2006年VOA标准英语-Somali Government Minister Gunned Down in Baido

By Pearse Lynch
Nairobi
28 July 2006

A senior minister of the interim¹ government of Somalia was slain² Friday as he was leaving prayers at a mosque³ in the interim government's provincial⁴ base, Baidoa. Many fear the attack will further destabilize the Horn of Africa country that is already teetering on the brink⁵ of war.

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Abdallah Isaaq Deerow (2000 file photo)   
  
Eyewitnesses⁶ say gunmen opened fire on the Constitution and Federalism minister, Abdallah Isaaq Deerow, as he left prayers on Friday. Baidoa's police chief Aadin Biid said one suspect, a 35-year-old man, has been arrested, but the official gave no other details.

In an interview with VOA shortly after the assassination⁷, interim Deputy Prime Minister Ismel Hurreh said that Isaaq was a prominent figure in both the government and the region.

"The intention is to cow the transitional government," he said. "It is too early to point fingers but overall whoever did this is people who are against the implementation⁸ of the government and would like the government to fail completely. And the intention could also be to create some sort of clan⁹ unrest in this part of the country."

Members of the interim government are scheduled to meet Saturday to discuss a reshuffle of parliament, which many had hoped would open the door for Islamic leaders to join the government. It is hoped by moderates that if the Islamists are invited into the government, there would be a far greater chance of peace negotiations¹⁰ resuming.

Tensions in the country are being further heightened by the presence in Somalia of Ethiopian troops who are backing the interim government against the Islamists. Also, the Eritrean government is supplying the Islamists with arms to aid them against Ethiopian forces.

With Islamist leaders calling for holy war against Ethiopia, and the Ethiopian government promising¹¹ that they will use force to prevent the setting up of an Islamic theocracy¹² on their border, hopes are fading that a bloody¹³ war can be avoided in the country.

1 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

2 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

3 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

4 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

5 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

6 eyewitnesses   

目击者( eyewitness的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The examination of all the eyewitnesses took a week. 对所有证人的质询用了一周的时间。
• Several eyewitnesses testified that they saw the officers hit Miller in the face. 几位目击证人证明他们看见那几个警官打了米勒的脸。

7 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

8 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

9 clan   

n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派

参考例句：

• She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
• The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

10 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

11 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

12 theocracy   

n.神权政治；僧侣政治

参考例句：

• Shangzhou was an important period for the formation and development of theocracy.商周时期是神权政治形成与发展的重要阶段。
• The Muslim brothers look as if they will opt for civil society rather than theocracy.穆斯林兄弟看起来好像更适合文明的社会，而非神权统治。

13 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。