VOA常速英语2008年-Pilgrims Celebrate Easter Sunday in Jerusalem

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
23 March 2008

Christians¹ around the world are celebrating Easter Sunday, marking the resurrection of Jesus. Robert Berger was in the midst of the faithful at Jerusalem's holy places and filed this VOA report.

Christians celebrated² Easter Sunday at sunrise in Jerusalem.

Thousands of pilgrims converged³ on the Church of the Holy Sepulcher⁴ in Jerusalem's Old City, where priests in festive⁵ red robes celebrated Easter Mass.

A cloud of incense⁶ rose above the ancient stone tomb, located inside the church, where Jesus is believed to have risen from the dead.

Judy Aboud came from Phoenix⁷, in the southwestern American state of Arizona.

"Even with all the confusion and the crowds and everyone, the feeling is unexplainable. It's unbelievable, and some of the holy sites that we've seen too, you can really feel the Spirit," said Aboud.

Easter came amid a nationwide Israeli security alert for the Jewish holiday of Purim which coincided this year with Easter. Israel fears Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon could be planning a revenge attack to mark the end of the 40-day mourning period for a top Hezbollah leader, killed in a car bombing in Damascus. Hezbollah blamed Israel for the assassination⁸, although Israel said it was not involved.

Armed Israeli police and soldiers patrolled the narrow cobblestone streets of Jerusalem's Old City, but the threat of terror did not worry Ron Kussack from the U.S. state of Virginia.

"I've had 33 years of military experience and I have no doubt in my mind that this place is well-secured and protected," said Kussack.

The pilgrims left Middle East tensions and politics behind and focused instead on their expression of faith.

1 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

2 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

3 converged   

v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的过去式 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集

参考例句：

• Thousands of supporters converged on London for the rally. 成千上万的支持者从四面八方汇聚伦敦举行集会。
• People converged on the political meeting from all parts of the city. 人们从城市的四面八方涌向这次政治集会。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 sepulcher   

n.坟墓

参考例句：

• He said softly,as if his voice were coming from a sepulcher.他幽幽说道，象是从坟墓里传来的声音。
• Let us bend before the venerated sepulcher.让我们在他神圣的墓前鞠躬致敬。

5 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。

6 incense   

v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气

参考例句：

• This proposal will incense conservation campaigners.这项提议会激怒环保人士。
• In summer,they usually burn some coil incense to keep away the mosquitoes.夏天他们通常点香驱蚊。

7 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

8 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。