VOA标准英语2013--US President Attends Inaugural Prayer Service

 

US President Attends Inaugural¹ Prayer Service

There was a performance by an African American gospel choir².

And a muezzin's call to prayer.

The president sat quietly in the front row as the service featured a diversity of religions.

Episcopal Bishop³ Katherine Jefferts Schori offered a prayer. "Make us who come from many nations, with many different languages, a united people," she said.

But outside the historic cathedral still being repaired from the 2011 earthquake, the message of harmony was not felt.

Kristan Hawkins and fellow activists⁴ marked the fortieth anniversary of a Supreme⁵ Court ruling legalizing abortion⁶. "Forty years of walking in the darkness, we cannot be silent today. It doesn't matter what's going on today," Hawkins said.

A prayer breakfast Monday drew a large crowd of conservative Christians⁸. Many of the people at the breakfast did not vote for Barack Obama, and they most certainly disagree with his policies. But they believe that prayer gives them a second chance to influence this presidency⁹.

"There are three things that are really very major. Number one is life, number two is Israel, and number three is judges," said Anne Boccanfuso. She believes the president is pro-abortion and anti-Israel. And she worries about who he might appoint to the Supreme Court because she believes he doesn't share her faith. “He is not a Christian⁷. I believe that he is not a Christian,” she said.

Others do believe it.

But while diversity was also on display at the breakfast, the prayers were aimed at giving conservatives the faith to stand up to what they expect will be a liberal agenda in the president's second term. 

1 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

2 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

3 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

7 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。

8 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

9 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。