配過程中存在的貪污現(xiàn)象，
all these are shaping a complex global food economy. Add in certain speculators and food conglomerates aiming for higher profits,
這些正使全球食品經(jīng)濟(jì)變得復(fù)雜。謀求暴利的投機(jī)商和食品大公司的參與，
and many aid charities warn that this is a recipe for disaster for the poorest in the developing world.
讓許多慈善援助機(jī)構(gòu)都發(fā)出警告，這將為發(fā)展中國(guó)家的貧苦人民帶去深重的災(zāi)難。
But what's it got to do with the ordinary individual? Isn't something as complex as a food crisis just for the politicians and the UN to sort out?
普通人應(yīng)該怎么做？和食品危機(jī)同等復(fù)雜的問題是否只有靠政客和聯(lián)合國(guó)去解決？
Morality is surely personal, as is a relationship with God,
道德和上帝相關(guān)，是絕對(duì)私人的。
and one's religious beliefs stretch as far as dealing with those immediately around us.
一個(gè)人的宗教信仰能改變他與周圍人相處的方式。
Once in a while the face of a starving child on the news might persuade us to make a donation to a charity
新聞里孩子挨餓的面孔可能一時(shí)間讓我們捐款給慈善機(jī)構(gòu)，
but the individual's involvement goes no further. The usual reading of Christ's parable of the Good Samaritan, for example,
但個(gè)人的行為并不會(huì)產(chǎn)生深遠(yuǎn)的影響。有關(guān)撒瑪利亞人的基督教寓言故事
is that it is a call to respond to an individual in need,
旨在號(hào)召人們對(duì)需要幫助的人施以援手，
albeit that Christianity is a call to help the stranger as well as family and friends.
盡管基督精神就是讓人們像對(duì)待家人和朋友那樣對(duì)待陌生人。
But growing Christian thinking is that if we hunger and thirst for what is right
然而，越來越多的基督教徒認(rèn)為如果我們渴求正義，
then we cannot turn away when something has gone deeply wrong with how the world functions, causing the most vulnerable to suffer.
但當(dāng)世界局勢(shì)混亂，最脆弱的人民受苦受難時(shí)，不能視而不見。
Putting a few coins in a collecting tin is not enough. Instead the Christian has to combat what is called structural or social sin,
往募捐罐里丟幾枚硬幣是遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)不夠的。相反，基督教徒們必須與惡行斗爭(zhēng)，
the injustices of the world caused by its systems and institutions which lead people to live without dignity
與各制度、各組織產(chǎn)生的不公正現(xiàn)象斗爭(zhēng)，它使人們失去了
and the resources that they need. But structures of course don't have wills, and we do,
應(yīng)有的尊嚴(yán)與智慧。當(dāng)然，具有意愿的不是社會(huì)機(jī)構(gòu)，而是我們。
and the challenge today is to ask do we have the will to speak up, get involved and change what is unjust?
面臨當(dāng)今的挑戰(zhàn)，我們是大聲疾呼，踴躍參與，改變不公正的現(xiàn)象，
Or will we pass by on the other side of the road?"
還是熟視無睹地從旁邊走過？
