2006年VOA标准英语-Pilgrims Celebrate Easter Sunday in Jerusa

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
16 April 2006
 

Christian¹ worshippers pray on the stone that Jesus Christ was believed to have been washed on after his crucifixion, during the Good Friday procession at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City Friday, April 14, 2006   
  
Christians² around the world are celebrating Easter, marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Robert Berger spent the day among pilgrims in Jerusalem, and filed this VOA report.

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Thousands of Christians converged³ on the holy places in Jerusalem to celebrate Easter, beginning at the crack of dawn.

It's a chilly⁴ Easter sunrise here at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, but pilgrims have come out to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The site is said to resemble the place where Jesus was buried. Facing an empty ancient tomb from biblical times, the worshippers proclaimed: the Lord is not here, He is risen.

Mr. Wright came all the way from Nashville, Tennessee in the United States. He told VOA that walking in the footsteps of Jesus on Easter is an experience of faith.

"I'm just sitting down and kind of letting it soak in. There's so much history here, and to imagine what happened and how important it is, it's a little overwhelming," Wright says.

The main Easter celebration was a solemn liturgy⁵ at one of the holiest places in Christianity.

A fragrant⁶ cloud of incense⁷ is rising above the ancient stone tomb here in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher⁸, believed to be the site of Jesus' resurrection. Priests in white robes are celebrating Easter mass surrounded by pilgrims from around the world. The church is packed this year-unlike in previous years when Israel-Palestinian violence scared pilgrims away.

Israeli police and soldiers patrolled the cobblestone streets of Jerusalem's Old City, but the atmosphere was calm. Jonathan Fambrough is from the U.S. city of Atlanta.

"There's really so much security, there is so much, in my feeling, my experience, safety," Fambrough says. "And, you know, I feel just as at home here as I would in New York City. And I think it's just absolutely silly that people don't come here because of security."

So pilgrims enjoyed a peaceful Easter in the turbulent Middle East. 

1 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。

2 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。

3 converged   

v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的过去式 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集

参考例句：

• Thousands of supporters converged on London for the rally. 成千上万的支持者从四面八方汇聚伦敦举行集会。
• People converged on the political meeting from all parts of the city. 人们从城市的四面八方涌向这次政治集会。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

5 liturgy   

n.礼拜仪式

参考例句：

• A clergyman read the liturgy from the prayer-book.一名牧师照着祈祷书念祷文。
• The mass is the church a kind of liturgy.弥撒是教会的一种礼拜仪式。

6 fragrant   

adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的

参考例句：

• The Fragrant Hills are exceptionally beautiful in late autumn.深秋的香山格外美丽。
• The air was fragrant with lavender.空气中弥漫薰衣草香。

7 incense   

v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气

参考例句：

• This proposal will incense conservation campaigners.这项提议会激怒环保人士。
• In summer,they usually burn some coil incense to keep away the mosquitoes.夏天他们通常点香驱蚊。

8 sepulcher   

n.坟墓

参考例句：

• He said softly,as if his voice were coming from a sepulcher.他幽幽说道，象是从坟墓里传来的声音。
• Let us bend before the venerated sepulcher.让我们在他神圣的墓前鞠躬致敬。