voa标准英语2008-Christians Celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem

It is a festive¹ Christmas Eve in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
　

Christian2 worshipers light candles inside the Church of Nativity, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, 24 Dec 2008

Palestinian boy and girl scouts³ marched through Manger Square in Bethlehem, kicking off Christmas Eve celebrations. They marched past the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, with Palestinian flags waving overhead.

Religious celebrations began with the arrival of the Latin Patriarch, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Holy Land.

Monks⁴ and priests in white robes held a solemn procession into the church, as thousands of Palestinians and pilgrims from around the world looked on.

Preston Moore came from the midwestern U.S. state of Illinois.

"It is a great experience, wonderful. Feel jubilation⁵, peace, a new hope for a new year," he said.

Bethlehem tourism is booming

Thanks to a lull⁶ in West Bank violence, it is a booming Christmas for tourism in Bethlehem with a million visitors this year. That is good news for Manger Square shopkeepers like Nadia Hazboun.

"A lot of tourists came to Bethlehem and we win a good business, better than the other last years, and we hope the situation will stay like this," she said.

Palestinians unhappy about Israeli security barrier

But Palestinians complain about Israel's massive security barrier surrounding Bethlehem. Jihan Anistas is the director of the Bethlehem Peace Center.

"The city of peace is encircled by the wall. It is a monster that is killing⁷ the city of Bethlehem. It is an open prison. I prefer to say it is a cage," said Anistas.

Israel says the barrier is necessary to keep suicide bombers⁸ out of the Jewish state. The wall is an eyesore on the biblical landscape, but Bethlehem put that aside this Christmas and opened its gates to celebrate.

1 festive   

adj.欢宴的，节日的

参考例句：

• It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood.当时是圣诞节，每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
• We all wore festive costumes to the ball.我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 scouts   

侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员

参考例句：

• to join the Scouts 参加童子军
• The scouts paired off and began to patrol the area. 巡逻人员两个一组，然后开始巡逻这个地区。

4 monks   

n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
• He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 jubilation   

n.欢庆，喜悦

参考例句：

• The goal was greeted by jubilation from the home fans.主场球迷为进球欢呼。
• The whole city was a scene of jubilation.全市一片欢腾。

6 lull   

v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇

参考例句：

• The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。
• Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后，地面战又突然爆发了。

7 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。

8 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》