VOA标准英语2010年-Anti-Islam Politicians on Rise in Euro

Voters in Netherlands Prepare for General Elections, Debate Role in Afghanistan
Dutch voters go the polls Wednesday to elect a new government.  The issue of immigration is playing high in the campaign, with the far-right 'Dutch Freedom Party' expected to finish in the top three.  Our correspondent traveled to the Netherlands to find out whether the famously liberal Dutch society is taking a turn to the right. 

A Roma band plays to the passing crowds outside the railway station in The Hague.  People of every ethnic¹ origin pass by on their way to work.  It is a scene that fits with the Netherlands' image of a tolerant, multi-cultural society.

But as elsewhere in Europe, there is a backlash here against immigration - especially against Muslim immigrants.

Further north in the town of Zwolle, the Saturday market is suddenly overwhelmed with TV cameras and onlookers².  Dutch Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders has arrived on the campaign trail.  He is a striking figure - in his image and his words.

He calls the Koran a fascist³ book and wants an end to Muslim immigration and pay Muslim immigrants to leave the country.

"We propose a full stop of people from Islamic countries because we believe we have enough Islam in Holland - that is about it," said Geert Wilders. "I have nothing against Muslims, but I believe that Islam is a totalitarian ideology⁴ and it goes against our freedom.  We are fighting for the freedom of the Netherlands and Europe and that is why we are proposing that."

Political parties across western Europe - and not just the far right - have taken up the issue.  In France and Belgium, impending⁵ legislation would ban the full Muslim veil in public.  In Switzerland, the government has banned the building of new minarets⁶ on mosques⁷.

Sadik Hardouchi chairs the Forum⁸ Institute for Multicultural⁹ Affairs, a research group.  He says the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment is rooted in recent history.

"The whole of Europe within this rapidly changing world of globalization, you see what the effects of the economic crisis are it begins with a mortgage in the United States and you lose your job here," said Sadik Hardouchi. "So people are searching for something to hold onto to, for certainty.  So those are some of the reasons of the insecurity and the fear of what Mr. Geert Wilders is calling the 'Islamization' of Europe."

In 2008, Wilders released a film to warn about the so-called Islamization of the West. 

The title Fitna means division; it intersperses¹⁰ quotations¹¹ from the Koran with footage of terrorist acts.  The film was banned in several countries; Wilders is still facing charges of inciting¹² hatred¹³ and discrimination in the Netherlands.

In the town of Zwolle where Wilders recently campaigned, the authorities were staging a soccer tournament nearby for homeless people - many of them Muslim immigrants.  We spoke¹⁴ to one of them about the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment.

"It is not a problem because it is  a free country and you can live your life," he said. "Maybe the situation about Wilders - Wilders is playing a game.  It is not the kind of thing the Netherlands looks like."

Even if Wilders remains¹⁵ popular - people here have mixed feelings.

"He takes advantage of the fear of people," said a woman. "I think it is very very silly what he does."

"Holland is full," said another. "And that is my opinion too - enough is enough."

Although many dismiss Wilders' views as extremist his party is attracting a share of the votes, as anti-Muslim feeling finds its way to the ballot¹⁶ box. 

 

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 onlookers   

n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene of the crash. 在撞车地点聚集了一大群围观者。
• The onlookers stood at a respectful distance. 旁观者站在一定的距离之外，以示尊敬。

3 fascist   

adj.法西斯主义的；法西斯党的；n.法西斯主义者，法西斯分子

参考例句：

• The strikers were roughed up by the fascist cops.罢工工人遭到法西斯警察的殴打。
• They succeeded in overthrowing the fascist dictatorship.他们成功推翻了法西斯独裁统治。

4 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

5 impending   

a.imminent, about to come or happen

参考例句：

• Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place. 即将发生饥荒之时，严重的战乱爆发了。
• The king convoke parliament to cope with the impending danger. 国王召开国会以应付迫近眉睫的危险。

6 minarets   

n.（清真寺旁由报告祈祷时刻的人使用的）光塔( minaret的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Remind you of a mosque, red baked bricks, the minarets. 红砖和尖塔都会使你联想到伊斯兰教的礼拜寺。 来自互联网
• These purchases usually went along with embellishments such as minarets. 这些购置通常也伴随着注入尖塔等的装饰。 来自互联网

7 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。

8 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

9 multicultural   

adj.融合多种文化的，多种文化的

参考例句：

• Children growing up in a multicultural society.在多元文化社会中长大的孩子们。
• The school has been attempting to bring a multicultural perspective to its curriculum.这所学校已经在尝试将一种多元文化视角引入其课程。

10 intersperses   

v.散布，散置( intersperse的第三人称单数 )；点缀

参考例句：

11 quotations   

n.引用( quotation的名词复数 )；[商业]行情（报告）；（货物或股票的）市价；时价

参考例句：

• The insurance company requires three quotations for repairs to the car. 保险公司要修理这辆汽车的三家修理厂的报价单。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These quotations cannot readily be traced to their sources. 这些引语很难查出出自何处。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 inciting   

刺激的，煽动的

参考例句：

• What are you up to inciting mutiny and insubordination? 你们干吗在这里煽动骚动的叛乱呀。
• He was charged with inciting people to rebel. 他被控煽动民众起来叛乱。

13 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

14 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

15 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

16 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。