Greeting the world in peace - Jackie Jenkins

譯者: Tien-Hsin Yang 審譯者: Allen Li

If you think of culture as an iceberg,

你可以把文化想成一座冰山

only a small fraction of it is visible.

只有一小部分看得到

Food, flags, and festivals, which are often talked about in schools,

學校常提到的飲食、國旗和節慶

are the visible parts that we rightly celebrate.

是我們看得到與歌頌的

However, only when we look deeper, under the water,

只有我們看得夠深 能看到水下的部分

are we able to focus on the common values that connect us.

才能發現連結人類的共同價值

In what seems to be an increasingly troubled world,

儘管身處於這個 看似越來越混亂的世界

where social and political systems are being stretched,

社會和政治系統逐漸扭曲、

conflict within and between countries is at times heightened,

國內與國際的衝突加劇、

while human rights are being ignored,

人權被忽視

this desire for peace grows ever stronger.

但人們追求和平的渴望更加強烈

Sometimes we see this common value emerging above the surface

有時，我們會看到 不同文化的共同價值浮出水面

and becoming visible. For example, it is part of everyday language used

逐漸為人所知 例如我們會用日常語言

when people greet one another and welcome the new day.

每天與人打招呼，互道早安

In many parts of the Arab world and parts of south Asia,

在阿拉伯世界與南亞的許多地區

such as Bangladesh for example,

像是孟加拉

the greeting of "as-salamu alaykum" can be translated to "peace be with you."

問候語「阿撒拉瓦哩庫」(as-salamu alaykum)可譯為「祝你平安」

The same is true as you walk through markets or into schools

相同的，當你早晨走過市場 或走進學校

each morning in India, or Nepal, or Bhutan,

在印度、尼泊爾或不丹

where greetings of "namaste," which has not only a strong message of peace

說「那摩斯戴」(namaste) 不只是強有力的問安訊息—

- "the spirit in me greets the spirit in you" -

「我的靈魂向你的靈魂問安」

but also its physical gesture, the palms brought together slowly at the heart,

更用手勢，慢慢雙手合十 到胸口位置

to honor a special place in each of us.

來榮耀我們的心 每個人最特別的位置

In Myanmar, greetings of "mingalarbar" are met by bowing monks

在緬甸，僧侶互相鞠躬，說 「明格拉吧」(mingalarbar) 打招

as they internalize a message where others add blessing

是在內化一個訊息：眾人祈福、

to enhance the auspiciousness of the moment,

讓此刻更吉祥

or by giggling children as they scurry off to school.

跑去上學的孩子也笑著互相祝福

After many hours of hiking through the mountains of Lesotho,

在賴索托山區經過好多個小時步行

surrounded by the tranquility and rugged terrain,

被寧靜而崎嶇的山地圍繞

you are likely to meet a herdboy who has slept the night

你可能會碰到在圓茅舍睡醒的牧童

in a vacant rondoval and bellows out greetings of "lumela"

中氣十足的喊：「魯美拉」 (lumela)、

or "khotso", which means "peace be with you."

或是「酷的說」 (Khotso) 意思都是「祝你平安」

If you took a moment to research further the meanings behind "shalom,"

如果你花點時間研究希伯來文 「色蘭」(shalom) 背後的涵義

or the Korean greeting,

或韓文的問候語

you would find that they too have deeply-seated connections to peace.

你會發現這些詞 都與「平安」關連甚深

However, they have become quick comments

不過現在常常變成有口無心

made to welcome, greet, and say hello, and in this overuse,

只用來歡迎、問候和打招呼 因此在過度使用下

have likely lost the focus that was originally intended

千百年前的本意

when put into practice hundreds or thousands of years ago.

已經模糊失焦

In highlighting this simple evidence of ingrained behavior,

我們指出了這些固有行為的 簡單的證據

we can create the necessary shift in thinking

我們也可以創造必要的思維轉變

needed to incorporate flexibility and open-mindedness

用更大的彈性與開放的心胸

in us all when looking at the globalization of the world.

來看待世界的全球化