News English - 234

A Clash of Competing Ideologies: France’s Burkini Controversy

France is one of many European countries with a growing Muslim population, many of whom are newly arrived immigrants from Africa and the Middle East. How these newcomers integrate into French society, or seen another way, how some of them refuse to integrate, is a source of ongoing tension in France.

Traditionally-minded French people feel that immigrants should adapt to the culture of their adopted homeland. This means conforming not only to France’s laws, but also to French norms and social conventions. Some Muslim immigrants, however, are reluctant to embrace the traditions and behaviors of a culture they see as overly permissive and lacking in morals. They believe doing so would compromise their own religious and cultural beliefs.

Among these beliefs is a requirement for Muslim women to dress modestly in public. To comply, some opt for simple headscarves, while others cover their entire bodies with long garments known as Burqas. This distinctive clothing makes them stand out from non-Muslims.

A clash has erupted between these competing ideologies in the Mediterranean coastal city of Nice. At issue is what constitutes appropriate swimwear for women. French women often wear bikinis, and some even choose to swim and sunbathe topless. This reflects the majority French view that it is acceptable for women to bare their breasts while frolicking at the seaside. Conservative Muslims find this practice deeply offensive, however. To conform to their religious beliefs, some Muslim women have taken to wearing bathing suits that cover them from head to toe, popularly known as burkinis.

Dismayed by this new development, the local government in Nice enacted a law banning the wearing of burkinis. The rationale behind the law is that such an obvious display of religiosity might be seen as symbolic of Islamic extremism. While this may seem overly reactionary, it must be remembered that a number of terrorist attacks have been committed on French soil by Islamic extremists in recent years. Besides the Paris attacks that happened last year, an attack in Nice in July saw a terrorist drive a truck through a crowded outdoor celebration, killing eighty-six people and injuring hundreds.

In a legal challenge, however, a French court has ruled that Nice’s burkini ban is not justified. In overturning the ban, the court stated that wearing the swimsuits posed no risk to public safety or law and order. Even so, questions of how to respect religious freedom while maintaining social harmony continue to divide French society.

Reading Comprehension

(   ) 1. According to the passage, where do many newly arrived immigrants to France originally come from?

(A) Asia                                                    (B) Central America and South America

(C) North America and Australia              (D) Africa and the Middle East

(   ) 2. Nice enacted a law banning the burkinis because ______.

(A) burkinis are offensive to Muslim women

(B) eighty six people were killed by someone wearing a burkini

(C) there are many terrorist attacks happening in France in recent years

(D) the style of a burkini is topless

(   ) 3. According to the passage, what is the reason for the court overturning the burkini ban?

(A) Religious freedom is more important than fashion.          

(B) The swimsuits do not put people in danger while swimming.

(C) The swimsuits pose no risk to public safety or law and order.

(D) The government has no business telling people what to wear or what not to wear.

(   ) 4. According to the passage, what happened in a recent terror attack in Nice?

(A) Bombs were exploded by terrorists in several locations.                          

(B) Nightclub patrons were shot dead by terrorists during a concert.

(C) A terrorist drove a truck through a crowded celebration.

(D) Beachgoers were kidnapped at gunpoint by terrorists.

(   ) 5. Which of the following statements could be inferred from the passage?

(A) People in Nice are very sensitive about visible displays of religiosity because of recent terror attacks.

(B) People in Nice believe women should always go topless at the beach.

(C) People in Nice believe Muslim women should have to wear bikinis to conform to French culture.

(D) People in Nice want to ban the Islamic religion altogether.

Vocabulary and Phrases

1.      integrate [`Int1&Gret] vt.; vi. 合併

My uncle’s company integrated into another one because they are in debt.

2.      conform [k1n`fOrm] vi. 遵照，順從

The teacher is angrily scolding at those students who didn’t conform to the school regulations.

3.      norm [nOrm] n. [C] 基準，標準方式

Stanley tried to accustom himself to the social norms after he immigrated to Italy.

4.      embrace [Im`bres] vt. (fml.) 接受(想法、觀念等)

The young designer embraces changes enthusiastically and is always willing to leave his comfort zone and try new things.

