好英语网土耳其古老传统：传递爱心的面包
At my local bakery in Göztepe, near Kadıköy on the Asian side of Istanbul, everything is made on the premises in a wood-fired oven tucked away at the back. Any space not taken up by the 1,200 white loaves they produce a day is filled with baguettes, rolls, rye, multigrain and cornbread, as well as cakes, biscuits and pastries. Amidst the constant flurry of customers, I’ll sometimes see the owner give someone a loaf of bread without any money changing hands. At other times a customer will pay for two loaves of bread but only take one.
哥兹特普（Göztepe）位于伊斯坦布尔（Istanbul）亚洲一侧的卡德科区，在我住家附近，这里的一家面包店所有的面包糕点都是在店子后面一个炭火烤炉里烤出来的。他们每天烘烤1200条白面包，所余的空间还堆满了长棍面包、面包卷、黑麦面包、杂粮面包和玉米面包，以及蛋糕、饼干和糕点。在熙熙攘攘的顾客中，我有时会看到店主给别人一条面包，却不收钱。有时，顾客会买两条面包，但只拿一条走。
In many Western countries, it has become common in recent years for people to hand over money for an extra cup of coffee or a filling meal when they pay for their own, to be held at the counter for a person in need. In Turkey, this seemingly modern idea of “paying it forward” goes back centuries. It’s called askıda ekmek, and it relates specifically to paying it forward with bread.
在许多西方国家，近年来会出现这样一个现象，人们在柜台付钞找数之时，会额外多付一杯咖啡或一顿可填报肚子的饭钱，这是为其后需要帮助的人代为买单。这种看似现代的“提前支付惠及后来需要者”的理念实际在土耳其早已有之，可追根溯源到几百年前，在土耳其语中叫做askıda ekmek，即事前为任何需要的人付钱买面包。
伊斯坦布尔一个收容无家可归的社区里在派发面包圈。
Askıda ekmek, which means “bread on a hanger” or “suspended bread”, has its roots in Islam, the dominant religion in the country. It works like this: you go to a bakery and pay for two loaves of bread but only take one. On paying for the bread, you tell the person who takes the money that one of them is askıda ekmek. Your contribution is bagged and hung together with others so when people come in throughout the day and ask, “Askıda ekmek var mi?” (“Is there bread on the hook?”), they can take a loaf for free.
所谓Askıda ekmek，意思是“挂在架子上的面包”或“谁需要谁拿的面包”，是起源土耳其的主流宗教伊斯兰教的一个传统。其运作是这样的：你去一家面包店付钱买两条面包，但只拿一条走。付钱时告诉柜台上的人,另外一条面包是askıda ekmek。你贡献的面包包好后和与他人付钱的askıda ekmek挂在一起。这一天只要有人进来问“架子上有面包吗?” （Askıda ekmek var mi？），他们就可以免费拿走一个。
It’s not clear exactly when and how the practice of askıda ekmek started. Although there are similar, more recent traditions in other countries, like the Italian practice of “caffè sospeso” (“suspended coffee”), askıda ekmekis is strongly tied to the local culture and religion. History professor Febe Armanios, who focuses on Christian-Muslim relations in the Middle East and food history at Middlebury College in Vermont, US, explained that askıda ekmekis “a custom rooted in Ottoman times and is tied to the concept of zakat, the Muslim pillar of faith that focuses on various acts of charity”. There are five pillars of faith in Islam, and followers must fulfil them all to lead a good and moral life. The zakat requirement can be met by giving money or provisions.
