2010/03/18

This Day in History March 18… 歷史上的今天 3月18日

In India in the 1920s, Mahatma Ghandi was working to help his country become free from Great Britain. He did this by asking people to stop buying products from other countries. He also wanted people to wear traditional clothes made only in India. He even asked them to quit their government jobs. Rich or poor, male or female, Ghandi wanted everyone to help with his non-violent movement. It was working very well until March 18, 1922. On this day, Ghandi was sentenced to six years in prison. In the end, however, Ghandi only spent two years in prison.

1920年代,聖雄 甘地正在印度從事協助他的國家脫離英國統治的運動。他透過要求人民停止買舶來品的行動來 達成目標,同時也要求民眾只穿在印度製造的傳統服飾。他甚至要求他們辭去公職。不論貧富、性別,甘地要每個人支持他的非暴力運動。直到1922年3月18 日這天之前,一切都進行得很順利。在這天,甘地被判服刑6年。但最後他只坐了兩年牢。

單字片語

◎become/be free from...
自……脫離;免於……
例:Sally was finally free from her strict parents when she moved out.(莎麗搬出去自己住後,終於脫離了嚴厲的父母。)
◎traditional a.傳統的
◎clothes n.衣服(恆用複數)
= clothing n.(集合名詞,不可數)
◎be made in + 地方 在某地製造
例:his handy umbrella is made in Taiwan.(這支輕巧好用的雨傘是台灣製的。)
◎help with... 幫忙……
.help sb with...幫某人做……
例:My brother helped me with my homework last night.(我哥昨天晚上教我寫功課。)
◎non-violent a.非暴力的
例:Martin Luther King, Jr. used non-violent methods of protest.(馬丁‧路德‧金恩使用非暴力的抗議手段。)
◎movement n.(政治、社會方面的)運動

知識大補帖

Mahatma是甘地的頭銜,中文一般譯作「聖雄」,該詞源自梵語的敬語mahatman,原意為「偉大的 靈魂」(Great Souled),日後卻常被人誤以為是他的名字。1893年甘地被一家印度公司外派到南非工作,他在那裡看到印度移民的公民自由和政治權利被剝奪,於是開 始抗議南非對印度人的歧視(discrimination)。那段時間埋下甘地日後成為社會政治運動家的種子,其後他在印度推動的「公民不合作」與「非暴 力抵抗」運動就是在這個時期開始形成,所以甘地雖然是印度的國父,卻和南非的淵源頗深。今年1月30日是甘地逝世的62周年,他的家族便選擇南非的東部城 市德班(Durban)舉行紀念儀式,將他的骨灰(ashes)灑向印度洋。

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