2007年VOA标准英语-Israel Celebrates Purim Holiday Under Tight Sec

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
03 March 2007

Israel is celebrating the biblical holiday of Purim under tight security. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, Israel has restricted the movement of Palestinians amid concerns of possible terror attacks.

effigy2 of the ancient Persian King Haman hangs from a lamp post at entrance to an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem, 2 Mar1 2007 " hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070523/0942080.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

An effigy of the ancient Persian King Haman hangs from a lamp post at entrance to an Ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem, 2 Mar 2007

It is a weekend of parties and celebrations as Israelis mark the holiday of Purim with costume parties in homes and community centers and on the streets. The holiday marks the deliverance of the Jews from annihilation in ancient Persia some 2,400 years ago, as told in the biblical Book of Esther.

Security is extremely tight for the holiday. The army has sealed off the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Palestinians have been barred from entering Israel. Police say they have intelligence information that Palestinian militants³ could try to disrupt the holiday with terrorist attacks. It has happened before. A suicide bomber⁴ blew up a Purim parade in Tel Aviv in 1996, killing⁵ 13 people.

But that hasn't stopped the celebrations this year.

"It's a party. Everybody's coming dressed up as something," says Amit Gabbai, a Jerusalem high school student, who was dressed up as character from a Hollywood hit. "Well, I'm wearing this beautiful green dress and I put on a wig⁶. And I'm dressed as Princess Fiona from 'Shrek 1.'"

Are children worried about the threat of terror?

"Yes and no," says Gabbai. "No because, I don't know, I live here and it's usual for me and I know where not to go and I go to safe places, and yes because I mean everybody's dressing⁷ up, everybody's putting masks on and like carrying fake guns, and the terrorists could take advantage of that and dress up and, you know, do something bad."

Police and soldiers have stepped up their presence at the borders and crowded public places. Despite the threats, police have urged the public to come out and celebrate.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 effigy   

n.肖像

参考例句：

• There the effigy stands,and stares from age to age across the changing ocean.雕像依然耸立在那儿，千秋万载地凝视着那变幻无常的大海。
• The deposed dictator was burned in effigy by the crowd.群众焚烧退位独裁者的模拟像。

3 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。

4 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。

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 wig   

n.假发

参考例句：

• The actress wore a black wig over her blond hair.那个女演员戴一顶黑色假发罩住自己的金黄色头发。
• He disguised himself with a wig and false beard.他用假发和假胡须来乔装。

7 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。