文章來源:http://iservice.libertytimes.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=751535&day=2014-02-02

 

Likened to a weather forecast crossed with a church hymn, Switzerland’s national anthem could be binned in favour of a new version if campaigners get their way.

 

被形容成結合天氣預報和教會讚美詩的瑞士現行國歌,很可能會被換掉改成新版,假如推動換國歌的運動人士能夠順利如願的話。

 

Too heavy on God and Alpine vistas, the anthem fails to reflect today’s values and has never been etched into the national psyche, critics say.

 

批評者表示,現行國歌內容太偏重上帝和阿爾卑斯山景色,無法反映現代價值,也從未被銘刻在瑞士人的民族心靈中。

 

"Nobody knows the words! Anyone who tells you they do is a liar. Or else we manage the first few and afterwards we go ’la, la, la’," said Pierre Kohler, president of the jury holding an unofficial competition to choose a new anthem.

 

「根本沒人知道歌詞!那些自稱知道歌詞的人都是騙子。我們只勉強記得前幾句,後面就只好一直『啦啦啦』下去,」舉行新國歌比賽的非官方評審團主席柯勒說。

 

Ditching anthems is usually associated with wars and revolutions -- think France’s "Marseillaise" -- none of which applies to peaceful, stable Switzerland.

 

更換國歌通常都與戰爭和革命有關,例如法國的「馬賽曲」,但這並不適用於和平、安定的瑞士。

 

But on January 1, organisers kick off a contest to find a new anthem, open to all and with a first prize of 10,000 Swiss francs. "Personally, I think a national anthem can be changed every 50 or 100 years. It’s not a major problem. On the contrary, it allows people to think," said Kohler.

 

但從1月1日起,運動人士展開一項尋找新國歌的比賽,所有人都可參加,首獎則是1萬瑞士法郎。「以我個人而言,我認為國歌可以每50年或100年更換一次。這不是個大問題。相反地,這讓大家有機會省思,」柯勒說。

 

The goal is to submit a text to the government by 2016, potentially paving the way for a referendum in this nation of eight million people, renowned for its direct democracy.

 

比賽的目標是在2016年前提出新國歌歌詞給政府,並替可能的新國歌公投鋪路,人口800萬的瑞士素以直接民主制度著稱。

 

"We don’t take issue with the tune, which is quite beautiful," said Jean-Daniel Gerber, chairman of the Swiss Society for Public Good, the 203-year-old association which masterminded the competition. "The problem is the lyrics. The author had in mind a psalm, not a national anthem." he said.

 

「我們對國歌的旋律沒有意見,其實旋律相當優美,」已有203年歷史的瑞士公益協會主席葛伯說,該協會正是新國歌比賽的幕後策劃者。「問題在於歌詞。作者當時要寫的是一首讚美詩,而不是國歌,」他說。

 

新聞辭典

 

cross:動詞,原指讓不同種類的動植物雜交,引申為形容結合2種不同特質的人或事。例句:It’s a movie that crosses horror with humor.(這是一部結合恐怖與幽默的電影。)

 

etch:動詞,原指(用酸類在金屬板上)蝕刻,引申為指深印、鮮明地描述。例句:The events remain etched in the minds of all who witnessed them.(這些事件至今仍深印在目擊者腦海中。)

 

take issue with:就某事向某人提出異議或發生爭論。例句:She took issue with the conclusions reached by the study.(她對這項研究的結論提出異議。)

文章來源:http://iservice.libertytimes.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=751535&day=2014-02-02

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