voa标准英语2008-Mumbai's Children Cope With Terror Attacks

With schools closed during the terror attacks in Mumbai, many of the city's children stayed indoors during the three-day siege, watching tragedy unfold on television. Now that schools have opened, some children are finding it difficult to focus on their studies, but many are glad to be back to the comfort of routines. Raymond Thibodeaux has this report from Mumbai.
　

Girl in a bus on her way back home from school in Mumbai, 01 Dec 2008

Here at the Bharada New High School, the classrooms are once again alive with the sound of children. There are about 1,500 students at this school. It is across the street from Mumbai's main railway station, where gunmen launched attacks that killed 174 people and wounded more than 230 others in the city's longest-running terror attack.

Pooja Kumar, the school's principal, said, "Even the grownups are not feeling very normal. I also come by the [rail] station and, even as I was putting my foot down on the platform, there was some apprehension¹. A number of our children come that way. They must have also felt the same way I feel."

"It is like I cannot concentrate on any of my work," said Shweta Singh, a 16-year-old senior at the school. "Now, I am feeling that I want to go home because that is the only safe places for us. God knows what will happen tomorrow."

Fifteen-year-old Maiz Indorewala says he is finding comfort in the familiar routines of school. He says being back in school helps him cope by keeping him from dwelling² on the attacks. He also says going back to school sends a message to those who carried out the attack against the city.
　

Indian police officers run to a new position around the landmark3 Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai, India, 29 Nov 2008

"I was very afraid, with all the violence and bloodshed, that make our minds fearful right now. We have to show them that we are not afraid of them. We show them that we are back at work and at schools and offices," he said.

As with many other principals at the more than 400 schools across the city, Kumar says she has been busier than usual, on the school's intercom, trying to maintain calm and to reassure⁴ the children that they are safe.

"My message to the children - I'm going to make an announcement to the children and ask them not to be afraid. Nothing is going to happen. Just be brave. Whatever has to happen will happen one day. Life has to go on. Children have to study. We have to earn our bread. Everyone has to go back to work," Kumar said.

On a chalkboard on the entrance hall of the school, some of the day's news headlines are written out in white chalk, in perfect cursive script. One of them reads, "Police question the captured gunman." Another reads, "Mumbai back to life," punctuated⁵ by a smiley-face sun.

1 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。

2 dwelling   

n.住宅，住所，寓所

参考例句：

• Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
• He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

3 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

4 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

5 punctuated   

v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 )；不时打断某事物

参考例句：

• Her speech was punctuated by bursts of applause. 她的讲演不时被阵阵掌声打断。
• The audience punctuated his speech by outbursts of applause. 听众不时以阵阵掌声打断他的讲话。 来自《简明英汉词典》