胡敏读故事记托福词汇037：我的牧师生活 My Life as a Clergyman
I’m a clergyman. I have been a member of the clergy for about twenty-one years. I’m the only priest in my clan. I work in an old church at the edge of a cliff. The aged walls are made out of clay and wood. In certain areas of the church, we’ve had to clamp the wood together to prevent if from falling apart. The church looked a lot better twenty years ago when we clinched the deal to buy this property.
我是一名牧师，我已做了21年的神职人员。我还是家族中的唯一的一名牧师，我在悬崖边的一座老教堂工作。教堂古老的墙壁是用泥土和木头做的。在教堂里的某些地方，我们不得不将木头夹紧才能防止脱落。20年前，我们达成交易，决定买下这块房产时的教堂要比现在漂亮多了。
I take confessions everyday. People like confessing to a priest because it cleanses their soul. Some people confess simple sins, such as stealing a clam or starting at the cleft of a woman’s bosom. Usually, I don’t need to ask them to clarify these types of confessions. Others confess very bad sins, like killing someone during a clandestine government operation. I never ask for clarification when someone makes this type of confession.
我每天都要接受人们的忏悔。人们喜欢向一个教士忏悔。因为这样能净化他们的灵魂。有些人忏悔一般的小过错，比如偷了一只蛤蜊或者偷看女人的乳沟。通常，我不必让他们对这类罪过进行澄清。其他人则忏悔深重的罪孽，比如在秘密的政府行动中谋杀某人。我从不要求这样的忏悔者做任何阐述。
I like giving the Sunday sermon. I make it a point to save the climax of my talk until the very end. I can tell that people like it this way because they clap loudly.
我喜欢做礼拜天的布道。我总是在讲话最后才将布道推向高潮。我能看出人们喜欢这样，因为他们会大声鼓掌。
Lately, I’ve been thinking of changing the way I conduct church. I want to do a better job of catering to the variety of needs in my congregation. It’s because people who come to my church can be classified into two groups. One group clings to tradition church values and comes to honor God. The other group has a clinging lifestyle of sinning all week and seeking redemption on Sundays. If I could prepare a separate sermon for each group according to their classification, I think I could better address their specific needs. However, it might cause a clamor. What do you think?
最近，我在考虑改变我履行圣职的方式。我想更好地满足广大教众的各种不同需要。原因在于来教堂的人可以分为两类：一类人墨守传统教义，他们来教堂是为了敬仰上帝;另一类人一贯坚持生活方式就是一星期头六天都在造孽，到星期日再求赎罪。如果我能按这两类人的不同分类分别准备一次布道，我想就能更好地针对他们的具体需要。但这也许会招致一场喧嚣。你认为如何?
Words:
clam n. 蛤，蛤肉
clamor n. 叫嚣，喧哗
clamp vt. 夹住，夹紧
clan n. 家族，宗族
clandestine adj. 秘密的
clap n. 霹雳声;vt. 鼓掌;轻拍
clarification n. 澄清，阐明
clarify vt. 澄清，阐明
classification n. 分类，分级
classify vt. 把。。。分类，分等级
clay n. 黏土;泥土
cleanse vt. 使清洁，使纯净
cleft n. 裂缝
clergy n. (总称)神职人员;教士，牧师
clergyman n. 牧师，教士
cliff n. 悬崖，峭壁
climax n. 高峰，顶点
clinch vt. 钉牢，揪住;确定，最终决定
cling vi. 粘附，附着;坚守，墨守，忠实于
clinging adj. 贴身的;坚持的;忠实的;依赖的
