VOA标准英语2008年-Clashes Grip Indian Kashmir Over Allotment of L

Three people have been killed and more than a hundred others injured in violent clashes that have erupted in Indian Kashmir, surrounding the controversial transfer of land to a Hindu shrine¹ trust. Anjana Pasricha has a report from New Delhi on the latest violence gripping the Kashmir Valley.
　
Kashmiri protesters shout slogans near burning tires set ablaze² as a blockade during a demonstration³ in Srinagar, India, 26 Jun 2008

Security forces lobbed tear gas shells, as thousands of angry protestors pelted⁴ them with stones in Kashmir's Summer capital, Srinagar, and nearby towns, Thursday. Shops, businesses, schools and colleges shut down and roads were empty.

It was the fourth straight day that violent protests have gripped the region.

The demonstrations⁵ erupted after the state government decided⁶ to transfer about 40 hectares of forest land to a Hindu board that organizes an annual pilgrimage to a popular Hindu shrine in Kashmir.

The land is to be used to erect⁷ pre-fabricated huts to house thousands of Hindu pilgrims who trek⁸ to the Amarnath shrine, located in a high mountain cave.

But protesters accuse the government of trying to change the demography⁹ of Muslim-majority Kashmir by building settlements for Hindus.

At least three people have died and 100 others injured in the clashes, so far.

The state's chief minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, has appealed for peace and has pledged that their will no construction on the land until the issue is resolved.

Azad says he will convene¹⁰ a meeting of all political parties to give everyone an opportunity to present their point of view and to build a consensus¹¹.

But it may not be easy to find a solution to the contentious¹² issue. The demonstrations in Kashmir have raised tempers among Hindu groups in Kashmir's Winter capital, Jammu.

A Hindu nationalist group, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, shut down Jammu City, Thursday. It has threatened to block supplies of essential commodities to Srinagar, if the government cancels the land allotment for the pilgrims.

The pilgrims have been demanding better facilities as they either trek or ride ponies¹³ to the Amarnath cave to pray to an ice stalagmite they believe is a symbol of Hindu god, Shiva.

Kashmir was wracked with violence for 15 years, as separatist groups and Islamic militants¹⁴ waged a campaign to separate the region from mostly Hindu India. However, the region has been relatively¹⁵ peaceful in recent years.

　

 

1 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

2 ablaze   

adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的

参考例句：

• The main street was ablaze with lights in the evening.晚上，那条主要街道灯火辉煌。
• Forests are sometimes set ablaze by lightning.森林有时因雷击而起火。

3 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

4 pelted   

（连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮

参考例句：

• The children pelted him with snowballs. 孩子们向他投掷雪球。
• The rain pelted down. 天下着大雨。

5 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 erect   

n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的

参考例句：

• She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头，把背挺得笔直。
• Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。

8 trek   

vi.作长途艰辛的旅行；n.长途艰苦的旅行

参考例句：

• We often go pony-trek in the summer.夏季我们经常骑马旅行。
• It took us the whole day to trek across the rocky terrain.我们花了一整天的时间艰难地穿过那片遍布岩石的地带。

9 demography   

n.人口统计，人口学

参考例句：

• Demography is the analysis of population variables.人口学是对人口变量的分析。
• It was once a rule of demography that people have fewer children as their countries get richer.按人口统计学的一贯规律，一个国家里的人民越富有，他们所拥有的孩子就越少。

10 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。

11 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

12 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

13 ponies   

矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑

参考例句：

• They drove the ponies into a corral. 他们把矮种马赶进了畜栏。
• She has a mania for ponies. 她特别喜欢小马。

14 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。

15 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。