Pope Benedict XVI is the 265th Pope, also known as the Bishop of Rome and Sovereign of the Vatican. He is the spiritual head of the Roman Catholic Church. He was elected Pope in 2005 and succeeded John Paul II. Benedict is a prolific author and has written dozens of books on religion. He believes consumerism is the biggest threat to our world.
教皇本笃十六世是第265任教宗，他也被称之为罗马和梵蒂冈大主教。本笃十六世是罗马天主教的精神领袖。2005年，他接替若望·保禄二世成功当选新任教皇。本笃是一位多产作家，他出版了数十本宗教书籍。他深信消费主义是全球最大威胁。
Benedict was born as Joseph Ratzinger in Bavaria, Germany, in 1927. He was very interested in the Church from a young age. When he was five, he wanted to be a cardinal. World War II saw him drafted into the army, but an illness meant he didn't fight. When the war finished, he went into training to become a priest.
1927年，本笃出生在德国巴伐利亚，本名若瑟·拉青格。他从小就对宗教产生了浓厚兴趣。5岁时，他的愿望是成为一名红衣主教。他曾在二战时期入伍，但因疾病而为能参加战斗。二战结束后，他开始接受牧师培训。
Ratzinger became a professor of theology at the University of Bonn in 1959. He was a highly respected scholar on Vatican matters. He wrote in his 1968 book ‘Introduction to Christianity’ that Rome had too much control of the Church. In 1977, he was appointed a cardinal, fulfilling his boyhood wish. He was very influential in the Vatican and was close to John Paul II.
1959年，本笃成为了波恩大学神学教授。他是天主教问题的知名学者。1968年，著作《基督宗教导论》出版，里面讲述了罗马对教会的强大控制。1977年，儿时梦想实现，他被任命为红衣主教。他在天主教廷极具影响力，并与若望·保禄二世难分伯仲。
Ratzinger had hoped not to be elected as Pope, preferring instead to quietly retire. He joked that God hadn't listened to his prayers. In his time as Pope, he has stuck to the traditional values of Biblical teaching and has modernized the Church. He has reached out to other faiths and apologized for child sex abuse cases committed by priests.
本笃不希望当选教宗，并希望就此退休。他开玩笑说上帝没有实现他的愿望。任职期间，他坚守传统的圣经教义，并让天主教走上了现代化发展。他的工作还涉及了许多其它宗教，并对天主教牧师性侵儿童一事道歉。
译文属秀哈英语原创，未经允许，不得转载。
