Miss Holocaust Survivor Beauty Pageant celebrates the remarkable women who survived the genocide of the Jews
Commemorating the atrocities committed by the Nazis is usually a sombre duty, not a cause for joy. But at the Miss Holocaust Survivor Beauty Pageant, the emphasis is firmly on celebrating the remarkable women who survived the genocide of the Jews.
說到納粹大屠殺，腦袋中不乏都是暴行的場景、受害者的臉孔，而慶祝納粹所犯下的暴行更是一種殘酷的行為，且並非是一件讓人感到歡樂的事情。但在"大屠殺倖存小姐選美比賽"中其代表著不同的意義，這個比賽強調的是堅決地慶祝這些從大屠殺中生存下來的非凡女性。
說到納粹大屠殺，腦袋中不乏都是暴行的場景、受害者的臉孔，而慶祝納粹所犯下的暴行更是一種殘酷的行為，且並非是一件讓人感到歡樂的事情。但在"大屠殺倖存小姐選美比賽"中其代表著不同的意義，這個比賽強調的是堅決地慶祝這些從大屠殺中生存下來的非凡女性。
- Holocaust (n.) 納粹大屠殺
- Beauty Pageant 選美比賽
- Genocide (n.) 種族滅絕；集體屠殺
- Commemorate (v.) 慶祝；紀念
- Atrocity (n.) 暴行
- Somber (adj.) 嚴峻的；昏暗的；陰沉的；憂鬱的；悶悶不樂的
The 16 contestants at the event in Israel, all aged over 70, showed off their mature beauty as they competed to take the crown as the nation's most striking senior citizen.
The pageant, held in the town of Haifa, was held for the second time on Thursday. It is organised by the International Christian Embassy, an evangelical group that supports Israel, in collaboration with a charity for Holocaust survivors.
The aim is to boost the self-esteem of the women involved by bringing a touch of glamour to their lives. While the contestants are certainly encouraged to look their best in sparkling ballgowns, officials say the event is meant to celebrate inner beauty as well.
上星期四，在以色列海法區的小鎮舉行第二屆的選美盛會，由國際基督教組織以色列福音組和慈善機構合作主辦。此項活動的16位參賽者，年齡都超過70歲，身為全國最引人注目的高齡美女，她們向社會大眾展示出其成熟之美，以爭取這頂選美后冠。
這場比賽的目的是為了提升這些佳麗們的自信，並為她們的生活增添幾分魅力。參賽者們身穿閃耀動人的長禮服，秀出她們美艷的外貌之外，其散發出來內在美更是這項比賽最值得注意的地方。
- Compete (v.) 競爭；比賽
- Striking (adj.) 惹人注目的；顯著的；突出的
His striking good looks made him very popular.
他那十分漂亮的相貌使他很受歡迎。
- in collaboration with 合作
- Self-esteem (n.) 自尊
- Glamour (n.) 魅力
Sophia added a touch of glamour by wearing a beautiful dress.
蘇菲亞穿了一件漂亮的衣服，更增添一份迷人的美。
- Ballgown (n.) 長禮服
- Inner Beauty (n.) 內在美
Many of the women are now fairly infirm, and have little opportunity to dress up at formal events. In the run-up to the event, the 16 finalists were given the use of make-up artists and hairdressers.
其實，許多參賽者們的身體狀況相當衰弱，且幾乎沒有什麼機會盛裝打扮，所以在登台前，十六位佳麗們在化妝師跟髮型師的幫忙下，閃亮登場。
- Infirm (adj.) 因年邁而體弱的
The winner of this year's pageant was Shoshana Colmer, 93, who was brought up in Czechoslovakia before being imprisoned in Auschwitz. She still bears the identity number which was branded on her skin by the Nazis, and during the contest she told a story about how she would sing for a guard in order to secure extra rations of bread. Since moving to Israel, she has not always been free of troubles - in 2006, her house near the border with Lebanon was destroyed by a rocket fired by jihadist group Hezbollah.
While the women involved seemed delighted to have been invited to the pageant, not everyone is so positive. Critics claim the pageant exploits vulnerable elderly people by putting them on show for entertainment.
'I'm not sure I'm happy with this beauty pageant because pageants objectify women and also because there is a sensational dimension,' Dalia Sivan, of Holocaust survivors' charity of Amcha, told USA Today. 'The survivors' suffering is on display in a very public way.'
今年選美比賽的獲勝者是高齡93歲的Shoshana Colmer，Shoshana在被帶到捷克斯拉夫前，曾被囚禁在奧斯威辛集中營，她的皮膚仍然可見當時納粹在她身上烙印下來的身分編碼。她說，她曾為了獲得額外的口糧麵包，唱歌給衛兵聽。自從移居到以色列後，她並沒有想像中遠離麻煩，2006年，她在黎巴嫩邊境附近的房子被聖戰組織黎巴嫩真主黨炸毀。
儘管參與的佳麗們很高興能有這個機會被邀請參加此次的選美比賽，但並不是每個人都對這項活動持著正面的看法。批評者宣稱，這個選美比賽只是利用困乏的長者，來達到娛樂的效果。
大屠殺倖存者慈善機構的發言人Dalia Sivan說：「我不知道是不是該替這個選美比賽感到高興，因為選美比賽常因為一些敏感的話題（如三圍）來物化女性。但我們可以藉由這種非常公開的方式，告訴世人不要忘記生還者的苦難。」
- Brand (v.) 烙印；印‥商標於
- Secure (v.) 弄到；獲得
He secured a position in a store at US$400 a week.
他在一家商店獲得了一份每週四百美元的工作。
- Jihadist Group (n.) 聖戰組織
- Exploit (v.) 剝削；利用；開發；開採
- Vulnerable (adj.) 易受傷的
- Dimension (n.) 尺寸；規模；範圍；重要性 【口】(女子的)三圍
