2007年VOA标准英语-Bomb Blast Kills at Least 25 in Pakistan

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
15 May 2007

Pakistani volunteers, security officials gather at the suicide bombing site in Peshawar, 15 May 2007

A powerful bomb blast in northwestern Pakistan has killed at least 25 people and seriously injured more than 25 others. The explosion ripped through a crowded hotel lobby in the city of Peshawar. The explosion occurred as the country was still recovering from political violence that rocked the southern city of Karachi on Saturday. From Islamabad, VOA Correspondent Benjamin Sand reports.

Witnesses say dead bodies and building debris¹ littered the street outside the hotel in central Peshawar Tuesday.

The blast tore through the ground floor of the four-story Marhaba Hotel.

Local officials suspect that the attack was a suicide bombing.

Provincial² police chief Sharif Virk says investigators³ recovered several body parts, one reportedly with a message from the bomber⁴ attached.

He says a statement was taped to one of the alleged⁵ attacker's legs warning that anyone spying for America would meet a similar fate.

Peshawar is the capital of Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province, which borders Afghanistan.

Pro-Taleban and al Qaida extremists are active throughout the region.

Local militants⁶ have murdered scores of Pakistanis in the area after accusing them of working for America or Pakistan's central government.

Last month, a suicide bomber targeted the country's interior minister, Aftab Sherpao, following a political rally just outside Peshawar.

Sherpao escaped serious injury, but at least 28 people were killed.

The latest blast occurred while Pakistan was recovering from political violence that rocked the southern city of Karachi on Saturday.

At least 41 people were killed when pro- and anti-government forces squared off in the country's largest city. The point of contention⁷ was President Pervez Musharraf's suspension of the country's chief justice in March.

Pakistani officials say more violence is possible as public anger continues to mount over the suspension.

Authorities say there is no apparent connection between the on-going political crisis and the Peshawar explosion.

1 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

2 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。

3 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

6 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。

7 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。