2007年VOA标准英语-Sectarian Violence Mars Religious Observance in

By Jim Randle
Baghdad
30 January 2007

Bombers² have struck Shi'ite worshippers in two Iraqi cities as part of a series of attacks that killed more than 50 people Tuesday. VOA's Jim Randle reports from Baghdad.

Man wounded in attack on mini bus transporting pilgrims to Ashura ceremony, 30 Jan. 2007

Hundreds of Shi'ites were marching toward a mosque³ when a bomb killed a number of people and injured many more in Khanaquin, northeast of Baghdad.

In the nearby town of Mandali, a suicide bomber¹ blew himself up at the gate of a Shi'ite mosque.

And gunmen ambushed⁴ a bus carrying Shiite pilgrims to a mosque in Baghdad.

This witness says the attack hit a minibus as it passed through the Dora neighborhood, near a gas station.

Two carloads of armed men drove by the bus and opened fire.

This year's Ashura ceremony takes place at a time of heightened sectarian tensions between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims. Thousands of Iraqi soldiers and police are deployed⁵ to protect nearly two million Shi'ite Muslim pilgrims observing Ashura in the city of Karbala.

Tens of thousands have died in a cycle of attack-and-revenge shootings and bombings since a bomb wrecked⁶ a key Shi'ite mosque in Samarra last February.

Ashura is one of the holiest times on the Shi'ite calendar and it recalls the death of Imam al-Hussein. He was the Prophet Muhammad's grandson and died battle in 680 A.D. near Karbala. His death cemented the split in Islam between Shi'ites and Sunni Muslims.

Observances include processions and ceremonies, including self-flagellation, in a show of grief to mark Hussein's death in battle.

There were also observances in one of Baghdad's Shi'ite neighborhoods, where men dressed in white beat drums as they walked in processions through the streets.

The ceremonies also include reciting religious texts.

Meanwhile, Iraqi officials say the leader of an Islamic cult⁷ that was plotting to assassinate⁸ senior Shi'ite clerics during Ashura, died Sunday in fighting near Najaf. Cult members included heavily-armed Muslims from both the Sunni and Shi'ite branches of Islam.

An Iraqi spokesman said more than 200 militants⁹ died in the fighting, and more than 100 were captured.

1 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

2 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 ambushed   

v.埋伏( ambush的过去式和过去分词 )；埋伏着

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The military vehicles were ambushed. 军车遭到伏击。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

6 wrecked   

adj.失事的，遇难的

参考例句：

• the hulk of a wrecked ship 遇难轮船的残骸
• the salvage of the wrecked tanker 对失事油轮的打捞

7 cult   

n.异教，邪教；时尚，狂热的崇拜

参考例句：

• Her books aren't bestsellers,but they have a certain cult following.她的书算不上畅销书，但有一定的崇拜者。
• The cult of sun worship is probably the most primitive one.太阳崇拜仪式或许是最为原始的一种。

8 assassinate   

vt.暗杀，行刺，中伤

参考例句：

• The police exposed a criminal plot to assassinate the president.警方侦破了一个行刺总统的阴谋。
• A plot to assassinate the banker has been uncovered by the police.暗杀银行家的密谋被警方侦破了。

9 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。