2006年VOA标准英语-Ethnic Fighting Rages in East Timorese Capital

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Dili
27 May 2006

The East Timorese capital, Dili, has descended¹ into chaos², with gangs of youths armed with guns and knives torching houses and burning cars while international peacekeepers from Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia struggle to bring order to the city.

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Frightened East Timorese run past a burning car in Villa³ Verde neighborhood of Dili, May 27, 2006    
  

Dili was on fire Saturday as ethnic⁴ violence escalated⁵, with thousands of panicked people running to churches, embassies, and a United Nations compound for sanctuary⁶.

Visibly shaking, 80-year-old Lorenzo Rodriguez watches helplessly as his house burns to the ground after gangs set it ablaze⁷. He says more foreign troops are needed to stop the violence.

"We want to come here international force," he said. "Situation in East Timor is very bad. Our house finished…bad situation in East Timor, we don't like it."

International peacekeepers started arriving in this poor Asian country Thursday after the government appealed for help following days of fighting between armed forces and rebel soldiers. Many people here want the troops to use stronger tactics to stop the escalating⁸ violence.

After rounds of gunfire went off near the United Nations compound, where hundreds of refugees are seeking shelter, Australian peacekeepers fanned out, confiscating⁹ weapons.

But as soon as the troops move out of an area, the violence starts up again.

Evelina Santorino, who fled to a church after gangs attacked her neighborhood, says she cannot understand why the East Timorese are fighting each other.

"It's awful. We're the East Timor people, we're not people who come from other countries," she said. "It's between our people. It's a horrible thing for us. Just like a bad dream."

The violence started last month when the government sacked nearly 600 soldiers who had deserted¹⁰ their posts complaining of discrimination and poor working conditions.

The rebel soldiers hail from the west of the country and most supported Indonesia during its 24-year brutal¹¹ rule of the country.

They complain that soldiers from the east - who fought for the country's independence - receive preferential treatment.

Dozens of people have been killed in the riots of the last few weeks, with gangs of unemployed¹² youths joining in the melee¹³.

To add to the confusion, the government appears to be split, with East Timor's highly respected independence leader and president, Xanana Gusmao, and Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri divided over how to handle the crisis.

But foreign minister Jose Ramos Horta said Friday that the violence could still be ended by dialogue and that he is continuing private talks with both sides.

1 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

2 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

3 villa   

n.别墅，城郊小屋

参考例句：

• We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。
• We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。

4 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

5 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

6 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

7 ablaze   

adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的

参考例句：

• The main street was ablaze with lights in the evening.晚上，那条主要街道灯火辉煌。
• Forests are sometimes set ablaze by lightning.森林有时因雷击而起火。

8 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

9 confiscating   

没收（confiscate的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• There was Mame by my side confiscating my intellects and attention. 有玛米坐在我身边，害得我心不在焉。
• Intimidate book sellers by confiscating books deemed unfavourable to the Barisan government. 充公被视为对国阵不利的书籍，威胁书商。

10 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

11 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

12 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

13 melee   

n.混战；混战的人群

参考例句：

• There was a scuffle and I lost my hat in the melee.因发生一场斗殴，我的帽子也在混乱中丢失了。
• In the melee that followed they trampled their mother a couple of times.他们打在一团，七手八脚的又踩了他们的母亲几下。