这个以面包赈济需要者的传统何时以及如何起源并不清楚。虽然在其他国家最近也有了类似的传统,如意大利的“待用咖啡”（caffe sospeso）,但土耳其的待享面包传统与其文化和宗教关系很大。美国佛蒙特州明德学院研究中东基督教和伊斯兰教关系及其食物历史的教授菲比‧阿曼尼奥（Febe Armanios）解释说，谁需要谁拿走面包“起源于奥斯曼帝国时代的传统，出自伊斯兰教的天课（zakat）概念。天课是穆斯林信仰其中一个基柱，强调慈善与赈济行为”。伊斯兰教信仰有五大基柱，信徒们必须履行这五大基柱才能过上美好的道德生活。天课要求信徒施舍金钱或食物给穷人或有需要者。
The giving of ekmek (bread) is of special importance in Turkey because in Islamic belief, bread sustains life and the protection of life is sacred. “Bread … is absolutely critical to eating and is representative of hunger-satiation/starvation-desperation,” Armanios said.
在土耳其，惠赠面包具有特殊的意义，因为在伊斯兰信仰中，面包维持生命，而保护生命是教徒神圣的义务。阿曼尼奥说，“面包是我们的主食，是我们免于饥饿，救困扶危的食物。”
In Muslim hadiths, the collected sayings of the Prophet Muhammed, bread is nimet, a blessing sent from God. If a piece of bread accidently falls to the ground it must be picked up immediately before placing it somewhere higher. Some people kiss it before doing so to further demonstrate their respect. Plain white bread is baked twice a day in Turkey and every meal is accompanied by a basket full of sliced fresh loaf. Leftovers are never thrown away; when bread goes stale, it’s made into French toast and breadcrumbs. I often see plastic bags containing old bread hanging off fences along my street, placed there for people to take either for themselves or to feed animals.
在伊斯兰教的圣训（hadiths），即先知穆罕默德的语录中，面包称为nimet，是上帝赐给人类的福分。如果一片面包不小心掉到地上，必须立刻拣起来放到高位的地方。有些人这样做之前还要先吻一下面包，以示尊重。在土耳其，一般人家每天要烤两次净白面包，每顿饭都会配上满满一篮子新鲜面包片。而吃剩的面包从不扔掉，如果面包变味，就会做成法式面包和面包糠。我经常看到我住的这条街的篱笆树干上挂着一些装着面包的塑料袋，供需要的人带走充饥，或用来喂食动物。
Ottoman sultans used this respect for bread to legitimise their rule and garner loyalty. According to Armanios, it was believed that a well-fed populace is an obedient one and far less likely to revolt if prices of food staples such as bread were kept in check. Market regulators, called Islamic muhtasib, policed the sale of bread to control the price and ensure cheap fillers weren’t used in place of flour (even today, bread prices are determined by the government). The Ottomans also encouraged those who could afford it to provide for those in need. But tradition has always been that when carrying out zakat obligations, the poor should not be embarrassed by having their identities revealed to the donors and vice versa.
奥斯曼帝国的苏丹曾利用对面包的这种尊重来合法化他们的统治，获得人民的忠诚。根据阿曼尼奥的说法，免遭饥饿的老百姓据说是很听话的，如果面包等主食的价格受到控制，他们反抗政府的可能性就会小得多。中世纪时候的伊斯兰教国家，市场监督官被称为穆赫蒂希布( muhtasib)，他们负责监督面包的销售，控制价格，并确保面包商不会使用廉价的食材代替面粉。即使在今天的土耳其，面包的价格也是由政府所决定。奥斯曼帝国也鼓励那些有能力的人为那些需要帮助的人提供帮助。但伊斯兰传统一直认为，在履行天课义务时，不应该向施舍者披露受施舍者的身份而令后者自尊受伤，反之亦然。
Early on, in traditional Islamic societies, this was achieved by placing sadaka taşı (charity stones) in mosque courtyards. In his 2014 paper, associate sociology professor Ensar Çetin of Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University in Nevşehir, central Turkey, described them as “stalagmites… transformed from ancient porphyry columns with cavities [in] which to leave money. There [were] also cavities [in] the walls. It’s a model designed not to offend poor people so the giver and receiver remain anonymous to one another.”
