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進入《中英對照讀新聞》Hundreds protest smashing of ’Mephistopheles’ figure in Saint Petersburg 聖彼得堡的梅菲斯特塑像被毀 成百上千人抗議
超過1000名俄羅斯人因一尊梅菲斯特塑像被毀，在，週日聚集在聖彼得堡抗議。（圖擷取自推特）
◎魏國金
More than a thousand Russians rallied in Saint Petersburg on Sunday after a historic figure of a mythical demon was destroyed amid fears of an increasing religious intolerance under strongman Vladimir Putin.
超過1000名俄羅斯人因一尊歷史性虛構惡魔的雕塑被毀，在擔心強人總統普廷治下宗教褊狹恐有增無減的疑慮中，週日聚集在聖彼得堡。
Last week, a century-old figure of Mephistopheles was ripped down from the facade of a 19th-century building in Saint Petersburg. A group calling itself the Cossacks of Saint Petersburg claimed responsibility.
上週，有百年歷史的梅菲斯特浮雕從聖彼得堡一座19世紀建築物正面被扯下。一個自稱為「聖彼得堡的哥薩克人」團體宣稱是其所為。
The seemingly religiously-motivated act of vandalism caused an outcry in the former imperial capital and police launched a probe.
這起似乎隱含宗教動機的破壞行為，在這個前帝國首都引發強烈抗議，警方也展開調查。
The figure of a bat-winged creature on Lakhtinskaya Street dated back to around 1910.
這個坐落於拉克庭斯卡亞街、有著蝙蝠翅膀的生物塑像，可追溯至1910年左右。
By some accounts, the bas relief paid homage to legendary Russian opera singer Feodor Chaliapin famed for his role of Mephistopheles.
根據若干描述，這座浮雕是向俄國傳奇聲樂家夏里亞賓致意之作，他以魔鬼化身梅菲斯特的角色而聞名。
More than a thousand people including architecture preservationists gathered in front of the building in the city centre to express their dismay over what activists dubbed a "brazen act of vandalism."
包括建築保護人士在內的1000多人聚集在市中心該棟建物前，對於行動人士所稱的「破壞主義的無恥行為」表達他們的驚恐。
"Hands off from art," said one placard. "What happened is awful," said Anna Astakhova, 35. "If it’s true that the bas relief was destroyed for religious reasons then we are descending into the Middle Ages. This is inadmissible."
「別碰藝術，」一張海報說。「所發生的事是違法的，」35歲的阿斯塔荷娃表示：「若這座浮雕真的是因為宗教原因而被毀，那麼我們正淪落至中世紀。這是不能接受的。」
新聞辭典
pay homage to：向…表示敬意。例句：We pay homage to this great man by laying a wreath yearly on his grave.（我們每年在這位偉人墓前獻上花圈，表達敬意。）
hands off：不許碰、不許干涉。例句：Hands off my lunch!（別碰我的午餐！）
inadmissible：不容許的、不可接受的。例如：inadmissible evidence（不能採信的證據）
