VOA双语新闻 Iraqis Brave Violence to Vote（在线收听）

Voting began in Iraq several hours ago and Iraqis in many parts of the country are braving insurgent violence to vote in their first multi-party elections in 50 years. Thousands are heading to the polls, expressing hope that elections will bring freedom and the stability they have long waited for.

伊拉克选举在几个小时前开始投票，伊拉克许多地区的人民不怕暴乱分子的暴力威胁，参加这个50年来第一次多党选举的投票。成千上万的民众正在前往投票站，表示希望这次选举可以带来他们等待已久的自由和安定。

As American attack helicopters circled overhead in the Karrada district of Baghdad early Sunday morning, hundreds of people - young and old, mothers, fathers and children - walked nervously down heavily guarded streets. Many of the streets were blocked off from main roads by concrete barriers and barbed wires.

星期天一早，美国的攻击直升机在巴格达卡拉巴地区的上空盘旋，数以百计的男女老少民众小心翼翼的穿过得到重重保护的街道。许多街道安放了水泥路障和铁丝网，同交通要道隔开。

Several loud explosions echoed across the city as 26-year-old Lamia Allawi prepared to enter a primary school turned into a polling center. But Ms. Allawi remained undeterred from voting.

正当26岁的拉米娅·阿拉维进入设在一间小学里的投票站时，几个爆炸巨响在这个城市里回荡。但是阿拉维小姐仍然坚持投票。

Ms. Allawi says it is the on-going insecurity and violence that have convinced her to vote. She adds that helping to bring freedom and security to Iraq is a cause worth dying for.

阿拉维小姐说，正是不断的动荡和暴乱让她决定要投票。她还说，为了帮助伊拉克获得自由和安全，牺牲性命也值得。

Forty-five year-old businessman Hekmat al-Rubaie agrees. He says he and his wife never considered staying home on election day.

45岁的商人鲁巴伊同意阿拉维小姐的看法。他说，他和他的妻子从来没想要在投票日留在家里。

"Some of the people are frightened because the terrorists may attack the election places, but I feel very happy because this is the first time for us to elect a government, which we like," Mr. al-Rubaie says.

他说：“有些人感到害怕，因为恐怖分子可能攻击投票的地点。但是我感到非常高兴，因为这是我们第一次选举一个我们喜欢的政府。”

As people lined up to enter, others emerged from the polling station, smiling and showing their ink-stained index finger, which proved that they had voted.

人们在排队等待进去的时候，一些人从投票站出来，脸上带着笑容，并向人显示他们沾了墨迹的食指，表明他们已经投过票。

Just then, a mortar landed nearby, reminding everyone here that across Iraq, militants were making good on their threat to attack voters at polling places.

就在这时候，一枚迫击炮弹落在附近，提醒在这里的每个人，伊拉克激进分子象他们威胁的那样，在伊拉克各地的投票站袭击选民。

Suicide bombers struck at least seven voting centers within the first six hours of the polls opening. Insurgents lobbed mortars and fought gun battles with Iraqi forces, which are providing the bulk of the security at polling sites.

投票开始后的六小时里，至少有七个投票中心遭到自杀爆炸手的袭击。暴乱分子动用了迫击炮，并且和负责投票站安全的伊拉克部队发生枪战。

The core of the insurgency is made up of Sunni Muslim militants who oppose the polls. They fear that Sunnis, who are a minority in Iraq but have long-dominated Iraqi politics, will be marginalized by the country's majority Shi'ite Muslims.

暴乱力量的核心由反对选举的逊尼派穆斯林激进分子组成。他们担心在伊拉克占少数、但长期以来统治伊拉克的逊尼派穆斯林会被这个国家的什叶派多数边缘化。

Some Sunni leaders have called for a boycott of the elections, arguing that insecurity would prevent too many Sunnis from going to polls and would skew the voting results.

一些逊尼派领导人呼吁抵制这次选举，说不稳定的局势会阻止很多逊尼派穆斯林出来投票，从而造成投票结果不公正。

An official for the Iraqi Electoral Commission says polling centers in several towns in the Sunni-dominated area south of Baghdad did not open on Sunday because of threats.

伊拉克选举委员会一位官员说，巴格达以南以逊尼派穆斯林为主的几个城镇的投票站因为安全受到威胁而没有开放。

Early voter turnout on Sunday indicated that an overwhelming number of voters are Shi'ites, who make up 60 percent of Iraq's 26 million people and have enthusiastically supported the election process.

从星期天初步的选民投票情况看，绝大多数选民是什叶派穆斯林，他们对选举表现出了极大的热情。什叶派穆斯林占伊拉克两千六百万人口的60%。