在早期的传统伊斯兰社会，天课是通过设置在清真寺中庭有洞的慈善石（sadaka taşı)作为捐款箱来实现。 土耳其中部的内夫谢希尔大学的社会学教授恩萨尔‧切廷（Ensar Cetin）2014年发表的论文，称这种慈善石“是古代有洞的斑岩柱石演变而来，由施舍者将钱放在洞中供需要者拿取。也有在墙上开洞的。这种设计目的是不要损害穷人的自尊心，让施者和受者互不知道对方是谁。”
These days, sadaka taşı have been replaced by websites with online zakat calculators, run by charitable foundations that rely on donations to help those in need. Individuals can calculate exactly how much money they should donate, traditionally 2.5% of their wealth. Askıda ekmek has gone online, too, with yemek.com, a popular Turkish website featuring daily recipes, asking readers to nominate neighbourhood shops promoting askıda ekmek. Their aim is to transform it from a local neighbourhood activity into a national resource listing participating bakeries, using the call to action, “Let us help people who live on the streets who cannot afford bread”.
今天，清真寺中的慈善石已经被慈善基金会经营的在线天课计算网站所取代。这些网站依赖捐款者资助有需要的人士。每个穆斯林可以用网站天课计算机，算出他们应该捐多少钱。按照伊斯兰教传统，应该是他们财富的2.5%。现在连待取面包（Askıda ekmek）也上网运作，一个受欢迎的土耳其日常食谱网站yemek.com，要求浏览者提供住家附近有待取面包服务的商店名字。该网站的目标是将这些爱心面包店名字放到他们的网上，将地方的社区慈善行为变成全国性的爱心运动，号召大家“帮助那些流落街头买不起面包的人”。
One man has taken these technological advancements a step further. In 2012, Oğuzhan Canım read about bakeries in Kırıkkale, 80km east of Ankara, promoting the practice of askıda ekmek so more bakeries would participate. It made him think about ways to scale the custom in order to reach more people. Canım knew there was limited government aid for university students in Turkey and that there weren’t enough bursaries, scholarships and food grants to go around.
有位男士将网络爱心技术再推进了一步。2012年，欧古汉‧卡尼姆（Oğuzhan Canım ）在网上浏览，看到土耳其首都安卡拉以东80公里的克勒克卡的一家面包店大力推广待取面包行动，希望更多面包店仿效。这让他开始思考如何扩大这项行动的规模，以让更多人受益。卡尼姆知道政府对土耳其大学生的资助很有限，大学生得不到足够的助学金、奖学金和食物补助。
His solution is a social enterprise called Askidanevar (What’s on the Hook?), the first in Turkey to combine the concept of askıda ekmek with the reach of social media platforms. The idea may be innovative, but the aim is very simple: to connect university students in need to the companies that want to support them.
他的解决方案是设立一个社会企业《面包架子上有什么？》（Askidanevar)。这是土耳其第一个将待取面包的概念与社交媒体相结合的平台。这个想法可能很有创意，但目的却很简单现实:把需要帮助的大学生与希望帮助他们的公司通过他们搭建的平台联系起来。
“Oğuzhan Canım, the founder … changed the practice [to] askıda yemek (food) and created the project. With the help of [the] internet, he decided to make this project bigger so that it works effectively, [and] reaches as many as possible. We aim to create more opportunities … using our power to reach youth,” said operations manager Görkem Özaçık.
这个平台的业务经理哥克姆‧奥扎齐克（Gorkem Ozacık ）说，创始人“卡尼姆……改变了方法，创建了这个项目。在互联网的帮助下，他决定把这个项目做得更大，能更有效地运作，尽可能地惠及更多的人。我们的目标是创造更多的机会…用我们的力量帮助青年。”
Askidanevar targets students because Canım believes they’re the future of Turkey. He wants young people to have the opportunity to read poetry, engage in the arts and pursue goodness, and become complete, well-rounded individuals. This way, he believes, they’ll not only succeed in their studies, they’ll also pay it forward and contribute more to Turkish society and the world, through a culture of sharing.
