2006年VOA标准英语-Pope Arrives in Turkey Amid Swirl of Controvers

By Sonja Pace
Ankara
28 November 2006

Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in Turkey for a four-day visit that was surrounded by controversy¹ well before he touched down in the capital, Ankara. Some Turks resent his recent comments about Islam. Others object to his earlier stance about Turkey's place within Europe. VOA's Sonja Pace reports from Ankara.

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Cardinal2 Tarcisio Bertone, right, is welcomed by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, upon his arrival 28 Nov. 2006" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070510/0925370.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Pope Benedict XVI, accompanied by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, right, is welcomed by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, upon his arrival 28 Nov. 2006

Vatican officials acknowledged, from the start, they were not expecting cheering crowds to welcome Pope Benedict.

Instead, thousands of Turks took to the streets in Istanbul, Sunday, to protest the visit and even the Turkish government had signaled its displeasure. Prime Minister Recep Erdogan initially³ said his schedule would not permit a meeting with the pontiff but, in the end, a quick greeting was arranged at the airport for the Pope's arrival, as the prime minister prepared to leave for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Latvia.

This is Pope Benedict's first visit to a predominantly Muslim country since he became head of the Roman Catholic Church, last year. And, many people here say he has some fence mending to do.

In a speech two months ago, the Pope quoted a 14th Century Byzantine emperor, who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammed as "evil and inhuman," and spoke⁴ of the spread of Islam mainly "by the sword."

That led to protests by Muslims in Turkey and other countries, who believed that the pontiff - even though he was quoting someone else - had insulted their religion. Some of the protests turned violent, including in Somalia, where Muslims angered by the Pope's remark killed a Roman Catholic nun⁵.

Professor Dogu Ergil, a political sociologist⁶ at Ankara University, says the Pope was really expressing a deeply held view in the West: that Islam poses a threat to Christianity.

"In fact, he was voicing a concern in the Christian⁷ world that Islam grew to be (a) more resilient and more dynamic religion today and was encroaching on the world of Christianity or trying to invade both the private space and the geographical⁸ space of Christianity, " the professor said.

Many also see a concern about Islam as a root cause for Benedict's views about Turkey's place in Europe - views he expressed long before he became pope.

Political scientist Hasan Uelan, of Ankara's Bilkent University, says those views have infuriated even many secular⁹ Turks.

"We remember this pope, as Cardinal Ratzinger in Rome and he used to come up with unsolicited advice and remarks about Turkey's EU [European Union] prospects¹⁰ and each time he would open his mouth then what would come out would be things like cultural differences between Turkey and the European Union, civilizational differences," he said.

Uelan belongs to the Euro-skeptics in Turkey, who are not eager for Turkey to become a full-fledged EU member. Still, he says he was hurt by the Pope's comments.

After a low-key day in Ankara, the Pope travels to Ephesus, Wednesday, to say mass, before going on to Istanbul for meetings with Patriarch Bartholomew I - the spiritual head of Orthodox Christians¹¹. These meetings are the original purpose of the Pope's visit to Turkey. He is expected to concentrate on relations between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches - relations that have often been strained over the centuries.

The Pope's trip comes at a time of heightened tensions between the West and Islam. Still, a Turkish government spokesman expressed hope that this could all be left behind and that the Pope's visit would mark a turning point in relations between the two faiths. But, many wonder how likely that will be, amid loud and angry protests. Many Turks insist the Pope is a guest and will be treated with customary eastern hospitality. But, the government is taking no chances and thousands of extra police have been deployed¹². According to officials here, security measures taken for the Pope are even tighter than those taken for President Bush, during a 2004 NATO summit.

1 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

2 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。

3 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。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 nun   

n.修女，尼姑

参考例句：

• I can't believe that the famous singer has become a nun.我无法相信那个著名的歌星已做了修女。
• She shaved her head and became a nun.她削发为尼。

6 sociologist   

n.研究社会学的人，社会学家

参考例句：

• His mother was a sociologist,researching socialism.他的母亲是个社会学家，研究社会主义。
• Max Weber is a great and outstanding sociologist.马克斯·韦伯是一位伟大的、杰出的社会学家。

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 geographical   

adj.地理的；地区(性)的

参考例句：

• The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.当前的调查将在更广泛的地域范围內进行。
• These birds have a wide geographical distribution.这些鸟的地理分布很广。

9 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

10 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

11 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。

12 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。