2007年VOA标准英语-Musharraf Addresses Nation in Wake of Pakistan

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
12 July 2007

In a televised address to the nation, Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf vowed¹ to eliminate extremism and terrorism from "every corner of the country."  The president spoke² a day after government forces ended their bloody³ siege of Islamabad's Red Mosque⁴, where more than 100 people died in the eight-day operation.  From Islamabad, VOA Correspondent Benjamin Sand reports.

In a nearly hour-long speech, the Pakistani President defended the government's action amid mounting concerns of a possible militant⁵ backlash.

He said the assault would not eliminate extremism and terrorism, but the government's resolve is unwavering in defeating the menace in every province and every corner of the country.

Pakistani commandos stormed the mosque Tuesday after a weeklong stand-off with scores of heavily armed militants⁶ who were barricaded⁷ inside.

Smoke rises from Lal Masjid during heavy gunbattle between Pakistan troops and militants in Islamabad, 10 July 2007

Lal Masjid, or the Red Mosque, was a well-known source of Islamic militancy⁸, and its supporters repeatedly challenged the government's authority in recent months.  Students from the mosque's madrassa or religious school led a violent campaign to impose strict Islamic law on the capital.

Mr. Musharraf said the government showed both "patience and tolerance⁹" while doing everything it could to resolve the standoff peacefully.  He said negotiations¹⁰ failed, because the mosque's leaders were demanding a complete amnesty and safe passage out of Islamabad.

Officials say at least 75 militants and 10 soldiers were killed during the assault, although independent confirmation¹¹ of the final death toll¹² remains¹³ unavailable.

Jamia Hasfa Abdul Rashid Ghazi seen in this 10 Feb. 2007 file photo taken in Islamabad

Hours before President Musharraf's speech, hundreds of mourners helped bury the mosque's firebrand cleric, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, near his ancestral village in eastern Punjab Province. Ghazi's older brother, Abdul Aziz, led the prayers, which were frequently interrupted by pro-jihad chants. Aziz remains in government custody¹⁴, but the authorities allowed him to travel to the village for the funeral. 

Military forces are also bracing¹⁵ for new anti-government violence in Pakistan's remote tribal¹⁶ areas, where Ghazi had significant support.

In an Internet video posted Wednesday, the deputy leader of the al-Qaida terrorist network called for Muslims to take revenge against President Musharraf.

The Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahiri said the government's raid on the mosque can only be washed away by "repentance¹⁷ or blood."

At least 20 people have been killed in a series of suicide bomb attacks in the area since the standoff outside the Red Mosque began.

1 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

2 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。

3 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。

4 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。

5 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。

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 barricaded   

设路障于，以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 )； 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守

参考例句：

• The police barricaded the entrance. 警方在入口处设置了路障。
• The doors had been barricaded. 门都被堵住了。

8 militancy   

n.warlike behavior or tendency

参考例句：

• Full of militancy and revolutionary ardour, the people of all nationalities in the country are working hard for the realization of the four modernizations. 全国各族人民意气风发， 斗志昂扬，为实现四个现代化而奋战。
• The seniority system is another factor that leads to union militancy. 排资论辈制度也是导致工会好斗争的另一因素。

9 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

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 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

12 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。

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

14 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

15 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

16 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

17 repentance   

n.懊悔

参考例句：

• He shows no repentance for what he has done.他对他的所作所为一点也不懊悔。
• Christ is inviting sinners to repentance.基督正在敦请有罪的人悔悟。