对话

RYAN: I am kind of nervous.
雷恩：我有点紧张。
SARAH: Nervous? Why?
莎拉：紧张？为什么？
RYAN: I don't know. I never went to a church before.I was not raised as a Christian, so I don't know what to do.
雷恩：我不知道。我从来没有去过教堂。我并不是在基督教的教导下成长的，所以我不知道该如何做。
SARAH: Don't worry. You don't have to do anything.All you have to do is listen. You will enjoy it.
莎拉：别担心。你不必做任何事情。你只需要聆听就可以了。你一定会喜爱的。
RYAN: Maybe. I know I agreed to go with you, but now I don't feel right about it.
雷恩：或许吧。我知道我同意跟你一起去，但现在我感觉有些不对。
SARAH: Listen, Ryan.Catholics welcome people who aren't Catholics to visit the church.You don't have to pretend to be Catholic. It's okay if you just come to listen.
莎拉：听着，雷恩。天主教欢迎不是基督徒的人来参观教堂。你不需要装作是天主教徒。你来聆听是没有问题的。
RYAN: Really?
雷恩：真的吗？
SARAH: Yes. We are kind and welcoming people.It is not a secret society or something like that.
莎拉：是的。我们是很亲切而且欢迎民众的。不是一个秘密社会或着其他的组织。
RYAN: Alright. But will we sing?
雷恩：好吧。但是我们会唱歌吗？
SARAH: Yes, but you don't even have to sing. If you want to sing along, you can.
莎拉：是的，但你不一定要唱。如果你想要一起唱的话，你也可以。
RYAN: I don't know the words.
雷恩：我不知道歌词。
SARAH: There is a songbook. All the words are in the songbook.Many people have to read the words.
莎拉：是有歌本的。所有的歌词都在歌本里。很多人都是要看歌词的。
RYAN: And will I go up to the front to have the bread and wine?
雷恩：我要到前面去领面饼及酒吗？
SARAH: No. That is something only true Catholics do.So if you come to the church as a visitor, you only listen to the service.But you shouldn't go up to the altar for the bread and wine.Only after someone joins the church, then they go up for the Eucharist.
莎拉：不用。那是真正的天主教徒做的。如果你到教堂是一个参观者的身份，你只需要聆听弥撒就可以了。但是你不可以到祭台前去领面饼及酒。只有加入教会的人，他们才可以去领圣体。
RYAN: Eu-char-ist? What is that?
雷恩：圣--体？那是什么？
SARAH: That is the special word for the ritual of the bread and wine.The Catholics call it the Eucharist.
莎拉：那是一个特殊的字用来称呼在仪式上的面饼及酒。天主教称为圣体。
RYAN: It doesn't sound like an English word.
雷恩：听起来不像是英文。
SARAH: It's not. It's an ancient Greek word. It means "gratitude."
莎拉：不是。它是一个古老的希腊文。意思是“感恩”。
RYAN: Alright. Well, I feel more comfortable now.Now I understand I am welcome as a visitor.
雷恩：好的。嗯，我现在感觉舒缓多了。我现在知道我是受欢迎的参观者。
SARAH: Of course you are. I wouldn't ask you otherwise.
莎拉：你当然是呀。要不然我怎么会邀请你。

知识点讲解

知识点讲解：

1. kind of 有点儿；有几分
例：I was kind of mortified to be told that I was too old to join.
当被告知由于我年龄过大而不能加入时，我有点感到受了屈辱。

2. feel right about sth. 感觉对，觉得合适
例：I don't feel right about it.
我觉得那样不合适。我认为那样做不对。

3.Catholics 天主教徒（Catholic的名词复数）
Catholicism 天主教
Eucharist 圣餐，（经过祝圣的）圣餐面包（及酒）

天主教是基督宗教的三大宗派之一，其正式名称为“罗马天主教会”或“罗马公教会”，即由罗马教宗领导的教会。天主教一词用于指信奉罗马天主教理论体系，包括道德、圣餐仪式以及教条，并完全服从圣座的基督宗教信徒，在基督宗教的所有教会之中，天主教会的人数最为庞大，全世界人数约有11.3亿，占世界总人口17%，目前天主教会也是所有基督宗教的教会中最为庞大的教会。根据信理神学（dogmatic theology）的论证阐述，天主教会是耶稣基督亲手建立的、唯一、至圣、至公、从宗徒传下来的教会。天主教首任教宗为耶稣十二门徒之首圣伯多禄。