A senior government official says Pakistan's top civilian and military leaders had planned to dine at Islamabad's Marriot Hotel when a suicide car bombing struck it, killing 53 people. While an investigation is under way into the country's deadliest suicide bombing, unknown gunmen kidnapped Afghanistan's ambassador-designate in the northwest Pakistan city of Peshawar.
巴基斯坦政府的一位高级官员说，巴基斯坦文职和军界的高级领导人曾经计划在自杀式汽车炸弹袭击伊斯兰堡的万豪酒店的时候在那里用餐。这次袭击造成53人死亡，是巴基斯坦死亡人数最多的一次自杀炸弹袭击。就在当局对这起事件进行调查的同时，不明身份的武装分子在巴基斯坦西北部的白沙瓦市绑架了即将上任的阿富汗大使，导致巴基斯坦安全局势进一步恶化。
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Interior Ministry head Rehman Malik disclosed that Pakistan's President, Prime Minister, and Army chief were planning to attend a dinner party at the Marriott Hotel when it was bombed.
巴基斯坦内政部长马利克在伊斯兰堡对记者们透露，巴基斯坦总统、总理和陆军总参谋长曾计划在万豪酒店被炸的时间在那里出席一个晚餐会。
Malik says perhaps the terrorists knew that the Marriott was the venue of the dinner and the entire leadership of the country would be present there. But he says the dinner was moved to the Prime Minister's official residence at the 11th hour on the instructions of the president and the prime minister. The interior ministry chief did not explain why the two leaders decided to change the venue of the dinner party.
马利克说，也许恐怖分子知道晚餐会将在万豪酒店举行，而且整个巴基斯坦领导层成员将聚集在那里。不过他说，在11点时，总统和总理指示将宴会的地点改在总理的官邸。他没有解释这两位领导人为什么会改变餐会地点。
Officials say that nearly 270 people were wounded in the bombing, while the dead included the Czech ambassador to Pakistan and American nationals.
有关官员说，有近270人在爆炸中受伤。而死者中包括捷克驻巴基斯坦大使和一些美国人。
A U.S Embassy spokesman Lou Fintor gave details of the American casualties in the weekend bombing.
美国大使馆发言人芬托尔透露了美国死者的详情。
"Two American citizens died of injuries sustained during the September 20th bombing of the Islamabad Marriot Hotel. Those individuals were Department of Defense employees. In addition, a State Department contractor, an American citizen, is unaccounted for at this time. However, we are continuing efforts to determine this employee's status," said Fintor.
他说：“在九月20号发生在伊斯兰堡万豪酒店的爆炸中，两名美国公民在受伤后不治身亡。他们是美国国防部的工作人员。此外，一名美国籍的国务院合同工目前失踪。不过，我们在尽力确定他的状况。”
There are no claims of responsibility, but Pakistani authorities suspect militants linked to the Taliban and Al-Qaida terror network for the bombing. The attack prompted the British Airways to temporarily suspend flights to Pakistan.
目前还没有人出面对袭击承担负责，但是巴基斯坦有关当局怀疑塔利班和基地恐怖组织同爆炸有关。这起袭击使英国航空公司暂停飞往巴基斯坦的航班。
In a further sign of the worsening security situation in the country, unknown gunmen have kidnapped Afghanistan's ambassador-designate, Abdul Khaliq Farahi in the northwestern Pakistan city of Peshawar. The kidnappers ambushed the diplomat's car in a residential area of the troubled city and killed his Afghan driver.
另一起事件更加突出了巴基斯坦安全局势的恶化。不明身份的武装分子在巴基斯坦西北部的白沙瓦市绑架了即将上任的阿富汗驻巴基斯坦大使法拉希。绑匪在白沙瓦市一个居民区里突袭了法拉希乘坐的汽车，并杀死了他的阿富汗司机。
Speaking to VOA by telephone from Peshawar, an Afghan official, Noor Mohammad Takal, says that the kidnapped diplomat was still serving as the consul general at the Afghan consulate in Peshawawr.
阿富汗官员塔卡尔在白沙瓦通过电话告诉美国之音，法拉希当时依然担任阿富汗驻白沙瓦市领馆总领事的职位。
He says that the top Afghan diplomat was going back to his residence in the city from work, but was intercepted by armed men.
他说，法拉希当时正在从办公室回家的路上，但是遭到了武装分子的拦截。
The kidnapping took place in an area that borders one of Pakistan's semi-autonoumos tribal areas, the Khyber Agency, where Taliban and al-Qaida militants are believed to have their hideouts. Pakistani security forces recently have conducted major military operations to eliminate the militants.
发生绑架的地区同巴基斯坦半自治的部落地区开伯尔相邻。开伯尔地区有塔利班和基地组织激进分子的藏匿点。巴基斯坦安全部队最近对这个地区展开了大规模军事行动，以消灭这些激进分子。
The latest incidents of violence in Pakistan underscore the extremist threat facing the country, a vital U.S. ally in the war against terrorism. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is set to meet President Bush in New York this week to discuss, among other things, efforts to tackle the rising militant threat.
巴基斯坦最近发生的几起暴力袭击显示，这个美国反恐战争的重要盟国面临来自极端分子的威胁。巴基斯坦总统扎尔达里定于本周在纽约同布什会晤，双方将讨论如何解决不断增加的激进分子威胁等问题。 |