VOA标准英语2010年-NYC Mosque Controversy Could Affect No

President Barack Obama hosts an Iftar dinner, the meal that breaks the dawn-to-dusk fast for Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan, in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, 13 Aug 2010

President Barack Obama has become embroiled¹ in a political controversy² involving a mosque³ and Islamic center being built near the site of the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City.  The president recently expressed support for the right of organizers to build the Islamic center in lower Manhattan, and those comments have intensified⁴ a national debate over the project that could have an impact on this year's midterm elections.

President Obama's recent comments about the mosque controversy near Ground Zero in New York have elevated the issue into a national political debate, just months before congressional elections in November.

"Ground Zero is indeed hallowed ground.  But let me be clear.  As a citizen and as president, I believe that Muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country, and that includes the right to build a place of worship in a community center on private property in lower Manhattan," said the president.

The day after those remarks at the White House, Mr. Obama said that although he supports the right of Muslims to build a community center and mosque near Ground Zero, he would not comment on the wisdom of doing so.

The president's comments angered many who oppose building a mosque so close to the site of the 2001 terrorist attacks.  Among them is former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who is being urged by some conservatives to run for president in 2012.

"This hurts," she said.  "This is a slap to those innocent victims who were murdered that day on 9/11 [September 11, 2001].  How else do you describe it?  He just doesn't get it that this is an insensitive move."

Site of a proposed mosque on Park Place in lower Manhattan in New York, 16 Aug 2010
Local issue

The mosque controversy largely was a local issue in New York City before the president weighed in, and now some Republicans hope to make it part of the national debate leading up to the congressional elections in November.

New York Republican Representative Peter King spoke⁵ on NBC television's Today program. "Muslims and every other religion have the absolute right [to worship s they see fit], but with rights come responsibilities," he said.  "And I strongly believe the responsible thing to do is not to build the mosque near Ground Zero.  Because no one was disputing the right to do it, it was whether or not they should."

A recent CNN public opinion survey found that 68 percent of those polled oppose the Islamic center being built so close to the site of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

But President Obama is receiving some credit for standing⁶ on principle in defending those who want to build the mosque.

Nihad Awad is the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.  He spoke with VOA's Deewa service. "These are principles of America's constitutional rights that should not be tampered⁷ with or negotiated or subjected to emotional feelings of those in opposition⁸ to the mosque that has been orchestrating this hysterical⁹ reaction by some politicians.  The statement by the president was needed and timely," said Awad.

International perspective

But the statement will likely be seen differently internationally than it is at home, says John Farina, an expert on religion at George Mason University in Virginia.

"I think he intended it, from reading the text, to send a message that, 'Look, we really believe in our ideals even when they are inconvenient,' and who could object to that?  That is a wonderful message.  But that is not the way, at least, that Americans are going to hear it," he said.

Construction workers take a lunch break from the World Trade Center site, in New York, 13 Aug 2010

Political price to pay

Political analysts¹¹ say that given the public's opposition to the mosque being built so close to Ground Zero, the president and his fellow Democrats¹² could pay a political price in November.

Larry Sabato directs the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. "It was both politically foolish and unnecessary for President Obama to take a stand on what the White House had rightly called a local issue.  This has added an unnecessary burden to the Democratic candidates who are actually on the ballot¹³ in November, which, of course, Obama is not," he said.

Many Democrats would prefer not to be drawn¹⁴ into taking a stand on the mosque controversy.  And some disagree with the president on the issue including Senate Majority Leader Harry¹⁵ Reid, who issued a statement saying that those building the Islamic center should look elsewhere.  Reid is involved in a tight re-election battle in his home state of Nevada.

Democrats are already on the defensive¹⁶ because of the weak national economy.  And analyst¹⁰ Sabato says many Democratic House and Senate candidates wish that the president had not spoken out on the mosque issue.

"He is the leader of the [Democratic] party," he said. "He is supposed to be looking out for the welfare of his troops and I don't think he did so in this case.  You know, presidents learn sooner or later that it is okay to duck the occasional issue when you have reason to do so, and he clearly had reason here and the opportunity."

But Sabato notes that the economy will be the paramount¹⁷ election issue in November - trumping¹⁸ the mosque controversy, illegal immigration and a host of other challenges facing the country.

1 embroiled   

adj.卷入的；纠缠不清的

参考例句：

• He became embroiled in a dispute with his neighbours. 他与邻居们发生了争执。
• John and Peter were quarrelling, but Mary refused to get embroiled. 约翰和彼得在争吵，但玛丽不愿卷入。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

3 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

4 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 tampered   

v.窜改( tamper的过去式 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄

参考例句：

• The records of the meeting had been tampered with. 会议记录已被人擅自改动。 来自辞典例句
• The old man's will has been tampered with. 老人的遗嘱已被窜改。 来自辞典例句

8 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

9 hysterical   

adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的

参考例句：

• He is hysterical at the sight of the photo.他一看到那张照片就异常激动。
• His hysterical laughter made everybody stunned.他那歇斯底里的笑声使所有的人不知所措。

10 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 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。

14 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

15 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

16 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

17 paramount   

a.最重要的，最高权力的

参考例句：

• My paramount object is to save the Union and destroy slavery.我的最高目标是拯救美国，摧毁奴隶制度。
• Nitrogen is of paramount importance to life on earth.氮对地球上的生命至关重要。

18 trumping   

v.（牌戏）出王牌赢（一牌或一墩）( trump的现在分词 )；吹号公告，吹号庆祝；吹喇叭；捏造

参考例句：

• Reality has a way of trumping art, and human-climate change is very real indeed. 现实总有它的王牌艺术，受人类影响的气候变化的确成了事实。 来自互联网
• This quirky aversion may be a case of psychological security trumping physical comfort. 这种奇怪现象可能是缘于一个心理上的安全感战胜生理上的舒适感的例子。 来自互联网