2007年VOA标准英语-Pakistani Foreign Minister Arrives in India for

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
20 February 2007

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri has arrived in the Indian capital for talks as both countries vow¹ not to let terrorist attacks undermine an ongoing² peace process. Anjana Pasricha reports for VOA from New Delhi that Indian police have released sketches³ of two men suspected of involvement in deadly bombings that killed 68 people on a train bound from New Delhi to Pakistan. 

Indian police have prepared sketches of two suspects, who they say boarded the train in New Delhi, but jumped off about 15 minutes before two bombs sparked a fire in two cars.

Senior police official Sharad Kumar says the men got off after an argument with the conductor, saying they were on the wrong train. 

"The first person was ... plumpish, having mustache, he was wearing a shirt, pant and a jacket ... as per the eyewitness⁴ ... the second person was in the age group of 26-27 years, he was slim, and he was wearing a muffler on the head ... and they were speaking a local language," Kumar says.    

Police have recovered a suitcase packed with plastic bottles filled with kerosene⁵ and petrol, and digital timers from the site of the blasts.

Mr. Kumar says the explosions were carried out by a militant⁶ group, but police do not know which outfit⁷ was involved. 

The bombs exploded Sunday midnight, about an hour after the train had left the Indian capital for the Pakistani city of Lahore. Many Pakistani nationals died in the attack.

Khursheed Kasuri waves after arriving at airport in New Delhi, 20 Feb 2007

As investigators⁸ pursued all leads, Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri arrived in New Delhi for a previously⁹ scheduled round of peace talks.  He stressed the need for both countries to work together to fight terror after visiting injured Pakistani nationals in a Delhi hospital.

"Incidents like these, which are very heart-rending and which affect both countries and both peoples can only add to the urgency of the need for cooperation," Kasuri says. "Terrorism has become a world wide phenomenon and we will need to cooperate with each other." 

Kasuri will meet his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday to review key issues such as their dispute over Kashmir.  The two countries are also expected to sign an agreement on nuclear weapons security.  Officials say terror will be an important issue following the train attacks. 

Officials on both sides say the attack was timed before the Pakistani minister's arrival to derail their improving relationship.  But both countries have vowed¹⁰ to push ahead with peace talks.

Unlike the past, New Delhi has avoided any finger-pointing at Pakistan-based Islamic militant groups, which have been blamed for previous terror attacks in India.

The Delhi-Lahore train service was restored in 2004 as part of a peace process that has moved slowly, but helped lower tensions between the nuclear rivals.  

1 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

2 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

3 sketches   

n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概

参考例句：

• The artist is making sketches for his next painting. 画家正为他的下一幅作品画素描。
• You have to admit that these sketches are true to life. 你得承认这些素描很逼真。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 eyewitness   

n.目击者，见证人

参考例句：

• The police questioned several eyewitness to the murder.警察询问了谋杀案的几位目击者。
• He was the only eyewitness of the robbery.他是那起抢劫案的唯一目击者。

5 kerosene   

n.(kerosine)煤油，火油

参考例句：

• It is like putting out a fire with kerosene.这就像用煤油灭火。
• Instead of electricity,there were kerosene lanterns.没有电，有煤油灯。

6 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

7 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

8 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

10 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。