2007年VOA标准英语-Protesters Disrupt Historic Appearance by Hindu

By Deborah Tate
Washington
12 July 2007

U.S. Senate (file photo)

For the first time in U.S. Senate history, a Hindu clergyman delivered the chamber¹'s daily prayer Thursday, but only after Capitol police removed several protesters who disrupted the session. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

Rajan Zed, the director of interfaith relations at a Hindu temple in Reno, Nevada, stood before the Senate podium, dressed in a bright orange and burgundy robe, preparing to speak.

Suddenly, from the visitors' gallery above, protesters began to shout, prompting Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, who was presiding over the Senate, to call for order.

PROTESTER: "We shall have no other gods before You. You are the One…"

CASEY: "The Sergeant² at Arms will restore order in the chamber."

As Zed began his prayer, the protesters shouted again.

ZED: "Let us pray. We meditate³ on the transcendental glory of the Deity⁴ Supreme⁵…"

PROTESTER: (unintelligible shouting)

CASEY: "The Sergeant at Arms will restore order in the Senate, in the chamber."

Two women and a man were handcuffed by police, and later charged with disrupting Congress, a misdemeanor offense⁶. The Associated Press quotes the male protester saying he is a "Christian⁷ and patriot⁸".

A conservative activist⁹ group, the American Family Association, has been urging its members to object to the Hindu prayer, saying Zed would be seeking the invocation of a non-monotheistic god.

Once the protesters were ushered¹⁰ out of the chamber, Zed began the prayer without disruption:

"Let us pray. We meditate on the transcendental glory of the Deity Supreme, who is inside the heart of the earth, inside the life of the sky, and inside the soul of heaven," he said.

As the Senate prepared to resume debate on President Bush's Iraq war policy, Zed concluded his prayer with "peace, peace, peace be unto all".

A number of religious figures from various faiths have been invited to say the opening prayer at the start of each day's Senate session, but most of the time it is delivered by a Christian chaplain.

Senate Majority Leader Harry¹¹ Reid, a Nevada Democrat¹² and a Mormon, had invited Zed, who was born in India, to speak to the chamber. He defended the decision. "I think it speaks well of our country that someone representing the faith of about a billion people comes here and can speak, in communication with our Heavenly Father, regarding peace," he said.

Reid offered a response to the protesters. "If people have any misunderstanding about Indians and Hindus, all they have to do is think of Gandhi. Here is a man who has changed the world, a man who believed in peace," he said.

Reid says he keeps an ivory statue of Gandhi in his Senate office. He says it was a gift from Indian classmates when he was student at Utah State University.

1 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

2 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

3 meditate   

v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想

参考例句：

• It is important to meditate on the meaning of life.思考人生的意义很重要。
• I was meditating,and reached a higher state of consciousness.我在冥想，并进入了一个更高的意识境界。

4 deity   

n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物)

参考例句：

• Many animals were seen as the manifestation of a deity.许多动物被看作神的化身。
• The deity was hidden in the deepest recesses of the temple.神藏在庙宇壁龛的最深处。

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

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 patriot   

n.爱国者，爱国主义者

参考例句：

• He avowed himself a patriot.他自称自己是爱国者。
• He is a patriot who has won the admiration of the French already.他是一个已经赢得法国人敬仰的爱国者。

9 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

10 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

12 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。