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：潑水節

潑水節(Songkran)為泰國傳統新年節日，佛教徒們於潑水節時往佛像的雕像、畫作等潑水以示敬意。「水」代表了純潔、乾淨，以「潑水」洗去一年中所有的煩惱。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: Happy New Year to all our friends in Thailand! They celebrated their traditional New Year this month, known as the Songkran Water Festival. Roving reporter Max McGrath joins us live from Chiang Mai, the largest city in northern Thailand, where revelers have been getting wet and wild! Max?

Max: Thanks Nora. Right now I’m in Three Kings Monument Square, right in the center of Chiang Mai’s old town. I’m here with Phra Anurak, a Buddhist monk living in one of the city’s many beautiful temples. Welcome to the show!

PA: Thank you Max!

Max: Should I call you Anurak? Or Phra?

PA: Call me anything you like! As Buddhists we’re encouraged to abandon our egos. It’s only by discarding our sense of self that we lose our selfishness.

Max: Songkran is very important for Buddhists here, isn’t it?

PA: Yes it is. Worshippers always gather at temples with offerings of food and clothes. We monks can’t make any money, so all donations are a big help!

Max: How else do Buddhists celebrate Songkran?

PA: Traditionally we like to show reverence by pouring water on images of the Buddha. That means on his statues, paintings, stuff like that. It’s symbolic, a sign of respect.

Max: How so?

PA: Water is pure, cleansing. It represents washing away all the troubles of the year. It’s why we have all those water fights too.

Max: Fights?!

PA: Not real fights! No one wants to hurt anyone. We’re just throwing water at each other, it’s fun!

Max: It is?

PA: Sure! Why don’t you ask these guys?

Max: In the car? OK …Hi! I’m a reporter with ICRT, can I …Hey!!

Girl: Happy Songkran Max McGrath!

Max: What just happened?!

PA: You should ask your colleague! Nora, isn’t it?

Max: Nora?! Yeah, we work together. Nora did this?!

PA: She wanted you to have a real Songkran experience!

Max: I’m soaking wet now!

PA: You are! Haha! You’re drenched!

Max: You know, that was fun! And it’s so hot today, it’s actually quite refreshing!

PA: April is our hottest month. Nearly every street in Thailand is filled with folk throwing water for Songkran! People travel from all over for it, tourists love it!

Max: This festival is really famous, isn’t it?

PA: Yes it is. It’s one of Thailand’s most well-known celebrations. Right now the government’s trying to get the UN to recognize it as part of our country’s intangible cultural heritage.

Max: Whoa … lots of big words there! Could you break that down for us?

PA: Well, ‘Cultural heritage’ means anything historical that shows a society’s customs or beliefs. Often it’s something physical, something you can touch, like an old temple or an ancient sword. Other times it’s something you can’t touch, something intangible, like a story or a song …

Max: Or a festival!

PA: Exactly! Hopefully the UN will approve, and we’ll be able to safeguard the Songkran Water Festival well into the future.

Max: Thanks for chatting with us today! I’d better go dry off …

PA: Oh, that reminds me! Nora sent you this too …

Max: A water pistol?! I love it!

PA: And here’s that car again! Time to get your own back I think …

Max: Here we go! This is Max McGrath reporting live from Thailand! Ahhh! Nora, help!

Nora: You’re on your own, Max! Happy Songkran everyone, I’m Nora Yu!

 

【Vocabulary】

Selfishness, discard, ego, monk 自私(n.)、拋棄(v.)、自我中心(n.)、和尚(n.)

According to the monk, people can only overcome their selfishness when they discard their egos.

 

Worshippers, offerings 信徒(n.)、供品(n.)

During Songkran, it is traditional for worshippers to go to Buddhist temples to make offerings of items such as food and new robes for monks.

 

Reverence 敬重(n.)

This biography approaches its subject with reverence and absolute loyalty.

 

Symbolic 象徵的(adj.)

Throwing water at others during the Songkran Water Festival is symbolic of cleansing away the troubles of the year.

 

Refreshing, drenched 清涼提神的(adj.)、溼透的(adj.)

Thailand is so hot and humid in April that being drenched in water during the festival is refreshing.

 

Intangible 無形的(adj.)

To safeguard Songkran in Thailand, the country has nominated this living cultural practice for inclusion on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.

 

Pistol, revelers 手槍(n.)、狂歡的人(n.)

Nora arranged for Max to be thoroughly drenched at the water festival, but she also provided him with a water pistol so he could soak some revelers himself.