2006年VOA标准英语-Pope Visit to Turkey Sparks Protests

By Sabina Castelfranco
Istanbul
25 November 2006

Pope Benedict arrives in predominantly Muslim Turkey on Tuesday, and already there have been demonstrations¹ against his visit. But Vatican officials say they expect the trip to go well, although there are not expected to be large crowds greeting the pope. Sabina Castelfranco reports for VOA from Istanbul.

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Authorities are bracing² for protests when the pope arrives. A group of nationalist Turks protesting his visit earlier this week briefly³ occupied Haghia Sophia in Istanbul. The famous landmark⁴ used to be a Byzantine church, then became a mosque⁵, and is now a museum.

Members of a pro-Islamic party are planning another large protest against the pope's visit in Istanbul on Sunday.

Thousands of police officers will be deployed⁶ when the pope arrives, and the Turkish security services have suggested it would be safer, if the pope wore a bullet-proof vest.

Vatican officials, like Secretary of State Cardinal⁷ Tarcisio Bertone, say they are not concerned about the demonstrations. He says: "We received nearly daily information on the situation and measures taken to ensure security and a good outcome to the trip." After all, the cardinal added, demonstrations are a way of expressing one's position, they are part of the freedom of expression, which exists in a country like Turkey.

The cardinal expressed optimism about Pope Benedict's visit to Turkey. "I think that the trip will go well," he said. "We have trust in the Turkish government and in the wiseness of the Turkish people. They may not fill the streets like in some trips by Pope John Paul the Second in the past, but maybe they will watch televisions to listen to what the pope has to say, and then maybe think about the significance about this historic visit."

Benedict is expected to use the visit to try to improve relations with Muslims. Two months ago, the pope sparked widespread protests in the Muslim world by quoting a 14th century Byzantine emperor, who called some of the teachings of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad "evil" and "inhuman⁸."

The pope is also considering a brief visit to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. It would be the first time Benedict visits a mosque since he was elected pope.

Initially⁹, Pope Benedict was not expected to meet with Turkey's prime minister, who leaves for a NATO summit in Latvia on the day the pope arrives in Turkey. But now, the prime minister has said there may be an opportunity for a brief meeting at the airport.

1 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。

2 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

3 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

4 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

5 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。

6 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

7 cardinal   

n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的

参考例句：

• This is a matter of cardinal significance.这是非常重要的事。
• The Cardinal coloured with vexation. 红衣主教感到恼火，脸涨得通红。

8 inhuman   

adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的

参考例句：

• We must unite the workers in fighting against inhuman conditions.我们必须使工人们团结起来反对那些难以忍受的工作条件。
• It was inhuman to refuse him permission to see his wife.不容许他去看自己的妻子是太不近人情了。

9 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。