这个项目以学生为主要帮助对象，因为卡尼姆认为他们是土耳其的未来。他希望年轻人有机会读诗，从事艺术，追求美德，成为完整的、全面发展的个体。他相信，通过这种方式，他们不仅会在学业上取得成功，还会通过一种分享文化，把知识传递下去，为土耳其社会和世界做出更多贡献。
This holistic approach isn’t unusual in predominantly Muslim societies. The community or group takes precedence over the individual and the well-being of all is paramount. It’s normal in Turkey for individuals to look out for others, be it family, neighbours, colleagues or even strangers, in the belief this improves things for everyone.
重视集体的观念在穆斯林占主导地位的社会并不罕见。在穆斯林社会，社区或团体优先于个人，所有人的集体福祉是最重要的。因此在土耳其，个人关怀他人是平常事，无论他人是家人、还是邻居、同事甚至是陌生人，因为他们相信互助关怀可以让人人得益。
Askidanevar maintains the askıda ekmek spirit of anonymity. Students only identify themselves when they upload their university cards on signing up. Once they’re members, they can click on a “Take” button to get a code to use for a free meal from a range of participating restaurants. With another click, they get the chance to receive books, magazines, theatre and concert tickets and other items by sharing or retweeting posts from Askidanevar. Companies click on a “Give” button to leave their details and information of what they’re offering.
《面包架子上有什么》计划保持“待取面包”行善和受惠不留名的精神。求助学生只需在登记注册成为会员时上传他们的学生证才表明自己的身份。一旦成为会员，他们就可以点击菜单上的"索取"按钮，获得一个代码，从而能够用此代码在一系列参与计划的餐厅免费用餐。再点击一次，就有机会获得《面包架子上有什么》的分享或转发帖子提供的书籍、杂志、剧院和音乐会门票以及其他物品。愿意提供帮助的公司则点击“给予”，留下他们可提供帮助的资料细节和信息。
Around 150,000 students are currently registered with Askidanevar, using around 500 donated food coupons each month. Since the social enterprise’s inception seven years ago, it has helped around half a million individuals, the majority in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, Turkey’s three biggest cities.
在此网站注册的土耳其大学生已有15万人，平均每个月会使用约500张捐赠的食品券。自从七年前这个社会企业成立以来，已经帮助了大约50万人，其中大多数是在伊斯坦堡、安卡拉和伊兹密尔这三个土耳其最大城市读书的学生。
One student member I spoke to, Tuğba, learned about Askidanevar via Instagram. “Last year” she told me, “I started… university and did not meet new people [or] new friends. During a summit, which I went [to] thanks to [the] Askıdanevar ticket system, I [made] friends”.
其中一位在此网上注册的学生图格芭是在社交平台Instagram上获知《面包架子上有什么》这个网站 。她告诉我，“去年，我开始……上大学，但没有结识到新朋友。我去了一个音乐峰会, 交上了朋友，多亏了这个平台的赠票系统,。”
For Tuğba, receiving a ticket to a summit at no cost, had an impact on her life beyond that one event. It made her new friends and gave her a sense of belonging at university, of being part of a new community; something she didn’t feel before.
就图格芭而言，获得一张免费的音乐峰会门票，对她人生的影响远远超过了音乐会本身。这使她结交了新朋友，让她在大学里有了归属感，成为新群体的一员。而她以前是没有这种感觉的。
At the heart of askıda ekmek – whether that’s leaving a loaf in a bakery or helping students access opportunities outside their studies – is an ethos of helping people, with no expectation of reward or recognition so that recipients maintain their dignity and improve their lives.
“待取面包”传统，无论是付钱给面包店留下一条面包，或帮助学生获得学业之外的机遇，其核心精神就是传播爱心帮助他人，但不求回报和出名，让受助者既能改善生活，也能保持其尊严。
In a world divided by the pursuit of individual profit and torn apart by conflict, as Tuğba said, “That is amazing”.
如图格芭所说，在这样一个追名逐利，社会纷争不断的世界，土耳其这种不为名利而行善的传统确实“非常了不起”。