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(本文选自《经济学人》20191109期)
小编说
佛教是泰国的国教，超过90％的泰国人都信奉佛教，因此在泰国，僧侣也备受人们尊重。由于信徒们施舍的饭菜太过丰盛，同时僧侣们又缺乏体育锻炼，最终导致了他们体重的日益增长。据统计，泰国有超过一半的僧侣不是超重就是肥胖，是时候该减减肥了。
文章背景
每天清晨，泰国的僧侣们便会穿着橘黄色的长袍走出寺庙，前往佛教信众那里接受他们施舍的食物。他们必须在中午之前把食物全部吃掉，到了午后漫长的斋戒期再喝上一杯甜饮料，这便是泰国僧侣的一天。
The eight-fold chin
Heavy Thai monks seek enlightenment
Heavy Thai monks seek enlightenment
肥胖的泰国僧侣正在寻求启迪
enlightenment [ɪnˈlaɪtnmənt] n. 启迪；启蒙运动；教化
They have to eat the alms they are given, even when they are fattening
他们必须吃掉别人的施舍，即使他们越来越胖了
alms [ɑːmz] n.施舍物(或金); 救济金(或物)
The rules governing what and when Thailand’s Buddhist monks eat are strict. They must rely solely on alms from the faithful and must consume them before noon each day. Early each morning they pour out of temples in bright orange robes, ready to collect offerings.
泰国的佛教僧侣对于每天吃什么以及什么时候吃都有着严格的规定。他们必须完全依靠佛教信徒的施舍，而且必须在每天中午之前把它们都吃掉。每天清晨，他们便穿着鲜艳的橙色长袍从寺庙中一涌而出，准备前去化缘。
Robe 袍服
They are not supposed to say what they most like or be picky. Eager believers often hand out rich meals or sugary snacks in an effort to please. Some monks also resort to sweet drinks during the long afternoon fast.
他们不能说自己喜欢吃什么或者对食物有什么挑剔。热心的信徒为了让僧侣们高兴常常会施舍丰盛的饭菜和甜食。在漫长的午后斋戒期，一些僧侣还会喝甜饮料。
picky [ˈpɪki] 挑剔的; 难伺候的
fast [fɑːst] 节食; 禁食; 斋戒
All this has left many monks’ bellies as round as their begging bowls. The National Health Commission Office reckons that about half of Thailand’s 349,000-odd monks are either overweight or obese.
所有这些导致许多僧侣的肚子就像化缘的碗一样圆。泰国国家卫生委员会办公室表示，泰国有34.9万名僧侣，其中大约有一半不是超重就是肥胖。
obese [əʊˈbiːs]臃肿的;超重的（尤指不健康的胖）
Almost two years ago a Health Charter appeared, encouraging monks and those who feed them to think more about diet and exercise. Prayer and meditation do not burn many calories, but monks are not supposed to become fitness freaks either. (In fact, they are supposed to find a “middle way” in all things between indulgence and self-mortification.)
在大约两年前，泰国出台了一份健康宪章，鼓励僧侣们和那些施舍食物的人更多地考虑平衡膳食和运动。祈祷和冥想不会燃烧太多的卡路里，当然僧侣也不应该成为健身狂。（实际上，他们应该在所有的事情中找到一条介于放纵和自我禁欲的“中间道路”。）
fitness freak 健身狂，freak在这里表示狂热爱好者
meditation [ˌmedɪˈteɪʃn] n. 冥想；沉思，深思；静坐
indulgence [ɪnˈdʌldʒəns] n. 嗜好；放纵；纵容；沉溺
Working out appropriate physical activities, such as walking and cleaning the temple, has been part of the health push. For the past year the Ministry of Public Health has also been offering monks nutritional advice.
适当的开展体育活动（例如散步和打扫寺庙）已经成为了促进健康的重要一环。在过去的一年里，公共卫生部也一直在为僧侣们提供营养建议。
Jongjit Angkatavanich of Chulalongkorn University is trying to help monksshift weight. She has studied their cholesterol levels and the prevalence of diabetes and other maladies from which the portly suffer.
朱拉隆功大学的 Jongjit Angkatavanich 正在试图帮助僧侣们减肥。她对僧侣们的胆固醇水平以及糖尿病和其他疾病的患病率进行了研究。
shift weight 减肥
malady [ˈmælədi] n. 弊病；疾病；腐败
One useful tool she developed was a belt monks could use to measure the growth or contraction of their bellies. She says that hospitals are being paired with temples to keep an eye on the state of health education within them.
她还发明了一个有用的小工具，是一条可以让僧侣们用来测量腰围增大或减小的腰带。她说，医院正在与寺庙进行配对，从而可以密切关注寺庙内的将康教育状况。
Booklets are also being distributed to those who cook for monks, steering them away from indulgent recipes and towards brown rice and vegetables.
医院同时还给那些为僧侣们做饭的人发放小册子，从而引导他们远离放纵的食谱，转向粗粮和蔬菜。
(注：红色标注词为重难点词汇)
重点词组积累
resort to诉诸于；求助于
rely solely on alms from the faithful完全依靠信徒给予的食物
long afternoon fast漫长的午后禁食/斋戒
prayer and mediation祈祷与冥想
fitness freak健身狂
nutritional advice营养建议
cholesterol level胆固醇水平
keep an eye on密切关注
steer them away from引导他们远离
nirvana涅槃（超脱一切烦恼的境界）
leave many monks’ bellies as round as their begging bowls让许多和尚的肚子像乞讨碗一样圆
one of the plumpest places in Asia亚洲最圆润丰满(指国民的体重高)的地方之一
写作积累TIPS
-fold = …倍的、…程度的,倍或重。形容词或副词后缀-fold来源于中古英语或古英语，作形容词后缀时，一般多加在二以上的基数词上，表示“倍数”，它构成的词常作状语，表示“程度".
【举个例子】1.two-fold [two 二 + -fold 后缀表示…倍的] adj. 两倍的，两重的
2.three-fold [three 三 + -fold 后缀表示…倍的] adj. 三倍的，三重的
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