《中英對照讀新聞》Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion 伊斯蘭教是全世界成長最快的宗教
「皮優研究中心」最近一份研究顯示,伊斯蘭教是世界上成長最快的宗教。(歐新社)
◎陳正健
Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion - and not just in Muslim majority nations:10% of all Europeans are projected to be members of the Muslim faith by 2050, according to a recent Pew Research Center study.
「皮優研究中心」最近一份研究顯示,伊斯蘭教是世界上成長最快的宗教,而且不僅是在穆斯林為主的國家如此:2050年前,估計所有歐洲人中將有10%成為穆斯林信仰的一員。
The study estimates that from 2010 to 2050, Muslims will have increased across the world by 73%, followed by Christians who are projected to grow by 35% during the same time period, and Hindus at 34%. This means that Islam will surpass Christianity as the world’s biggest religion by the end of the century.
這項研究估計,2010至2050年間,全球穆斯林人口將成長73%,其後是預計同時期將增加35%的基督徒,以及成長34%的印度教徒。這意味著伊斯蘭教將於本世紀末超越基督教,成為全球最大宗教。
This will lead to a global shake-up, with India to overtake Indonesia as having the world’s largest Muslim population – although its Hindu population will maintain its majority status.
這將導致全球劇變,印度將超越印尼,成為世界上穆斯林人口最多的國家,即便該國的印度教人口仍將維持多數族群地位。
The reasons for the continued growth in Islam lies with its demographics. Muslim women have more children, on average - 3.1 children compared to 2.3 for all other religious groups combined. Also, those of the Muslim faith tend to be, on average, seven years younger than non-Muslims.
伊斯蘭教持續成長的原因,在於其人口統計特徵。穆斯林女性擁有較多小孩,平均3.1人,而其他所有宗教族群綜合平均是2.3人。此外,這些穆斯林信仰者的平均年齡,也比非穆斯林人口年輕7歲。
新聞辭典
demographics:名詞,人口統計特徵。例句:Demographics are used by governments, corporations and non-government organizations to learn more about a population’s characteristics.(人口統計學為政府、公司和非政府組織使用,以了解更多人口特徵。)
shake-up:名詞,動搖,革新,劇變。例句:The White House is mulling a staff shake-up.(白宮正醞釀一場人事劇變。)
overtake:動詞,超過,趕上。例句:I did not see the car that was overtaking me.(我並未看到超越我的那輛車。)