2007年VOA标准英语-Iraqi Parliament Holds Special Session Day Afte

By Margaret Besheer
Irbil, Iraq
13 April 2007

An insurgent¹ umbrella group which includes al-Qaida in Iraq, claimed Friday it carried out the parliament suicide bombing in Baghdad's Green Zone. The U.S. military has revised the death toll² of the bombing sharply downward to one dead from its initial report of eight. From northern Iraq, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

The umbrella group, calling itself the Islamic State of Iraq, said in a statement posted on a Web site that it was responsible for Thursday's suicide attack on the parliament cafeteria in the heavily fortified³ Green Zone. The group said "one of the heroes of the martyrs⁴' brigade" infiltrated⁵ the area, but the group delayed issuing the claim of responsibility to allow its men time to flee.

The U.S.-based SITE Institute, which tracks militant⁶ postings, said the claim by the group appeared authentic⁷.

 

In a statement Friday morning, the U.S. military said "after further research and consultation⁸ with government of Iraq officials" it had determined⁹ that only one "civilian¹⁰" had been killed in the attack and 22 were wounded. Initial reports from the U.S. military said eight people had been killed.

Many legislators returned to the convention center Friday where their colleague, Mohammad Awad, a Sunni Arab deputy from the National Dialogue Party, was killed.

Flowers are placed at chair of parliament member Mohammed Awad, who was killed in a suicide bombing Thursday, during special parliament session in Baghdad, 13 Apr 2007

The lawmakers offered prayers for the dead and called for Iraqi unity¹¹. A bouquet¹² of red and white flowers was left on the dead deputy's chair.

The hall was less than full, apparently¹³ because of increased security measures and the weekly Friday driving ban from noon to 3 o'clock. Some members arrived while the meeting was in progress.

Parliament speaker Mahmoud Mashhadani called the special session to "defy terrorism." He said parliament is stronger today than yesterday.

He said, the parliament, government and the people are all the same - they are all in the same ship which, if it sinks, will make everyone sink. He said Iraq's ship will not sink, but the terrorist's ship will.

A stream of deputies spoke¹⁴ about their dead colleague and many expressed determination to resolve the country's political and sectarian problems.

Iraqi Vice¹⁵ President Adel Abdul Mahdi said Iraqis must open their hearts to understand and forgive each other and take national reconciliation¹⁶ to a new level.

Deputy Prime Minister Barhem Salih said Thursday's attack proves the terrorists do not differentiate¹⁷ among Iraqis, as Sunnis, Shi'ites, Kurds and Turkmen were all targets. He said the bombing was an attack against a symbol of the people's power and authority and the political system that they created.

The explosion was in the building's cafeteria, where several deputies had gone to take tea and have lunch following the morning session. Among the wounded was a female deputy, who was present for Friday's session.

Dr. Nada, whose neck was bandaged, said when the bomb exploded she did not think of herself or the people in the room with her, but of all Iraqis who face such horrors as kidnapping, murder and bombings on a daily basis.

Nassar al-Rubaie, head of the parliamentary bloc¹⁸ allied¹⁹ with radical²⁰ Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr criticized the Americans for not providing adequate security.

He said the Americans are in charge of security in the Green Zone but no one dares to hold them responsible for this attack. Iraqi television cut him off in mid-remarks, switching the screen to Friday prayers.

An investigation²¹ into the attack is under way. Several people, including some cafeteria workers and security guards have been questioned.

Thursday's attack on the convention center, as well as a truck bombing on a major Baghdad bridge the same day, struck blows to the U.S. and Iraqi security plan to rein²² in violence. Overall deaths are down in the capital, but U.S. military officials say high-profile suicide bombings continue to present a challenge.

1 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

2 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

3 fortified   

adj. 加强的

参考例句：

• He fortified himself against the cold with a hot drink. 他喝了一杯热饮御寒。
• The enemy drew back into a few fortified points. 敌人收缩到几个据点里。

4 martyrs   

n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情）

参考例句：

• the early Christian martyrs 早期基督教殉道者
• They paid their respects to the revolutionary martyrs. 他们向革命烈士致哀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 infiltrated   

adj.[医]浸润的v.（使）渗透，（指思想）渗入人的心中( infiltrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The headquarters had been infiltrated by enemy spies. 总部混入了敌方特务。
• Many Chinese idioms have infiltrated into the Japanese language. 许多中国成语浸透到日语中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

7 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。

8 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

9 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

10 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

11 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

12 bouquet   

n.花束，酒香

参考例句：

• This wine has a rich bouquet.这种葡萄酒有浓郁的香气。
• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。

13 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

14 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

15 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

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 differentiate   

vi.(between)区分；vt.区别；使不同

参考例句：

• You can differentiate between the houses by the shape of their chimneys.你可以凭借烟囱形状的不同来区分这两幢房子。
• He never learned to differentiate between good and evil.他从未学会分辨善恶。

18 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

19 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

20 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

21 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。

22 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。