环球英语 1289 Donald Watson: A New Way to Eat
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Liz Waid.
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And I’m Adam Navis. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand - no matter where in the world they live.
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What do you eat? Do you eat fruit and vegetables? Do you eat meat and fish? Do you think about the food you eat? Or do you just eat it and enjoy it?
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Donald Watson was a man who thought very much about the food he ate. He was born in Yorkshire, England, in September 1910. And he died in November 2005, at the age of 95. That is a very great age. Donald Watson had an explanation for his long life. He said that it was because he would never eat meat or fish, or any food that had been made from animals. Today’s Spotlight is on Donald Watson and his ideas about food.
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When he was a small boy, Donald Watson stayed on a farm. His mother’s brother owned the farm. This man was his Uncle George. The young Donald loved to see the animals. He said that they gave so much to people. Cows and chickens gave people milk and eggs. Horses helped the farmer carry heavy loads. And all the animals were so friendly. Then, one day, he saw a man killing a pig. Then, Watson understood that animals also gave people meat. He was very sad. In an interview with George Rodger, Watson said,
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‘I still remember the whole process, including the pig crying out. My Uncle George took part in the killing. I was shocked, because I respected Uncle George very much. I decided that it was necessary to think again about the whole business of running a farm. It seemed to me that a farm was nothing more than a death camp. When a creature was no longer of service to people, it was killed. Something more surprised me. I had many sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles. But nobody told me that we must take care of the creatures that God had made.’
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When he was 13 years old, Donald Watson made an important decision. He said that he would never again eat meat or fish. He became a vegetarian. Twenty years later he decided to take another step. He would not eat anything that had passed through an animal. He would not eat milk, cheese, butter or eggs. These are foods that have been made from animals.
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Watson formed a group of people who, like him, would not eat food from animals. They called the group, ‘The Vegan Society’. While other people slept at night, Watson would stay awake and write a newspaper called Vegan News. In this newspaper, the Vegan Society developed its ideas about food. In the first issue, Watson wrote:
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“We can see clearly that our present nation is built on the unfair use of animals. This is just like in the past; nations then were built on the unfair use of slaves. We believe that in time, people will hate the idea of feeding on the products of animals’ bodies. They will think that it is terrible and wrong.”
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When Watson became a vegan, there were not many people who agreed with him. People criticized him, including people who did not eat meat. These vegetarians thought it was insane to avoid all animal products. Most people thought it was too difficult, and not healthy.
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However, over time, more and more people began to agree with Watson and the Vegan Society. Vegans are still a very small group. But the number continues to grow!
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People become vegans for many reasons. Watson and his friends stopped eating meat because they loved animals. They believed that it was morally wrong to kill animals for food. It was wrong to hurt another living thing. They also believed that there was no good way to get other kinds of food from animals. Getting milk and eggs was also a way of using animals. And that was wrong. They wanted people to treat all living things with respect.
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Now, people also become vegans for environmental reasons. Caring for animals takes a lot of resources, including water and grain. For example, to produce one kilogram of meat, a cow must eat five kilograms of grain. Instead, people could eat this grain directly! By using less of these resources, there could be more food for more people.
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Also, in some places, people are cutting down trees to create more land for cows. However, these forest areas often protect wild creatures and many important plants. They also protect the world from climate change. By avoiding these animal products, vegans hope to protect these forest areas.
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Finally, just like Donald Watson, some people believe that a vegan diet is healthier. They believe that meat and other animal products cause heart problems, a high body weight, diabetes, cancer and many other health problems.
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But what do you think? Do you think it is right to eat meat and fish? And does what you believe affect what you eat? Donald Watson chose to avoid meat because he felt strongly about the animals. However, this moral position did not come from religion. He said that he did not have a deep religious belief.
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But for many people, religion is an important guide on meat eating. If you are a Hindu, you will probably not eat meat, especially from the cow. If you are a Jew or a Moslem, you will not eat meat from the pig.
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The Christian Bible does not teach clearly about diet. However, late in the Bible, there is a letter from a teacher named Paul. He wanted to teach Christians how to live. He said that it was possible for a Christian to eat anything he or she liked. But Paul asked the Christians to consider the feelings of other people. There were people who felt that they could not eat meat or fish or drink wine. Paul said:
‘When you are together, with these people, it is better if you do not eat meat or fish or drink wine. You must consider their consciences. And, above all, you must show them that you love them. And, if you eat and drink food that they do not think they should eat, you are not loving them.’
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Some Christians choose not to eat meat, or other foods from animals. For some Christians, this may be for religious or cultural reasons. For other Christians, it may be because they agree with Donald Watson. Others just try to follow Paul’s teaching - to respect and love the people, and animals, around them!
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Do you agree with Donald Watson? Tell us about your diet choices on our website: www.radioenglish.net.
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The writer of this program was Shelagh Godwin. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. You can find our programs on the internet at www.radioenglish.net. This program is called ‘Donald Watson - A New Way to Eat’. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!
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