Leaving the hectic Jerusalem area towards the southern part of Judea you admire the countryside with olive trees and other vegetation. You notice the crawling in of buildings eating slowly even the desert which from the outskirts of the city spreads down towards the Dead Sea. Bethlehem is a town inspiring tenderness and its beauty is a remarkable blend between the Eastern and Western cultures. In front of you the town spreads its wings as if giving shelter to the crawling houses built along its slopes. Passing the military check-points you pass by the tomb of Rachel, a pilgrimage place for Jews and Arabs alike. And there comes to your mind the remote history of this small town of Bethlehem. In fact this Judean town is the backdrop for various historic events found in the Bible.

離開繁忙的耶路撒冷地區向猶大南部行去，映入眼簾的是橄欖樹及各種植物點綴的田野風光。你可以看到到建築從城市邊緣穿過曠野，向死海的方向散佈著。白冷是一個洋溢著東西文化，令人雀躍的溫柔小鎮，她像是提供庇護一般展著雙翼呈現在你面前。經過軍事檢查哨後，你會經過辣黑耳（Rachel）墓，這是一個猶太人跟阿拉伯人的朝聖地。你將會想起白冷小城的遙遠歷史，事實上，這猶太小鎮多采多姿的歷史背景甚至可以在聖經中被發現。

But Bethlehem today presents itself in a different light. A medieval description of the small town describes the work and toil of the townsfolk immersed in producing gems of art in the "mother of pearl", a craft which was introduced in the Holy Land by the Franciscans. And today such a craft is still practised by many a resident of the town where they proudly display their "gems". The Population of Bethlehem today is made up of Christians and Moslems. Among the Christians we find Catholics of Latin, Syrian, Melchite, Armenian and Maronite rites and Orthodox of Greek, Syrian and Armenian denominations. Protestants too are present in the Judean town.

但是今日的白冷呈現著不同的風貌，從中世紀開始，鎮民們致力於珍珠藝術「mother of pearl」，這種工藝是由方濟會士引入聖地，至今仍在鎮上許多地方製作，並引以為傲。今日的白冷居民是由基督徒及穆斯林構成，而在基督徒中，我們可以發現拉丁禮、敘利亞禮、Melchite禮、亞美尼亞禮及Maronite禮的天主教會，以及希臘、敘利亞及亞美尼亞東正教會。新教也在猶太城鎮出現。

A multitude of religious institutes are present in Bethlehem. Amongst these, alongside the Franciscan Friars, we find the De La Salle Brothers (Freres), the Betharam fathers and the Salesians. A multitude of Sisters offer their services to the population: the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition, the Carmelite, Salesian, Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, Franciscans o the Sacred Heart of Mary, Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles, Sisters of Charles de Foucauld, Sisters of Ortas, Rosary Sisters, Elizabethan Sisters and the Dorothean Sisters. All these are mainly involved in Charitable and Educational services ranging from schools to orphanages, from homes to hospitals.

在白冷有眾多的教會機構，除了方濟修會士以外，還有De La Salle Brothers，Betharam fathers及慈幼會。也有許多女修會為人們提供服務：the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition，加爾默羅聖衣女修會、母幼會、瑪利亞方濟各傳教修女會、Franciscans of the Sacred Heart of Mary，Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles，Sisters of Charles de Foucauld，Sisters of Ortas，Rosary Sisters，Elizabethan Sisters及the Dorothean Sisters。這些單位涵蓋了愛德及教育服務，從學校到孤兒院，從家庭到醫院。

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