环球英语 — 84：Witchcraft

　　Voice 1
Hello. I’m Marina Santee.
Voice 2
And I’m Christy Van Arragon. Welcome to Spotlight¹. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
What do you think of when you consider witchcraft²? Strange powers from the spirit world? Strange people who can do things that ‘normal’ people cannot do? Magic? Where you live may influence your answer. In Europe or America, lots of people do not believe that witches and witchcraft really exist. Witches are only in films and books. In films, they wear long black clothes. They ride through the sky on long broom sticks. And they have black cats. They can do magic! But it is all not real.
Voice 2
However, in other countries, few people deny that witchcraft and magic are real. In fact, people would think you were strange if you did deny witchcraft! In parts of Africa, everyone seems to know someone that witchcraft has affected³. For example, one man from Zimbabwe described how his hair disappeared in one night!
Voice 3
‘My wife came into the bedroom and looked at me. She saw my hair was missing - from the front of my head - all the way along the side. There was nothing there! She said, “What has happened to your hair? Where has it gone?”’
Voice 1
The man and his wife are sure that they were victims of witchcraft. Their story is one of many in Zimbabwe. Witchcraft is a very real part of many people’s lives. And it has been this way for a very long time. However, the law of the land has not always recognised witchcraft. And to many people, this seemed strange. The reason goes back more than one hundred years.
Voice 2
European settlers came to the part of Africa that is now Zimbabwe. They did not like the idea of witchcraft. This was because of their own history. People in Europe used to believe in witchcraft. In those earlier times, witches in Europe were executed. But later, Europeans looked back at that time. They decided⁴ that these people had been wrongly executed. They argued that witchcraft was not real, so it must be wrong to punish someone for being a witch. They wanted to stop the same thing happening in Africa. That is why settlers in Africa created a law to try and end witchcraft. They called the law ‘The Witchcraft Suppression Act.’
Voice 1
The law stated that it was illegal to call anyone a witch. It also completely denied that witchcraft existed! This meant that nobody could be punished for being a witch. The Witchcraft Suppression Act stopped European history from being repeated in Zimbabwe. But in 2006, the law in Zimbabwe changed.
Voice 2
In July 2006 the Zimbabwean government made changes to the Witchcraft Suppression Act. The act now recognises that witchcraft exists. But it is illegal to use witchcraft to harm people. There are punishments for this. People can report witchcraft. However, only the government can punish people for witchcraft crimes. Local people cannot! The act makes it clear that witch hunts are illegal.
Voice 1
So now it is not a crime to believe in witchcraft. It is not a crime to be a witch. It is only a crime to use witchcraft for harm. The changes in the law are good news for traditional healers in Zimbabwe. The law now recognises ‘magic’ and supernatural powers. Professor Claude Mararike is head of the Traditional Medical Practitioners⁵ Council in Zimbabwe. He said,
Voice 4
‘It is a great victory towards recognising African values. We still need more. We had been made to use foreign ideas to describe our positions. But such a move clearly shows that Zimbabwe has begun to state its own culture more strongly.’
Voice 2
The professor continued to say that his organisation⁶ sees witchcraft is a social fact. He said that people should never think of witchcraft as only negative. They should also recognise it as positive. He gave an example of magic protecting property and crops.
Voice 1
The church in Zimbabwe does not support this. The church has always believed that witchcraft exists. But it denies the possibility of ‘good witchcraft.’ Revered⁷ Roy Musasiwa manages a college in Harare, Zimbabwe. He said:
Voice 5
‘As Christians⁹ we have got to recognise that supernatural forces are good if they originate¹⁰ from God. Witchcraft is one of the things that originates¹¹ from the satanic world.’
Voice 2
This Christian⁸ thinking means that any spiritual power that is not from God is evil. This would even include powers that appear to do good. The Christian Church warns people to stay away from such things. African Christians call on the name of Jesus to protect and heal them.
Voice 1
African Christians point out that to not follow witchcraft does not mean to deny all tradition and culture. The African Church has moved a long way from old colonial¹² thinking. Traditions and culture are very much central to people’s lives. One preacher wrote about an African Church that he visited. The church was far from Africa. It was in the USA.
Voice 6
‘It is a church I love because they celebrate being African. They light the Kwanazaa candles every Sunday. They end each prayer with “Ashe, Alleluia, Amen.” They wear African clothes. They talk, pray and sing about Africa. I loved it. I felt so at home. I felt so complete. This is a church where African people can celebrate their faith with the context¹³ of their social and historical lives.’
Voice 2
Back in Zimbabwe, the changes to the law concerning witchcraft have caused some debate. But for some people, talk of anything ‘supernatural’ is simply a waste of time. This includes the law on witchcraft. They believe that Africa has bigger problems that it needs to deal with.
A man wrote to the BBC from Nigeria. He said:
Voice 7
‘Zimbabwe is in the middle of severe economic and political problems. Witchcraft cannot stop inflation¹⁴. It cannot guarantee civil and political rights. Only good thinking, patience and hard work can do this.’
Voice 1
This is something that most people would agree with. Only time will tell if the changes in the Witchcraft Suppression Act were a good or a bad idea in Zimbabwe. Meanwhile, good thinking, patience and hard work can only do good - in any country.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 witchcraft   

n.魔法，巫术

参考例句：

• The woman practising witchcraft claimed that she could conjure up the spirits of the dead.那个女巫说她能用魔法召唤亡灵。
• All these things that you call witchcraft are capable of a natural explanation.被你们统统叫做巫术的那些东西都可以得到合情合理的解释。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 practitioners   

n.习艺者，实习者( practitioner的名词复数 )；从业者（尤指医师）

参考例句：

• one of the greatest practitioners of science fiction 最了不起的科幻小说家之一
• The technique is experimental, but the list of its practitioners is growing. 这种技术是试验性的，但是采用它的人正在增加。 来自辞典例句

6 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。

7 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

8 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

9 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

10 originate   

vi.起源于，来自；vt.创造，创始，开创

参考例句：

• All carbohydrates originate from plants.所有的碳水化合物均来自植物。
• All theories originate from practice and in turn serve practice.任何理论都来源于实践，反过来为实践服务。

11 originates   

v.起源于，来自，产生( originate的第三人称单数 )；创造；创始；开创

参考例句：

• The theory of relativity originates with Albert Einstein. 相对论是爱因斯坦创立的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All knowledge originates from labour. 一切知识起源于劳动。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 colonial   

adj.殖民地的，关于殖民的；n.殖民地，居民

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• The people of Africa have successfully fought against colonial rule.非洲人民成功地反抗了殖民统治。

13 context   

n.背景，环境，上下文，语境

参考例句：

• You can always tell the meaning of a word from its context.你常可以从上下文中猜出词义来。
• This sentence does not seem to connect with the context.这个句子似乎与上下文脱节。

14 inflation   

n.胀大，夸张，通货膨胀

参考例句：

• Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
• The inflation of the airbed took several minutes.给空气床垫充气花了几分钟时间。