國發會與ICRT共同製播的時事英語廣播“The World in Brief”固定於每周三在雙語資料庫學習資源網更新，與大家一起聽時事學英文。

本周主題：穆斯林齋戒月

一年一度的穆斯林齋戒月是伊斯蘭世界中最重要的活動之一，今年齋戒月將從3月22號開始，為期接近一個月。位居阿拉伯聯合大公國阿布達比的謝赫扎耶德大清真寺(Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque)將在齋戒月期間每天提供30,000份開齋餐（Iftar）。想知道更多嗎？讓我們用3分鐘的時間一起來聽聽記者Max McGrath怎麼說吧！

 

【Transcript】

Nora: The biggest news …the best guests …the boldest events …This is ‘The World in Brief’ with Max McGrath.

Nora: The month of Ramadan is fast approaching! A yearly observation of faith, fasting, and reflection. Here to tell us more, roving reporter Max McGrath joins us live from Abu Dhabi, capital city of the United Arab Emirates, the UAE. Max?

Max: Thanks Nora. I’m here visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the biggest mosque in the UAE. Here, throughout the month of Ramadan, they plan to feed an estimated 30,000 hungry people every night! I’m joined by Majid Ali Khan, one of over 400 tireless chefs working on this incredible project. Majid, hi!

Majid: Hello Max!

Max: I know you must be exhausted right now …

Majid: Yes, I’m very tired!

Max: You said you’ve been volunteering here too, in this beautiful mosque …

Majid: That’s right. This huge, stunning building is decorated all over with marble, semi-precious stones, crystals and ceramics. They all have to be very carefully looked after, there’s so much to maintain! And there’s still lots to do before all our guests arrive.

Max: Preparing to feed 30,000 people every night, for a whole month … that’s a Herculean task right there!

Majid: Yes, it’s always a lot of work! But it’s totally worth it. It’s great seeing so many people come together to share a meal. And it’s not just followers of Islam either, people of all faiths and nationalities are welcome at our iftar.

Max: What’s an iftar?

Majid: It’s our nightly feast. Ramadan is a time for fasting. That means we have to give up certain things during the day, like food and drink. So, you can imagine, the nightly iftar is vital for keeping people healthy!

Max: I guess everyone’s pretty hungry at the end of the day then!

Majid: You bet! Over time the iftar has become much more of a community event. It’s a joyous celebration, shared with family and friends.

Max: And you guys are hoping to throw the biggest feast of them all! Right here, every night! What will you be serving at these mammoth iftars?

Majid: It’s a balanced mix of protein, carbohydrates, and calorie-packed dishes.

Max: Can you give us an example?

Majid: OK … to illustrate, let’s look at our roast chicken meal. Every portion will come with rice, salad, dates, water, fruit, and a bottle of laban.

Max: Laban?

Majid: It’s a yoghurt-based drink, cool and refreshing!

Max: That meal sounds really great, but you’ll need to make so much! How many chickens will you need?

Majid: 15,000 kilograms!

Max: What?! That’s like … 4 hippos!

Majid: Haha! Yes it is, and that’s just one iftar! We’ll be marinating thousands of chickens, cooking kilos and kilos of rice, washing and chopping huge piles of vegetables …

Max: And all of this is in preparation for a ritual fast?! It sounds so strange …

Majid: I know! But actually, it makes sense. One reason we fast is to remind ourselves how difficult life is for some people, especially the poor and hungry. It’s a privilege to help others eat well during Ramadan like this, I’m very grateful.

Max: We’re grateful too! Thank you for taking the time to talk to us

Majid! This is Max McGrath, reporting live from Abu Dhabi.

Nora? Nora: Thanks Max! Ramadan Mubarak everyone! Or, in English, Happy Ramadan! Stay healthy out there, thanks for listening.

 

【Vocabulary】

Mosque 清真寺(n.)

Marble 大理石(n.)

Semi-precious stones 半寶石(n.)

Crystal 水晶(n.)

Ceramics 陶瓷(n.)

Iftar 開齋飯(n.)

 

Mammoth 巨大的；龐大的(adj.)

Building the new railroad will be a mammoth job.

 

Illustrate 說明(v.)

To illustrate, I’ll give you a few examples of the meals we make.

 

Ritual (宗教)儀式的(adj.) / 儀式(n.)

The priest will perform the ritual.

 

Portion 食物的份量(n.)

The chefs serve large portions of food to their hungry guests.

 

Protein 蛋白質(n.)

There are many sources of protein, such as chicken, fish, beans, eggs, yogurt, laban, and nuts.