VOA慢速英语204 AS IT IS 2014-04-15 Congress Praises Response to Boston Bombing 美国国会赞扬对波士顿爆炸案的应对

 

AS IT IS 2014-04-15 Congress Praises Response to Boston Bombing 美国国会赞扬对波士顿爆炸案的应对

Hello, and welcome back for another chance to learn and improve your American English.  I’m Jim Tedder¹ in Washington.  Today we look back one year to a time of terror at a race in Boston, Massachusetts.

Then we travel to the Central African Republic.  The United Nations says thousands of Muslims there are in danger.  We’ll tell you why.

Thank you for spending some time with us at VOA as we give you our world …the good and the bad …As It Is.

Tuesday marks the first anniversary of the bombings at the Boston Marathon in Massachusetts.  On Monday April 15th, 2013, two bombs exploded near the finish line at the race.  The explosions killed three people and injured more than 250 others.

Last week, a United States congressional committee invited law enforcement officials from the Boston area to share their experiences.  They also discussed ways for other communities to prepare for possible attack.  Anna Matteo has been watching developments for us.

Lawmakers from the two main parties were united over Boston's reaction to the events of one year ago.  Michael McCaul is chairman of the House of Representatives’ Homeland Security Committee.  He was emotional as he praised police officers from Boston and the neighboring city of Watertown. 

Officials say the Boston Marathon bombings were the work of two brothers, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.  In the early hours of Friday, April 19, the two fought a gun battle with police.  Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed.  His brother escaped but was caught later that night after an extensive manhunt.

At the Congressional hearing, Representative McCaul stated that the brothers had reportedly planned to attack New York City. 

"These terrorists had six more bombs in their car and they were on their way to Times Square.  If it wasn’t for these heroic acts of bravery, New York City could have been hit again."

Representative Loretta Sanchez noted² that the investigation³ is still continuing.  She warned committee members not to interfere⁴ with the government’s case against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.  He goes on trial November 3rd. 

Former Boston Police Commissioner⁵ Edward Davis told the committee that the people of Boston remain united.  He said many people are preparing to compete in the marathon next week to honor those who died last year.

"And we run for the men and women and children who cannot be there this year, Krystle Campbell, Lu Lingzi, Martin Richard and Officer Sean Collier."

Those are the names of the people who died last year in the bombings.  Krystle Campbell was a 29-year-old student from Arlington, Virginia.  She was waiting to take a picture of a friend who was finishing the marathon.  Eight-year-old Martin William Richard lived in Dorchester, Massachusetts.  He was waiting to see his father cross the finish line.  Lu Lingzi was aged⁶ 23.  She was from China and was studying at Boston University. 

And 26-year-old Sean Collier was a police officer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  Officials say he was shot and killed by Tamerlan Tsarnaev three days after the bombings.

This year, the Boston Marathon will take place on April 21st.  Watertown Police Chief Edward Deveau said he is entering the race.

"This year I will run with 12 of my officers.  It is going to be an emotional day for my officers as we run that route and cross the finish line on Boylston Street."

Harvard University Professor Dutch Leonard said there is good reason why Boston area police and other officers did such an excellent job.  He said one year earlier police and medical personnel held a training exercise to prepare for just such an attack. 

"Any community can engage in joint⁷ planning and execution for any major fixed⁸ event.  Paying your dues on good days builds the infrastructure⁹ of inter-agency familiarity, respect and trust, and has an immediate¹⁰ payoff.  And if a bad day ever comes, as it did in Boston, that infrastructure is literally¹¹ a lifesaver."

Several lawmakers said that local law enforcement is important in reacting to terrorist and other attacks.  I’m Anna Matteo.

U.N Issues Warning to C.A.R. Muslims

The United Nations says 19,000 Muslims in the Central African Republic are in danger.  The UN says they should move to safer towns farther north or across the border.  Tens of thousands of Muslims have already fled violence in the capital, Bangui, and the western half of the CAR.  Some local officials fear that more such evacuations could strengthen calls to divide the country.  Steve Ember tells us more.

The C.A.R. is a country divided.  Muslims are effectively separated from Christians¹³.  In a Muslim part of Bangui, some people talk of an eventual¹⁴ understanding between the two sides.  But others say a permanent split is more likely. 

This man, Moustapha Nasse, says, “That is what I want.  If we separate the country, everyone can be at peace.”

Two-thousand Muslims are trapped in the PK 12 neighborhood of Bangui.  They can not risk going out.  French and African Union troops stand guard, but trouble still makes its way in, almost daily.

Ibrahim Alawad is a member of the Islamic committee of PK 12.  He stands at the entrance to a small house and points in the distance.

“They throw it through that way, and it coming down here.”

He is talking about a grenade.  A militia¹⁵ fighter threw the small explosive device into the area two days ago.  Five people were wounded in the attack.

UN agencies are preparing to move the Muslims of PK 12 north to towns that have agreed to accept them.  In another part of Bangui, many people have left.  Others say they want to go.

This man says, “We are in an open-air prison.  We are held hostage.  We do not feel safe.  We want to go north where we can be free and earn our livings.”

There are about 10,000 Muslims left in the neighborhood of PK 5.  The government has asked them to stay.  

The minister of communication and reconciliation¹⁶ came to Friday prayers at the main religious center as a show of support.

Early this year, much of the CAR’s Muslim minority fled attacks in the south and the west.  Anti-balaka militia fighters were seeking to answer abuses by Seleka rebels.  The anti-balaka are largely Christian¹².  The rebels are mostly Muslim.

International forces helped large numbers of Muslims to leave Bangui and other areas safely.  Some went to Cameroon and Chad.  Others went to towns in the north and the east, areas still under rebel control.

The mass evacuation saved lives.  But the government opposes the forced movement of so many people in the future.  But it says it can do little to protect Muslims still in danger.

Some question whether international troops could fight off a separatist attempt by armed groups in the northeast.  The rebels appear divided on the idea of dividing the country in two.

Some people in the CAR say those wanting a split are looking forward to sales of diamonds and possibly oil in the northeast.

The northeast has produced several rebellions over the past 10 years.  Critics say the central government has done little to develop the north or deal with security problems.  A political advisor¹⁷ to the country’s president says the government needs to take steps to deal with those security concerns.  The advisor, Clement¹⁸ Anicet Guityama-Massogo, is also a presidential spokesman.  He says a division of the country is a dangerous possibility.

He says, “we feel there are Islamist extremist groups who are trying to seize upon this situation to worsen the crisis.”

 

The government says its position is clear: the Central African Republic is indivisible.  Many of the Muslims preparing to leave Bangui agree.  They say they want to make peace, and that they will return when it is safe.  I’m Steve Ember.

1 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

5 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

6 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

9 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

10 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

11 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

12 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。

13 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。

14 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

15 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

16 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

17 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

18 clement   

adj.仁慈的；温和的

参考例句：

• A clement judge reduced his sentence.一位仁慈的法官为他减了刑。
• The planet's history contains many less stable and clement eras than the holocene.地球的历史包含着许多不如全新世稳定与温和的地质时期。