VOA标准英语2008年-Pakistan Security Officials Describe Hotel Atta

Pakistani security officials have disclosed new details about Saturday's hotel bombing and released a video showing the attack. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from Islamabad, where the interior ministry¹ said the death toll² has reached 53 people, including four foreigners.
　
View of destruction caused by bomb explosion at hotel in Islamabad, 20 Sep 2008

The top official in the interior ministry told reporters that the attackers had built a sophisticated bomb that is the largest on record in Pakistan.

Rehman Malik said an estimated 600 kilograms of military grade explosives were mixed with aluminum⁴ powder - a highly flammable material. The bomb was packed inside a large dump truck that was also carrying construction materials - apparently⁵ to take advantage of city rules that allow large construction vehicles into the city after sunset.

Security camera footage released by officials showed a large truck attempting to ram³ the hotel gate. When the truck failed to breach⁶ the barrier, the driver appeared to detonate a small explosion inside the cab, catching⁷ the vehicle on fire and sending hotel guards fleeing. The vehicle then burned for several minutes, before the flames grew and eventually detonated the truck's massive payload.

Rehman Malik said officials have made no arrests, but suspect the perpetrators are linked to previous attacks.

"Unless I investigate, Im not at liberty to tell you who has done it. But previous investigations⁸, all the roads have gone to South Waziristan," Malik said.

The tribal⁹ agency on the Afghan border is considered a stronghold of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, who was also blamed in the assassination¹⁰ of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
　
Pakistani police officers carry an injured person after a bomb explosion at a hotel in Islamabad, 20 Sep 2008

Officials said the four foreigners killed in the blast included two Americans, a Vietnamese citizen and the Czech ambassador to Pakistan.

No militant¹¹ groups have claimed responsibility for the attack, but in the past spokesmen for the groups frequently call television and radio stations to take credit and criticize the government.

Rehman Malik urged the media not to give the militants¹² a propaganda victory.

"I am requesting and appealing to the media to stop the glorification¹³ of those - those militants who are killing¹⁴ your brothers, your sisters," Malik said.

The top official in the interior ministry said the government plans to continue its plan for combating militancy¹⁵ in the tribal regions by distributing development aid, negotiating peace deals with willing partners, and using military strikes when necessary.

 

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

3 ram   

(random access memory)随机存取存储器

参考例句：

• 512k RAM is recommended and 640k RAM is preferred.推荐配置为512K内存，640K内存则更佳。

4 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

5 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

6 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

7 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

8 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

9 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

10 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。

11 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

12 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。

13 glorification   

n.赞颂

参考例句：

• Militant devotion to and glorification of one's country; fanatical patriotism. 对国家的军事效忠以及美化；狂热的爱国主义。
• Glorification-A change of place, a new condition with God. 得荣─在神面前新处境，改变了我们的结局。

14 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。

15 militancy   

n.warlike behavior or tendency

参考例句：

• Full of militancy and revolutionary ardour, the people of all nationalities in the country are working hard for the realization of the four modernizations. 全国各族人民意气风发， 斗志昂扬，为实现四个现代化而奋战。
• The seniority system is another factor that leads to union militancy. 排资论辈制度也是导致工会好斗争的另一因素。