voa标准英语2008-Suicide Bomber Strikes in Pakistan

A suicide car bomber¹ struck a security post in northwestern Pakistan, killing² at least nine people and wounding more than 30 others. The attack came hours after suspected Taliban militants³ in the same region killed two truck drivers transporting supplies for NATO and U.S forces in neighboring Afghanistan. Meanwhile, police in the southern city of Karachi say that three days of ethnically⁵ motivated violence has killed at least 17 people and wounded more than 60. From Islamabad, Ayaz Gul reports.

Pakistani military officials and witnesses say that a suicide bomber prematurely⁶ detonated his car while trying to bypass the line at a security checkpoint in the violence-plagued valley of Swat.

The powerful explosion caused most of the deaths instantly and damaged several vehicles lined up for a security check. Officials say that a majority of those killed and wounded were civilians⁷.

Pakistani troops have been engaged in anti-insurgency operations in the militant-infested valley. Actions that have provoked suspected Taliban extremists to retaliate⁸ with frequent attacks on security forces and government officials.
　

Victims of a suicide attack are admitted at a local hospital in Pakistan's troubled district of Swat in Pakistan, 01 Dec 2008

Monday's suicide bombing took place hours after dozens of heavily armed Taliban militants attacked a shipping⁹ terminal in the northwestern city of Peshawar where trucks loaded with supplies for NATO and U.S forces in Afghanistan were parked.

The militants set the vehicles on fire and killed two drivers before fleeing the scene.

Meanwhile, authorities in Karachi say that there is no let up in violence between the city's Urdu-speaking community known as mohajirs and ethnic⁴ Pashtun settlers. After Sunday's violent clashes, all schools and colleges in Pakistan's commercial capital were closed and few people were using public transport on Monday.

Tensions have been running high in Karachi since a major political party representing the Urdu-speaking population began to allege¹⁰ that Taliban militants are gaining strength in Pashtun dominated parts of the southern Pakistani city. But provincial¹¹ minister Zulfiqar Mirza denies these allegations as "rumor¹² mongering"

"My message for the people of Karachi is that please be peaceful and do not give your year to rumor mongers," he said.

The minister told the provincial legislative¹³ assembly that he has ordered the police to shoot trouble-makers on sight to discourage the violence.

1 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。

2 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

3 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。

4 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

5 ethnically   

adv.人种上，民族上

参考例句：

• Ethnically, the Yuan Empire comprised most of modern China's ethnic groups. 元朝的民族成分包括现今中国绝大多数民族。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• Russia is ethnically relatively homogeneous. 俄罗斯是个民族成分相对单一的国家。 来自辞典例句

6 prematurely   

adv.过早地，贸然地

参考例句：

• She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产，肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了，不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句

7 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

8 retaliate   

v.报复，反击

参考例句：

• He sought every opportunity to retaliate against his enemy.他找机会向他的敌人反击。
• It is strictly forbidden to retaliate against the quality inspectors.严禁对质量检验人员进行打击报复。

9 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

10 allege   

vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言

参考例句：

• The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的，但他们没提出证据。
• Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。

11 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。

12 rumor   

n.谣言，谣传，传说

参考例句：

• The rumor has been traced back to a bad man.那谣言经追查是个坏人造的。
• The rumor has taken air.谣言流传开了。

13 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。