The weeklong faith extravaganza of World Youth Day is under way in Madrid with more than one million young Catholics expected to pour into the city. Pope Benedict is now due to arrive on Thursday as bitter debates are raging over the festivities and the role of the church in Spanish politics.
长达一个星期的“世界青年日”庆典活动已经在西班牙首都马德里展开。预计有一百多万信奉天主教的年青人将为此涌入马德里。教皇本笃十六世定于星期四抵达马德里。与此同时，围绕庆祝活动的花费及天主教在西班牙的政治角色的辩论日益激烈。
Millions anticipate Pope's visit
More than a million young Catholics are expected to crowd into Madrid this week for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to celebrate World Youth Day. It will be the third time the pope travels to Spain, the country he has visited most since his election in 2005.
预计将有一百多万年轻人聚集在马德里，聆听教皇的讲话。这将是教皇本笃十六世2005年就任以来，第三次访问西班牙。
Addressing pilgrims from his summer residence in the hills south of Rome Sunday, the pope urged them to pray for the successul outcome of his visit. Just two days before his arrival, Spanish police arrested a 24-year-old Mexican man who was apparently planning to attack people protesting the visit. Security in the city has been significantly stepped up.
上星期天，教皇在他位于意大利首都罗马以南的夏日居所向朝圣者发表了讲话。他在讲话中请前来听他讲话的那些朝圣者为他此次访问的成功而祈祷。星期二，西班牙警方逮捕了一名24岁的来自墨西哥的男子，这名男子计划对那些抗议教皇到访的人进行攻击。在那之后，马德里市政府加强了安全警卫。
Most of the city’s residents have fled the stifling heat in Madrid but hundreds of thousands of pilgrims participated in the opening Mass for World Youth Day on Tuesday, celebrated by Madrid Cardinal Antonio Rouco Varela in the Plaza de Cibeles.
实际上，马德里的很多居民已经为了避暑而离开了市区。但是，这个星期二举行的“世界青年日”的开幕式，还是吸引了来自世界各地的成千上万的朝圣者。主持开幕式的是马德里的红衣主教瓦雷拉。
Organizers say the celebration of World Youth Day is drawing faithful from 193 nations. But there will also be those who are not celebrating.
这一活动的组织者说，来自193个国家的天主教徒纷纷涌入马德里，但是，也有一些人到马德里来，并不是为了庆祝。
Protesters oppose event costs
Left-leaning groups demanding a secular state and young people who occupied many of Spain’s main squares in May to protest the government’s handling of the economy are planning at a major protest march Wednesday, on the eve of the pope’s arrival.
一些左派团体要求天主教会和政府之间完全脱离关系。另外，今年5月份曾经在马德里抗议西班牙政府处理经济问题不当的年青人，这次计划在星期三、也就是教皇本笃十六世抵达马德里的前一天，举行大规模的游行抗议。
Criticism of the papal visit has come mainly from the “Los Indignados” (Indignant Ones) protest movement. The group has protested against the government’s spending cuts, economic woes, and 21 percent unemployment.
对教皇到访的批评主要来自所谓的愤怒者运动。 这些人一直在抗议西班牙政府削减开支、处理经济问题不当和21%的失业率居高不下。
Many people are unhappy with the cost of extra security for the pope’s visit. They feel this was unnecessary spending at a time that the country is undergoing a deep economic crisis.
很多人对教皇到访迫使政府额外拨款来保证安全，表示不满。他们认为，在西班牙经济危机非常严重的情况下，类似的花销实在是没有必要。
Pope's welcome
Upon arrival on Thursday, Spain’s royal family will greet Pope Benedict at Madrid’s Barajas airport. The first official meeting between the pope and youth will be a welcome party. The pope will cross the Puerta de Alcala with five young people, each from a different continent.
星期四，教皇抵达马德里那一天，将受到西班牙皇室在机场为他举行的欢迎仪式。之后，教皇和前来参加“世界青年日”的年青人之间的第一轮会晤，将是一个欢迎宴会。届时，教皇将和来自五大洲的五个年青人一道，穿过阿尔卡拉门(Puerta de Alcala)。
In Madrid, the Pope will also meet with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, whose government has promoted several policies opposed by the church, including relaxing Spain's divorce laws, easing restrictions on abortion, legalizing same-sex marriage and allowing gay couples to adopt.
（责任编辑:实习飞刀）
