考研英语阅读理解中的文章，很多来自一些外刊杂志方面的题材。接下来，北京文都考研网为扩宽2020考研学子的知识面，整理了考研英语经济学人外刊:日本神社,超越宗教文化信仰，供考生参考。
2020考研英语经济学人外刊:日本神社,超越宗教文化信仰
The imperial succession highlights Shinto’s muddled status in Japan
天皇继位凸显了神道教在日本尴尬的地位
It is not an official state religion, but it’s hard to escape from it
神道教并非官方国教，但日本人很难摆脱它
On the morning of April 30th, then-emperor Akihito, decked out in a puffy brown robe, entered Kashikodokoro shrine, in the grounds of the imperial palace in Tokyo. He washed his hands, rinsed his mouth, bowed twice, clapped twice, bowed once more and then read a letter to the gods informing them of his retirement.
4月30日清晨，明仁天皇身着蓬松的棕色长袍走进了位于东京皇宫内的 Kashikodokoro 神社。他洗了手、漱了口、两次鞠躬、两次击掌、又再次鞠躬，然后向众神念了一封信，将自己退位的消息通知给他们。
On May 1st his son, Naruhito, was invested as emperor by receiving a jewel and a sword said to have belonged to Amaterasu, the sun goddess, from whom he is a direct descendant, according to Shinto mythology.
5月1日，在收到了一颗宝石和一把据称属于天照女神(太阳神)的剑后，他的儿子德仁被封为天皇。根据神道教神话，德仁天皇是天照女神的直系后裔。
Shinto is a form of animism, which dates back to prehistoric times. Ancient Japanese saw divine forces all around them, and celebrated as kami, or gods, everything from the sun to the wind.
推崇万物有灵论的神道教可以追溯到史前时代。古代的日本人把他们周围的一切都视为神力，从太阳到风都被人们当作神或上帝来敬拜。(注：kami 即日本神道教中的神。)
The emperor was traditionally the high priest—although after the second world war, he was stripped of his status as a living god. There are some 80,000 Shinto shrines, all over Japan, where priests and devotees can be seen clapping and bowing like Akihito.
从传统上来说，皇帝是大祭司——尽管在第二次世界大战后其作为作为一个活着的神的地位被剥夺了。日本约有8万座神道教神社，在神社中我们可以看到祭司和信徒都像明仁天皇那样鼓掌和鞠躬。
Some 70% of Japanese are reported to adhere to Shinto—a percentage that is declining only slowly. That may be because many see it as a cultural belief rather than a religion.
据报道称，大约70%(这个比例只是在缓缓地下降)的日本人仍信仰神道教。这可能是因为许多人将其视为一种文化信仰，而非宗教信仰。
People who do not consider themselves religious may still visit a shrine in search of luck or love, or to attend Shinto festivals that involve lots of food and drink. Indeed, many Buddhists and Christians visit Shinto shrines.
即便是那些不信教的人也可能会去神社祈求好运或爱情，或是参加一些神道教的节日(这些节日往往有很多美食和饮料)。实际上，很多佛教徒和基督徒也会去拜访神道教神社。
It helps that Shinto has no scriptures or doctrine. “It is a way of thinking, of living; it is in Japanese people’s DNA,” says Tsunekiyo Tanaka, the head priest at Iwashimizu Hachimangu, a shrine near Kyoto, and head of Jinja Honcho, an umbrella organisation for the religion.
神道教正是得益于它的没有经文和教义。石清水八幡宫(一座位于京都的神社)的祭司长兼神社本厅(一个宗教联盟组织)的负责人 Tsunekiyo Tanaka 说：“这是一种思维方式，也是一种生活方式;它存在于日本人的骨子里。”
It is indeed a part of everyday life. Many people perform a Shinto ground-breaking ceremony to appease the kami before beginning construction work. Sumo matches involve Shinto rituals that take up more time than the wrestling.
它确实是日常生活的一部分。许多人在施工动土前都会举行神道教破土仪式来抚慰神明。相扑比赛中也有神道教仪式，而且仪式的时间比摔跤的时间还长。
Marie Kondo, a Japanese tidying guru, is said to be inspired by Shinto’s emphasis on process and ritual. She worked as a shrine “maiden” for five years.
神道教强调过程和仪式，据说日本整理大师近藤麻理惠就是受此启发。她曾做了5年的神社“巫女”。
Those of a new-age disposition see shrines as “power-spots” brimming with healing, love and insight. Satoru Otowa of Ise Grand shrine, Shinto’s holiest place, where a mirror said to have belonged to Amaterasu is kept, says many young people come for “mental health and to feel at peace”.
那些新时代的日本人将神社视为充满治愈、爱和洞察力的“能量站”。伊势神宫(神道教神圣之地，那里据说保存着一面属于天照女神的镜子)的 Satoru Otowa 表示，许多年轻人来到这里就是为了“得到心理健康以及去感受平静”。
On a spring day groups of them can be seen exploring the vast grounds of the shrine, which is surrounded by trees and a river. Visitor numbers have steadily grown, to more than 8.5m people last year.
在一个春天的日子里，你可以看到成群结队的人们漫步在被树木和河流环绕的、广袤的神社里。伊势神宫的拜访者人数呈稳步增长，其去年游客接待量超850万人次。
[重难点词汇]
succession [sək'sɛʃən] n. 连续;继位;继承权;[生态] 演替
muddle ['mʌdl] v. 弄乱;糊涂;混淆;瞎忙 n. 糊涂;混乱，一团糟;混乱状态
puffy ['pʌfi] adj. 肿胀的;松软洁白的;(衣服)膨起的;过分修饰的;喘息的 n. 眼袋
shrine [ʃraɪn] n. 圣地;神殿;神龛;圣祠 vt. 将…置于神龛内;把…奉为神圣
rinse [rɪns] vt. 漱;冲洗掉;漂净 n. 冲洗;漂洗;[轻] 染发剂;染发 vi. 冲洗掉;漂净
divine [dɪ'vaɪn] adj. 神圣的;非凡的;天赐的;极好的 vt./vi. 占卜;预言;用占卜勘探 n. 牧师;神学家
scriptures ['skrɪptʃɚ] n. 经文，经典著作
doctrine ['dɑktrɪn] n. 主义;学说;教义;信条
appease [ə'piz] v. 使平息;使满足;使和缓;对……让步;安抚，安慰;绥靖;缓解(难受的感觉);姑息
ritual ['rɪtʃuəl] n. 仪式;惯例;礼制 adj. 仪式的;例行的;礼节性的
wrestle ['rɛsl] n. 摔跤;搏斗;斗争 vi. 摔跤;斗争;斟酌 vt. 与摔跤;与…搏斗;使劲搬动
guru ['ɡʊru] n. 古鲁(指印度教等宗教的宗师或领袖);领袖;专家
disposition ['dɪspə'zɪʃən] n. 处置;[心理] 性情;[军] 部署;倾向
以上是北京文都考研网给出的“2020考研英语经济学人外刊:日本神社,超越宗教文化信仰”，希望对备考2020考研英语的考生有所帮助!祝2020考研顺利!
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