2007年VOA标准英语-US Honors Victims of 9/11 Attacks

By Leta Hong Fincher
Washington
12 September 2007
 

The United States yesterday marked the sixth anniversary of the September, 11th 2001 terrorist attacks with ceremonies and tributes across the country. Leta Hong Fincher brings us this report.

Tears were shed by many at ceremonies honoring the victims of the terrorist attacks

Families of the dead, visitors and officials gathered in New York City to mourn victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center.

A bell sounded at 8:46 a.m. Eastern time to mark the instant the first hijacked¹ airplane hit the twin towers six years ago. At the White House, President Bush paused for a moment of silence.

In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg addressed the crowd. "On that day, we felt isolated², but not for long, and not from each other. New Yorkers rushed to the site, not knowing which place was safe or if there was more danger ahead. They weren't sure of anything except that they had to be here. Six years have passed, and our place is still by your side."

New York rescue workers who responded to the attacks read the names of more than 2,750 killed that day.

"Alok Agarwal, Mukul Kumar Agarwala, and my family member - Peggy Jezycki Alario, and my partner and friend - paramedic Lieutenant³ Ricardo J. Quinn," read one mourner.

Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani also spoke⁴ briefly⁵, despite opposition⁶ from critics who say he is using the September 11th attacks to help his campaign for president.

This year's anniversary services were moved from Ground Zero because of construction at the site of the former World Trade Center. 

Tania Garcia lost her sister Marlyn in Tower One

But work stopped for the day, as relatives honored the loved ones they had lost. Tania Garcia's sister Marlyn was killed in Tower One. "We're still very much affected⁷ by it on a daily basis. It's something that we will never get over."

In a Pennsylvania field, mourners remembered the 40 passengers and crew members killed when one of the hijacked planes crashed.

And at the Pentagon, where 184 people died in the crash of a fourth hijacked plane, Defense⁸ Secretary Robert Gates vowed⁹ to strike back against terrorists.

"The enemies of America, the enemies of our values and our liberty, will never again rest easy, for we will hunt them down relentlessly¹⁰ and without reservation."

The key planner of the attacks, al-Qaida leader Osama bin¹¹ Laden¹², released a videotape praising one of the 19 suicide hijackers.

In an interview with the ABC television network, Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell assured Americans that the U.S. government will not let its guard down. "We are safer today, but we are not safe. The worry is that we have to maintain our vigilance."

This anniversary was the first that fell on a Tuesday, the same day hijackers crashed planes into buildings six years ago. In all, the September 11th attacks claimed the lives of almost 3,000 people.

1 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

2 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

3 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

4 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。

5 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

9 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。

10 relentlessly   

adv.不屈不挠地；残酷地；不间断

参考例句：

• The African sun beat relentlessly down on his aching head. 非洲的太阳无情地照射在他那发痛的头上。
• He pursued her relentlessly, refusing to take 'no' for an answer. 他锲而不舍地追求她，拒不接受“不”的回答。

11 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

12 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。