New York City Buddhist leaders are sounding thealarm to tourists: Beware the "fake monks."
紐約的釋教首腦們向旅客發出告誡：當心“假和尚”。
Men in orange robes claiming to be Buddhist monksare approaching visitors to some of the city's mostpopular attractions, handing them shiny medallionsand offering greetings of peace. They then hit themup for donations to help them build a temple inThailand, and are persistent if their demands arerefused.
在紐約一些熱點景區，有些穿戴橘色袍子的人宣稱本身是釋教和尚以靠近旅客，遞給他們閃閃發光的懷念章，送給他們安然的祝願。然後就向他們索要救濟，幫他們在泰國興修寺廟，假如他們的請求被拒就會死纏爛打。
"The problem seems to be increasing," said the Rev. TK Nakagaki, president of the BuddhistCouncil of New York, a group that represents nearly two dozen Buddhist temples. "They arevery aggressive and hostile if you don't give them money."
紐約釋教協會會長雷夫•TK•中垣說，“題目仿佛愈來愈緊張了，”釋教協會代表著二十多個釋教廟宇。“你不給錢的話他們就會異常不可一世，充斥敵意。”
His group has taken to the streets and social media to warn people that the men appear tohave no affiliation to any Buddhist temple. "Please be aware," read one Facebook post, "this isa scam."
他的團隊走上陌頭，並在交際媒體上告誡人們，這些人和釋教廟宇大概沒有任何幹系。“請當心，”臉書上一條帖子寫道，“這是欺騙。”
Along the popular High Line elevated park, one of the robed men handed a couple a shiny,gold-colored medallion and a plastic beaded bracelet. He then showed them photos of aplanned temple and barked, "Ten dollars! Twenty dollars!" When they wouldn't give up cash, hesnatched the trinkets back.
在遊人浩瀚的高線空中公園，一個長袍和尚遞給一對伉儷一枚金光閃閃懷念章和一串塑料珠子做成的手鏈，然後向他們展現一座籌劃中的寺廟的照片，並叫道：“十美元!二十美元!”假如他們不肯意給錢，他還會把那些小玩藝兒搶歸去。
Other brightly robed men have been spotted pulling the same routine, albeit moresuccessfully, in Times Square, not far from where costumed characters such as Elmo, MinnieMouse and the Naked Cowboy take pictures with tourists for tips. Some of the monks werelater seen handing wads of cash to another man waiting nearby.
有人發明其他青天白日之下擄掠的假和尚也遵照著一樣的法式，只不外更勝利一點，他們是在時期廣場。不遠處另有穿戴戲服的人扮卡通人物，好比艾摩、米老鼠米妮，和赤身的牛仔，他們同旅客攝影以收取小費。晚一點就會看到一些和尚把一堆堆現金交給一個待在鄰近的人。
The Associated Press tried to ask more than half-dozen of the men about their background andthe temple they said the donations were being used to support. Each claimed to be a Buddhistmonk collecting money for a temple in Thailand, but none could give its name or say whereexactly it is located. All the men refused to give their names and ran off when pressed foranswers.
美聯社記者試著向六七個和尚問了題目，懂得一下他們的配景和他們宣稱的要用捐錢建築的寺廟，每小我都說本身是釋教和尚，要籌款在泰國建寺廟，但沒有人說得上來誰人寺廟的名字或詳細所在。全部人都謝絕說出他們的姓名，硬要讓他們答復的話就都跑掉了。
The men first started appearing at the High Line, a New York City public park that's maintainedby a private nonprofit group, about three years ago, said Robert Hammond, executivedirector of Friends of the High Line. But it "became excessive" in the past year, he said, withup to a dozen of the men accosting tourists at once and sometimes grabbing them to demandcash.
“高線公園的同夥們”的常務董事羅伯特•哈蒙德說，約在三年前，這些人第一次出如今紐約的高線公園，高線公園是由一家私家非紅利構造運營的大眾公園。然則客歲“變本加厲”，他說，多達十幾小我同時向旅客搭話，有的時刻還抓著他們要錢。
Panhandling on city streets isn't illegal in New York, as long as the person isn't actingaggressively. But the city's parks department has a rule that says it is unlawful to solicitmoney without a permit from the parks commissioner.
在紐約，在都會陌頭乞討其實不犯罪，只要乞討者的行動不帶有進擊性。然則紐約市的公園治理部分劃定，不經公園治理者許可的乞討是分歧法的。
When asked about the men, New York City Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver initially said, "Ihave no idea what you're talking about." He later said that if the men aren't abiding by the law, "the parks enforcement patrol will take care of it."
當被問及這些和尚的時刻，紐約公園委員會委員米歇爾•西爾弗一開端說，“我不曉得你在說甚麽。”以後他說假如這些人不遵照司法，“公園的法律巡查隊會管的。”
But parks department spokeswoman Crystal Howard said parks enforcement officers hadn'tissued any summonses and the men's actions were "aggressive panhandling," a violation ofstate law that would be enforced by police. New York City police say that in the rare cases whensomeone has called 911 against the men, they were usually gone by the time officers arrived.
然則，公園治理部分的女談話人克麗絲特爾•霍華德說，公園的法律職員沒有宣布過任何傳喚信息，而這些人的行動是“有進擊性的乞討，”違背了州法，警員應當來管他們。紐約警方說，針對這些人報警的案件很少，並且平日警員趕到的時刻他們就跑了。
A few days after the AP inquired about the men on the High Line, several signs were postedthere with photos of them, warning visitors not to give money to panhandlers.
就在美聯社記者訊問有關高線公園的乞討者的幾天以後，公園裏就豎了幾個指導牌，上面有他們的照片，警示旅客不要給這些乞討者財帛。
Similarly robed men have been spotted in San Francisco, asking tourists to sign their "peacepetition" before demanding cash. In China, authorities said the problem of "fake" monksbegging in the streets prompted them to create an online registry of all actual Buddhist andTaoist sites.
有人還在舊金山看到相似的長袍和尚，他們會請求旅客寫下“安然欲望”然後再要錢。在中國，有關部分稱“假”僧人沿街乞討的題目迫使他們創立一個在線註冊網站，掛號全部真實的寺廟和道觀的信息。
In Times Square, the warnings came too late for tourist Rob Cardillo, of Pennsylvania. He gave arobed man $10 to help out with his temple, without ever asking anything about the temple orwhat the money would be used for.
在時期廣場，警示對來自賓夕法尼亞的旅客羅伯•卡迪洛來講來得太晚了。他給了一個長袍和尚10美元幫他修寺廟，乃至都沒有問有關寺廟或財帛用處的任何事。
"He might be fake, but it's the thought and I feel it," Cardillo said as he gripped the goldmedallion.
“他大概是假的，但主要的是思惟，而我感遭到了這類思惟，”卡迪洛握著那金色的懷念章說道。
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