VOA标准英语2010年-India's PM Calls for Talks to End Deat

The latest violence erupted in the town of Mendhar, which had been untouched by the mass protests that have engulfed¹ the Kashmir valley. Police opened fire after protesters tried to enter a Christian² school and attacked government buildings.

In New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with major political parties to build a consensus³ on how to handle the growing tensions in Kashmir. The meeting ended with an agreement to send a delegation⁴ to Kashmir to assess the situation. But no concrete initiatives to calm the region emerged from the marathon five-hour session.

Dialogue essential

Before opening the meeting, the prime minister said dialogue is the only way out of the crisis. But he said talks will be difficult unless peace is restored.

"We are ready for dialogue with anybody and any group that does not espouse⁵ or practice violence," said Prime Minister Singh. "We have also told the state government to restore peace and public order in order to create conditions congenial to a dialogue process."

The meeting in New Delhi also failed to reach a consensus on revoking⁶ a tough security law that gives armed forces sweeping⁷ powers to arrest, search and detain suspects in Kashmir. It has been a long-standing demand in the heavily militarized region. But some senior government ministers and the main opposition⁸ Bharatiya Janata Party oppose reducing the powers of the armed forces at a time when the protests are growing.

Young leaders

The demonstrations⁹ have mostly been led by young Kashmiris, who have hurled¹⁰ stones at security forces and burned or damaged government buildings. Security forces have resorted to opening fire to control the crowds, resulting in the death of at least 90 civilians¹¹ in the past three months.

Prime Minister Singh accused separatist groups in the region of fanning the violence.

"I was shocked and distressed¹² to see young men and women, even children joining the protests on the streets," said added Singh. "While some of these protests may have been impulsive¹³ or spontaneous, it cannot be denied that some of these incidents were orchestrated by certain groups."

Kashmir is a Muslim-majority region divided between India and Pakistan. An armed separatist insurgency¹⁴ that raged in Indian Kashmir in the 1990s cooled off after the rivals signed a peace deal in 2004. But India is confronting a fresh crisis as mass protests spiral in the region.

1 engulfed   

v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was engulfed by a crowd of reporters. 他被一群记者团团围住。
• The little boat was engulfed by the waves. 小船被波浪吞没了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 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？

4 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

5 espouse   

v.支持，赞成，嫁娶

参考例句：

• Today,astronomers espouse the theory that comets spawn the swarms.如今，天文学家们支持彗星产生了流星团的说法。
• Some teachers enthusiastically espouse the benefits to be gained from educational software.有些教师热烈赞同可以从教学软件中得到好处的观点。

6 revoking   

v.撤销，取消，废除( revoke的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• There are no provisions for revoking the prize. 没有撤销获奖的规定。 来自互联网
• The decision revoking the patent right shall be registered and announced by the Patent Office. 撤销专利权的决定，由专利局登记和公告。 来自互联网

7 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

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 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。

10 hurled   

v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂

参考例句：

• He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。
• The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

12 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

13 impulsive   

adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的

参考例句：

• She is impulsive in her actions.她的行为常出于冲动。
• He was neither an impulsive nor an emotional man,but a very honest and sincere one.他不是个一冲动就鲁莽行事的人，也不多愁善感.他为人十分正直、诚恳。

14 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网