古巴将耶稣受难日定为公休假日

时间：2012-04-01 06:09:06

（单词翻译:单击）

Cuba's Communist government has declared Good Friday next week to be a public holiday following an appeal from Pope Benedict.

古巴共产主义政府接受教皇本笃十六世的建议，将耶稣受难日作为公休假日。

The Pope made the request during his recent visit to the island.

Good Friday is the day Catholics commemorate1 the death of Christ, and is a central part of Easter celebrations.

It is the first time it has been recognised as a public holiday in Cuba since the 1960s, when religious holidays were abolished.

President Raul Castro took the decision in light of the success of the Pope's "transcendental visit", the Cuban government said in a statement.

The holiday will initially2 be for this year only, but a decision will be taken later on whether to make it permanent, it added.

The Pope's predecessor3（前任） , John Paul II, made a similar request during the last papal visit to Cuba in 1998, successfully persuading then-leader Fidel Castro to recognise Christmas as a public holiday.

Reports from Cuba say people generally welcomed the news of an extra day off.

"After 50 years of telling us the Church is bad, now they say it is good and we get Good Friday off," office worker Mirta Salgado told the Associated Press.

"I'm not religious, not Catholic, not anything, but at least this Friday I won't be working," she added.

Improving relations

During his three-day visit to Cuba, Pope Benedict called for reconciliation4（和解，调和） between Cubans and greater rights, saying no-one should be deprived of basic freedoms.

He also criticised the 50-year-old US embargo5 of the island.

Cuba was officially atheist6 until the 1990s and fewer than 10% of Cubans are practising Catholics.

But the Church is nonetheless the most influential7 organisation8 outside the Communist government.

Relations between Church and state have improved in recent years, and Catholic leaders have successfully mediated9 in the release of political prisoners.


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1 commemorate xbEyN     
vt.纪念，庆祝
参考例句：
  • This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
  • We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。
2 initially 273xZ     
adv.最初，开始
参考例句：
  • The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
  • Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。
3 predecessor qP9x0     
n.前辈，前任
参考例句：
  • It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
  • The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。
4 reconciliation DUhxh     
n.和解，和谐，一致
参考例句：
  • He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
  • Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。
5 embargo OqixW     
n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）
参考例句：
  • This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
  • During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。
6 atheist 0vbzU     
n.无神论者
参考例句：
  • She was an atheist but now she says she's seen the light.她本来是个无神论者，可是现在她说自己的信仰改变了。
  • He is admittedly an atheist.他被公认是位无神论者。
7 influential l7oxK     
adj.有影响的，有权势的
参考例句：
  • He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
  • He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。
8 organisation organisation     
n.组织，安排，团体，有机休
参考例句：
  • The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
  • His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。
9 mediated b901b5da5d438661bcf0228b9947a320     
调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生
参考例句：
  • He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
  • The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

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