万花筒 2011-08-13&08-15 美国彩民"三连中"奖金捐教堂

 At this Cobb County church, they are learning gifts sometimes come in thought-provoking packages. 

 

To win not one, but three lottery¹ tickets and to hand them all over, and just give them away. 

 

It feels good. 

 

Wow. 

 

Like so many other places of worship, Unity² North Atlanta Church has faced its economic challenges. The offering plate has been a little lighter³ of late. 

 

We know that prayer is a beautiful force that can transform everything. And we see now that we were heard. 

 

Their prayers prompted an act of generosity⁴ that came in a most unexpected form. Inside an envelope, a church member offered two winning Keno tickets,worth over $3,000. Turns out, lady luck wasn't finished with him or the church. The next day he was back, with another winning ticket, worth close to $1,000. 

 

He made the comment, like "Don't get me wrong, I could use it, you know, but he's like,that's not what this is about. 

 

He's asked the church to keep his name private. But he's not finished. He's told church members he plans to keep on buying lottery tickets until he's able to pay off the mortgage here, $2.7 million. 

 

The timing⁵ of the lucky lotto gifts is perfect. The method of winning is not something the church condones⁶. 

 

We are not supporting anybody to go out and gamble. You know, that's a risk we don't support in our ministry⁷. However, a gift is a gift. 

 

They've hit a jackpot of generosity. 

 

We ask for miracles, we believe in miracles and have a miracle come that way is just amazing.

1 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

2 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

4 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

5 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

6 condones   

v.容忍，宽恕，原谅( condone的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A morality that condones such bloodshed is totally unacceptalbe to me. 宽恕这种杀戮的道德是我完全不能接受的。 来自辞典例句
• When government condones evil, he insists, "the true place for a just man is a prison." 他坚持认为，当政府宽容罪恶时，“正直人的真正去处是监狱”。 来自哲学部分

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。