2007年VOA标准英语-Unprecedented Blast Rocks Maldives Tourist Site

By Steve Herman
New Delhi
29 September 2007

An unprecedented¹ bombing has hit a tourist attraction in the Maldives. Authorities say 12 foreign travelers, in Male, the capital of the island nation, were injured. VOA correspondent Steve Herman reports from our South Asia bureau in New Delhi.

A blast, caused by what is being described as a small home-made bomb, went off Saturday afternoon at the entrance to a crowded park housing the Maldives national museum, near Army headquarters. Foreign tourists on a bus were among those wounded.

The Maldives, a predominately Sunni Muslim country of 350,000 people in the Indian Ocean, whose economy is heavily dependent on tourism, is not accustomed to experiencing this type of violence, according to Information Ministry² spokeswoman Noora Ali.

"This has never happened in the Maldives before, so the government is strongly condemning³ this act," said Ali.

British, Chinese and Japanese tourists are among the injured.

The Information Ministry official says authorities do not have any suspects at this time.

"Nobody has come forth⁴ taking any responsibility on this, so it's unknown," said Ali. "They've released CCTV footage also to the public. And the public has been urged to share any information that might be able to help with the investigation⁵."

While the tourism industry has been spared violence until now, there have been occasional clashes between government forces and opposition⁶ activists⁷.

The Maldives, for nearly 30 years, has been under the tight control of six-term President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

The president promised democratic reforms after riots in the capital three years ago, but there has been little progress in that direction.

Analysts⁸ say a growing number of disaffected⁹ young people have become followers¹⁰ of a conservative strain of Islam, prompting rising concern about the possibility of jihadist violence.

1 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

5 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。

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 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

9 disaffected   

adj.（政治上）不满的，叛离的

参考例句：

• He attracts disaffected voters.他吸引了心怀不满的选民们。
• Environmental issues provided a rallying point for people disaffected with the government.环境问题把对政府不满的人们凝聚了起来。

10 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。