5.      permissive [p2`mKsKv] adj. 過於寬容的；對性的開放

For Asian people, western countries are usually seen to be free and permissive.

6.      compromise [`kAmpr1&maIz] vt. 損害，危及

Staying up late and working too hard every night can compromise one’s health.

7.      modestly [`mAd1stlI] adv. 質樸地

Although Sherry is rich, she always dresses modestly no matter where she goes.

8.      comply [k1m`plaI] vi. 應允，順從，遵守

The strict employer asked his employees to comply with all rules of the company, or they will be fired.

9.      opt [Apt] vi. 選擇

Howard opted for a laptop instead of a desktop computer, for it is much lighter and convenient.

10.  headscarf [`hEd&skArf] n. [C] 頭巾

Jenny likes to cover her head with a headscarf when it is cold outside.

11.  garment [`GArm1nt] n. [C] (fml.) 衣服

Pam designs ladies’ garments only—including everything from blouses and skirts to underclothes and gowns.

12.  distinctive [dI`stI9ktIv] adj. 不同的；獨特的

The pop star always catches people’s eyes by wearing distinctive clothes.

13.  erupt [I`r^pt] vi. (戰事或衝突等)突發，爆發

Right after the final peace attempt failed, a war immediately erupted between the two countries.

14.  constitute [`kAnst1&tjut] vt. 等於…，就是…

Being tired all the time constitutes a warning sign to one’s health.

15.  topless [`tApl1s] adj. 胸部裸露的

Nancy didn’t know where to look at while seeing a lot of topless women on the beach.

16.  dismay [dIs`me] vt. 使驚恐；使失望

Tom was dismayed by the new policies of his company, so he decided to protest against them.

17.  enact [In`8kt] vt. 制定（法律）

The government enacted a law about minimum wage to guarantee the rights of employees.

18.  rationale [&r8S1`n8l] n. [U][C] (fml.) 理由

The residents wanted to know Mr. Chen’s rationale for shutting down his grocery store.

19.  terrorist [`tEr1rIst] n. [C] 恐怖主義者

The terrorist who was trying to explode the bomb in the airport was caught by police.

20.justify [`dZ^st1&faI] vt. 證明…有道理

Paul justified handing in the assignment late by saying that he had been doing something more valuable.

Words for Recognition

1.          ideology [&aIdI`Al17I] n. [U][C] 意識形態

2.          burkini n. [C] 布基尼

一種為穆斯林女性設計的泳裝，此種泳裝包覆全身，只露出臉的部分。

3.          Burqa n. [C] 罩袍

又譯做「布爾卡」或「波卡」，為一種伊斯蘭國家的女性傳統服飾，特色是會將全身從頭到腳都包覆，眼睛的部分也有網紗。

4.          Mediterranean [>mEd1t1`renI1n] n. (the ～) 地中海

位於歐洲大陸、非洲大陸、亞洲大陸之間的海域。由於曲折的海岸線形成許多良好的港口，從古代開始就有發達的航海業。古埃及文明、古希臘文明及羅馬帝國皆位於地中海沿岸。

5.          Nice [nis] n. 尼斯

法國東南部的港口城市，位於普羅旺斯-阿爾卑斯-蔚藍海岸大區。

6.          bikini [bI`kinI] n. [C] 比基尼式泳裝

一種上半件為胸罩、下半件為內褲的兩件式女性泳裝。

7.          frolic [`frAlIk] vi. 嬉戲

8.          religiosity [rI&lI7I`As1tI] n. [U] 宗教信仰

9.          Islamic [Is`l8mIk] adj. 伊斯蘭教（徒）的

10.      extremism [Ik`strimIz1m] n. [U] 極端主義

extremist [Ik`strimIst] n. [C] 極端主義者

極端主義多見於政治或宗教層面。本文所提到的伊斯蘭極端主義常被西方國家稱作恐怖主義。

11.   reactionary [rI`8kS1n&ErI] adj. 反動的

Translation

意識形態衝突：布基尼禁令掀爭議

法國是歐洲眾多穆斯林人口攀升的國家之一，這些穆斯林大多為來自非洲及中東的新移民。而新移民們如何融入，或者說，拒絕融入法國社會，是法國現今局勢緊張的源頭。

思想較傳統的法國人認為，移民都應入境隨俗，不只要遵守法國法律，也須遵從法國的規範及社會習俗。然而，有些穆斯林不願意接受一個文化中過度放縱、缺乏道德的傳統和行為，他們深信這樣會危害自己的宗教及文化信仰。

