VOA标准英语2012--British Queen Shakes Hand of Former IRA Leader

 

British Queen Shakes Hand of Former IRA Leader

It was once unthinkable that a British monarch¹ would shake hands with the former leader of the IRA, which fought a three-decade long war against British rule in Northern Ireland.

Martin McGuinness is now a lawmaker with Sinn Fein, the IRA’s political wing, and deputy first minister.

John Bew, director of the International Center for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence at Kings College London, says the handshake shows Northern Ireland has moved on from decades of civil strife², but that the symbolism is being overplayed.

“There’s a huge debate within the republican movement, from which Sinn Fein heralds³, as to whether this is ideologically⁴ a correct thing to do," said Bew. "But the key thing you’ve got to understand is that it keeps Martin McGuinness in the limelight; it keeps Sinn Fein making headlines. And it keeps their project on the news at all times.”

The meeting between McGuinness and Queen Elizabeth took place in a theater in a Belfast suburb. Microphones were banned.

At one point, McGuinness appeared alongside the Queen’s husband Prince Philip. But the prince moved away swiftly.

In 1979, Prince Philip’s uncle - the Queen’s cousin, Lord Mountbatten - was killed by an IRA bomb planted on his boat in the Republic of Ireland.

Violence between Protestants loyal to the crown and Catholics fighting for a united Ireland appeared to have no end, claiming more than 3,500 lives.

John Bew of Kings College says tensions still remain.

“Breakaway organizations from the IRA, like the Real IRA, the Continuity IRA, have not been as successful as they would like," he said. "They have not broken away a significant portion of popular support from Sinn Fein, but they still pose a deadly threat and contain some very serious individuals.”

Queen Elizabeth's visit to Northern Ireland is part of her Diamond Jubilee⁵ celebration. There has been some opposition⁶ to the visit, but the majority of Northern Ireland’s politicians support the meeting with Martin McGuinness. The handshake was over in seconds. But with so much blood shed that preceded it, analysts⁷ say it was a historic moment. 

1 monarch   

n.帝王，君主，最高统治者

参考例句：

• The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
• I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。

2 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

3 heralds   

n.使者( herald的名词复数 )；预报者；预兆；传令官v.预示( herald的第三人称单数 )；宣布（好或重要）

参考例句：

• The song of birds heralds the approach of spring. 百鸟齐鸣报春到。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The wind sweeping through the tower heralds a rising storm in the mountain. 山雨欲来风满楼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 ideologically   

adv. 意识形态上地，思想上地

参考例句：

• Ideologically, they have many differences. 在思想意识上，他们之间有许多不同之处。
• He has slipped back ideologically. 他思想退步了。

5 jubilee   

n.周年纪念；欢乐

参考例句：

• They had a big jubilee to celebrate the victory.他们举行盛大的周年纪念活动以祝贺胜利。
• Every Jubilee,to take the opposite case,has served a function.反过来说，历次君主巡幸，都曾起到某种作用。

6 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。

7 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。