英语听力—环球英语 650 Pervez Masih: The Greatest Sacrifice

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Robin² Basselin.
Voice 2
And I’m Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
It was a normal day at the International Islamic University in Islamabad, Pakistan. On the women’s side of the university, hundreds of girls gathered in and around the cafeteria. This large room is where the female³ students gather each day to eat their meals. This day was no different. The room was full of girls talking and eating. Then there was an explosion⁴. The explosion broke windows and doors. It caused panic - people ran screaming from the cafeteria.
Voice 2
On that day, in October of 2009, four innocent⁵ people died. Today’s Spotlight is on this bomb attack and its unlikely⁶ hero.
Voice 1
Pervez Masih was the International Islamic University janitor⁷. He cleaned the buildings. And he kept things in good working order. Masih was uneducated. And he did not make very much money from his job. He was a new worker at the University. In fact, when the bombing happened, Masih had only worked there for less than one week. However, even in this short time, people noticed Masih’s nature. A University worker talked with DAWN news about Masih.
Voice 3
“He was very simple and, by nature, he was quite different from other workers in the university,”
Voice 2
This simple man made an amazing sacrifice on October 20th, 2009. A sacrifice that saved the lives of hundreds of female students.
Voice 1
On that day in October, a man entered the women’s side of the International Islamic University. He was not supposed to be there. And he did not come for good reasons. The man was wearing women’s clothes. He was covered from his head to his feet with a black, traditional Islamic covering called a burka. A security⁸ guard, named Mohammad Shaukat, noticed the man. Shaukat recognized that something was wrong. Few female students at the University wear head to foot burkas. So, he walked to the man in the burka. Suddenly, the man shot Shaukat.
Voice 2
Pervez Masih saw what happened. He recognized that the man had come to do harm. So, he moved in front of the man. He told the man that he could not come into the girls’ cafeteria. The two men argued. Masih blocked the man from entering the room. Suddenly, the man exploded bombs that were hidden under the burka. The attacker and Masih died right away. So did two other female students. However, if Masih had not kept the man out of the cafeteria, many more people would have died.
Voice 1
Two students from the University talked with the news organization CNN. One student, named Afsheen Zafar said,
Voice 4
“If he did not stop the attacker, there could have been great, great death and damage.”
Voice 2
Another student named Sumaya Ahsan said,
Voice 5
“He is now a hero to us because he saved our lives and our friends' lives.”
Voice 1
Masih acted with great courage. He is a hero. However, he is an unlikely hero. He was not a security guard like Shaukat. Masih’s job was only to clean. He also did not know the people at the University very well. He had worked there less than a week. And he had never met many of the people whose lives he saved.
Voice 2
Masih was also not a Muslim like most of the people at the University. He was a Christian⁹. In Pakistan, there is a small Christian minority. Most Christians¹⁰ are poor. And relations between Muslims and Christians in Pakistan are not always good. The fact that a Christian died to save Muslims surprised many people. Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik told CNN,
Voice 6
“Masih crossed the barriers of social class, religion and terrorism. Even being a Christian, he sacrificed his life to save the Muslim girls.”
Voice 1
However, many Christians say that Masih’s sacrifice is not surprising. They say it models his faith. As a Christian, Masih believed that Jesus the Messiah was Lord¹¹. In fact, Masih’s name means Messiah in the Arabic language. Christians believe that Jesus the Messiah made a major sacrifice. They believe he died so that all people could live.
Voice 2
In the Christian Bible¹², Jesus says,
Voice 7
“I tell you that you must do this: You must love each other, as I have loved you. A person really loves his friends if he dies for them. No person could love anyone more than that.”
Voice 1
Masih showed this great love toward¹³ the people at the International Islamic University. It was a love that represented his faith. It was also a love that crossed the barrier of religious difference.
Voice 2
Masih’s sacrifice has caused people in Pakistan to talk about Muslim-Christian relations. His act is causing many Pakistani Muslims to talk about the positive things Christians do for the country. On November 3rd, the government of Pakistan announced that they were going to honor¹⁴ Masih for his act of courage. And they gave his family a $12,000 award.
Voice 1
In the announcement, the Minister for the Interior¹⁵, Rehman Malik said,
Voice 8
“The sacrifice made by Masih has added a new chapter of service by the minorities for the country.”
Voice 2
The government is not the only group that is recognizing Masih’s service. The International Islamic University has offered to give Masih’s daughter, Dia, a free education. They have also offered Masih’s wife a job at the school. While nothing can replace Masih’s life, the Muslim community is crossing the barriers of religion to care for this Christian family.
Voice 1
Masih made the greatest sacrifice for the people of the International Islamic University. It often takes such sacrifices to break down the barriers of conflict. And Masih’s sacrifice did encourage Muslim-Christian relations in Pakistan.
Voice 2
However, all people can make small sacrifices in their situation to break down barriers. Some times, it is as easy as talking to someone or apologizing to an enemy.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 female   

adj.雌的，女(性)的；n.雌性的动物，女子

参考例句：

• We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
• The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。

4 explosion   

n.爆发，发出，爆炸

参考例句：

• The police arrived right at the moment of the explosion.警察就在爆炸的那个时候赶到了。
• The shock of the explosion was felt far away.爆炸引起的震动很远都可感觉到。

5 innocent   

adj.无罪的，清白的；无害的；天真的，单纯的

参考例句：

• I'm not quite so innocent as to believe that.我还不至于简单到相信那种事的地步。
• I was very young,and very innocent.我那时非常年轻，幼稚无知。

6 unlikely   

adj.未必的，多半不可能的；不大可能发生的

参考例句：

• It was very unlikely that he would do that.他不见得会做那种事。
• It is unlikely that she will come. 她不大可能来了。

7 janitor   

n.看门人，管门人

参考例句：

• The janitor wiped on the windows with his rags.看门人用褴褛的衣服擦着窗户。
• The janitor swept the floors and locked up the building every night.那个看门人每天晚上负责打扫大楼的地板和锁门。

8 security   

n.安全，安全感；防护措施；保证(金)，抵押(品)；债券，证券

参考例句：

• A security guard brought him down with a flying tackle.一名保安人员飞身把他抱倒。
• There was tight security at the airport when the President's plane landed.总统的专机降落时，机场的保安措施很严密。

9 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

10 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

11 lord   

n.上帝，主；主人，长官；君主，贵族

参考例句：

• I know the Lord will look after him.我知道上帝会眷顾他的。
• How good of the Lord not to level it beyond repair!上帝多么仁慈啊，竟没有让这所房子损毁得不可收拾！

12 bible   

n.《圣经》；得到权威支持的典籍

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时，这本字典应是你的主要参考书。

13 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

14 honor   

n.光荣；敬意；荣幸；vt.给…以荣誉；尊敬

参考例句：

• I take your visit as a great honor.您的来访是我莫大的光荣。
• It is a great honor to receive that prize.能拿到那个奖是无上的光荣。

15 interior   

adj.在内的，内部的，内地的，国内的；n.内部

参考例句：

• There is water in the interior of the cave.在山洞的内部有水。
• They went into the interior room.他们进了内室。