其中一個信仰就是女性穆斯林需在公共場合穿著保守。為了遵從規範，有些人選擇只戴簡單的頭巾，而有些人則會將身體緊緊包覆，她們所穿的長袍稱作「布爾卡」，這種特殊的服裝讓她們在非穆斯林人群中顯得特別突出。

這兩個互不包容的意識形態在地中海沿岸的城市尼斯爆發了衝突，爭議點就在於女性的泳裝。法國女人常穿比基尼，有人甚至會裸露上身游泳或曬日光浴，反映出多數法國人接受女性在海邊玩耍時袒胸露背，但是保守的穆斯林認為這個行為深深冒犯到他們。為了遵守宗教信仰，一些穆斯林女人開始穿上將自己從頭到腳都包住的泳裝「布基尼」。

由於對這樣的發展感到擔心，尼斯政府下令禁穿布基尼，理由是如此明顯的宗教行為可能被視為伊斯蘭極端主義的象徵。儘管這個政策看似過於反動，但不要忘了近幾年法國發生的許多恐怖攻擊事件。除了去年的巴黎襲擊事件，今年七月，尼斯也發生恐怖份子開卡車衝撞參加國慶人群的事件，並造成86人喪生與數百人受傷。

然而，法院判定尼斯的布基尼禁令無效，並以穿這種泳衣不會對社會安全造成危害來推翻此禁令。儘管如此，要如何尊重宗教自由並同時維持社會和諧，這個問題將持續讓法國內部產生對立。

閱讀測驗解答：1. D  2. C  3. C  4. C  5. A

News English - 233

Tensions Rise in the South China Sea

For many people around the world, including even some in Asia, the South China Sea does not seem all that important. After all, there doesn’t seem to be much in this area, except for miles of empty ocean and a few islands scattered here and there. However, some experts claim that this part of the world is actually a dangerous, potential flashpoint that could lead to big trouble, and perhaps even war, in the region.

The conflict over this territory in the South China Sea actually goes back for centuries. For years, different countries have claimed sovereignty over different parts of the ocean and the islands there. Altogether, six countries, including Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, have laid claim to all or part of this disputed area of the South China Sea.

Over the last fifty years, there have been several minor conflicts between different countries over this territory. However, tensions now seem to be even further on the rise. Recently, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China does not have any historical claim to the South China Sea. In addition, China’s recent actions, which include building military bases on the islands in the South China, have violated the sovereign rights of the Philippines, according to the court.      

China dismissed the ruling and actually boycotted the hearing. It defiantly stated that it would continue to build new airports on the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島). A representative from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that China has a 2,000-year-old history in the South China Sea and a map from 1948 is proof of the country’s claim to the area.    

For the new Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen, the controversy over the South China Sea is seen as the first real test of her ability as well as her foreign policy. Recently, her administration came to an internal resolution that reaffirmed Taiwan’s claims to sovereignty over to the islands here, including Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島). Tsai’s government was seen as trying to differentiate itself from China’s claims to the area.     

For its part, the United States of America still regards the South China Sea as international waters, and it has deliberately sent its naval ships through this area to demonstrate this.      

Experts say that the South China Sea is important because it may contain oil or other valuable natural resources. Therefore, control over the shipping lanes here is also very valuable. It can only be hoped that the conflict over this area will soon be resolved peacefully by all of the countries involved.

Reading Comprehension

(     ) 1. What is the main topic of this article?

         (A) Pollution and other environmental problems in the South China Sea.

         (B) The short, peaceful history of the South China Sea.

         (C) Resolving conflicts through the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

         (D) The growing problems and tension in the South China Sea.

(     ) 2. The word “sovereignty” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning

         to “_______.”

         (A) wealth       (B) law               (C) power       (D) military

(     ) 3. According to the passage, which of the following countries is NOT involved in

         the conflict?

         (A) Brunei.      (B) The Philippines.     (C) Malaysia.     (D) Japan.

(     ) 4. What can be inferred from the passage?

         (A) The conflict in the South China Sea began just recently.

         (B) Not much of importance is happening in the South China Sea at the moment.

         (C) The conflict in the South China Sea is complicated; it has a long history.

         (D) This is a conflict between the United States and China only.

(     ) 5. What does the author hope will happen in the South China Sea?

         (A) The United States will take control of this area.

         (B) The six countries involved will rule over it together.

         (C) The conflict there will be resolved peacefully.

         (D) The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague will settle the matter.

Vocabulary and Phrases

1. scatter [`sk8t2] vi. 分散，散開

．The students soon scattered when the class was dismissed.

2. claim [klem] vt. 聲稱，斷言

．Peter claimed that he was Natalie Portman’s classmate but no one believed him.

3. potential [p1`tEnS1l] adj. 可能的，潛在的

．Eating too much greasy food and desserts may pose a potential threat to one’s health.

4. flashpoint [`fl8S&pOInt] n. [C] 危機即將爆發的地點

．The Middle East is a flashpoint because of complex religions and benefits of the oil.

5. sovereignty [`sAvrIntI] n. [U] 主權，統治權

  sovereign [`sAvrIn] n. [C] 君主，元首

．The sovereignty of the land is still a big problem because of the different and disputed borders.

．The last sovereign of the United Kingdom is Queen Anne, who is also called the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland.

6. lay claim to [`le klem `tu] phr. 聲稱…歸其所有

．Kevin laid claim to the possession of his dead mother’s house.

7. rule [rul] vt. 裁決，判定  

．The court has ruled that the prisoner, who killed an innocent child randomly, is

sentenced to the death penalty.

8. disputed [dI`spjutId] adj. 有爭議的

．Donald Trump has made a lot of disputed issues, such as racial and sexual discrimination.

9. dismiss [dIs`mIs] vt. 對…不予理會

．The manager dismissed the idea that Susan came up with in the meeting.

10. defiantly [dI`faI1ntlI] adv. 違抗地，挑釁地

．Jason’s competitor spoke out defiantly to him before the game started.

11. representative [rEprI`zEnt1tIv] n. [C] 代表

  ．Judy was pointed to be our school’s representative to attend the speech contest.

12. administration [1d&mIn1`streS1n] n. [C] 政府任期

．The Iraq War happened during the Bush administration.

13. resolution [&rEz1`luS1n] n. [C] 決議，正式決定

．The United Kingdom passed the resolution to exit the EU.

14. reaffirm [&ri1`f3m] vt. 重申，再次聲明

．The spokesman of the police headquarters reaffirmed that he didn’t have any connection to the bribe.

15. differentiate [&dIf1`rEnSI&et] vt. 區別，辨別

．What differentiates humans from animals is language.

16. deliberately [dI`lIb1retlI] adv. 故意地

．After arguing, Ian deliberately tumbled Frank and stared with scorn at him.

17. demonstrate [`dEm1n&stret] vt. 顯示，表明

  ．The extreme weather demonstrates that human beings should be aware of our

    natural environment.

18. shipping [`SIpI9] n. [U] 運輸；(尤指) 船運，海運

  ．The shipping fee of your products is 60 dollars.

19. resolve [rI`zolv] vt. 解決；解除

  ．The couple tried to resolve the problem they met and went through everything

    together.

20. involve [In`volv] vt. 牽涉；包含

   ．The oil scandal involved many famous companies, which made a lot of people

     disappointed about it.

Words for Recognition

1. South China Sea [`saUT `tSaIn1 si] n. 南海

  位於東南亞，西太平洋的一部分，菲律賓又稱之為「西菲律賓海」。南海海域面積

有350萬平方公里，其中有超過200個無人居住的島嶼和岩礁，這些島礁被合稱為南海諸島。除了是主要的海上運輸航線外，南海據信還蘊藏著豐富的石油和天然氣。

2. here and there [`hIr `8nd `DEr] phr. 到處，在各處

3. Brunei [bru`naI] n. 汶萊

  汶萊達魯薩蘭國，也作汶萊和平之國，簡稱汶萊或文萊，是東南亞「主權、民

  主和獨立的馬來穆斯林蘇丹國」。 1984年脫離英國和平獨立。盛產石油與天

  然氣。

4. on the rise [`An `D1 `raIz] phr. 增加，上漲

5. Permanent Court of Arbitration [`p3m1nm1nt `kort 1v &Arb1`treS1n] n.

  常設仲裁法院位於荷蘭海牙的國際仲裁機構。該院基於國家之間或者國家與私

  人之間的合意，處理他們之間的爭端。常設仲裁法院並不是一個國家之間的法

  庭。爭議雙方可以請求該院對其進行仲裁、調解或者僅僅是調查事實。

6. The Hague [heg] n. 海牙

  荷蘭第三大城市，在阿姆斯特丹和鹿特丹之後。海牙並不是荷蘭的首都，但它

  是中央政府所在地，所有的中央政府機關與外國使館幾乎都位於此。

7. Spratly Islands [`spr8tlI] n. 南沙群島

  南沙群島是華人對該群島的稱呼，西方社會以及其以往的殖民地一般稱之為斯

  普拉特利群島。南沙群島是南海中南海諸島的四大群島中位置最南、島礁最

  多、分布最廣的一組群島，也是爭議最多的島嶼群。

8. Ministry of Foreign Affairs [`mInIstrI 1v fOrIn 1`fErz] n. 外交部

  外交部是一個主權國家負責國家對外事務的專門政府機關，與國家對外事務或

  相關領域事務劃歸外交部負責，如經貿商務、援助合作及宗教和移民事務。

9. Itu Aba Island [&itu `AbA `aIl1nd]  n. 太平島

   從前傳統的中國漁民都稱呼這座島嶼為「黃山馬峙」，而「峙」是「高聳」的

   意思。日本人稱呼這座島嶼為長島。而中文以外的航海地圖，把太平島命名

   為伊圖阿巴(Itu Aba Island)，而「伊圖阿巴」是馬來語「那是什麼」的意思。

10. naval [`nevL] adj. 海軍的，軍艦的

Translation

南海緊張局勢加劇

對世界上許多人，甚至包括一些亞洲人來說，南海似乎並不是那麼的重要。畢竟，這個地區什麼都沒有，除了一望無際的海和一些零散在四處的島嶼。但是，一些專家聲稱，這個地區事實上既危險又棘手，且可能會引發戰爭。

關於南海領域的衝突可以追溯至幾世紀前。近幾年來，不同的國家都宣稱它們在那裡擁有部份領海和島嶼的主權，總共有六個國家，包括臺灣、中國大陸、菲律賓、越南、馬來西亞，以及汶萊，都聲稱南海的所有或部分爭議地區都歸其所有。

過去50年來，在這塊領域曾經有過幾次小衝突。但是南海緊張的局勢現在似乎越演越烈。最近位於荷蘭海牙的國際常設仲裁法院，裁決中國大陸對南海並沒有任何歷史權利。此外，根據法院的判決，中國大陸最近的行動，包括在南海的諸島上建造軍事基地，已經觸犯了菲律賓的國家主權。

但中國大陸對於此項裁決不予理會，事實上還在公聽會上杯葛這次的判決。中國大陸以挑釁的姿態宣稱，它還會繼續在南沙群島建設新的機場。一位中國大陸外交部的代表聲稱，中國對於南海主權有2000年的歷史，並且提出1948年的地圖來證明對此區域的所有權。

對臺灣新上任的總統蔡英文來說，南海爭議似乎是第一個真正的考驗，考驗她的能力以及外交政策。最近，蔡英文政府決議並重申，臺灣對於太平島有絕對的主權。蔡英文政府被認為想和中國官方對於南海的主張有所區別。

對這次爭議，美國政府仍然視南海為國際海域，並且刻意派出軍艦航行南海來證明此說法。

專家表示，南海是重要的區域，因為它有可能蘊藏石油及其他珍貴的天然資源。且掌控這裡的海運航線也非常重要。但我們只能期許所有牽涉南海衝突的國家可以盡快和平地解決。

閱讀測驗解答：1. D  2. C  3. D  4. C  5. C