VOA慢速英语--奥兰多枪击受害者举行葬礼

Burials of Orlando Shooting Victims Begin 奥兰多枪击受害者举行葬礼

Some victims of the mass shooting in the United States are being buried this weekend.

Forty-nine people were shot to death Sunday at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The gunman, Omar Mateen, also was killed.

More than 50 other people were wounded.

About 300 people were inside the Pulse nightclub at the time of the attack. Mateen exchanged gunfire with a security guard, entered the building and then took hostages, Orlando Police Chief John Mina said.

About three hours later, law enforcement officials sent in a special police team to rescue the hostages. Officers shot and killed Mateen. Police say he had an assault rifle and a handgun.

During the early morning hours, Mateen used Facebook to search the terms “Pulse Orlando” and “shooting” from inside the nightclub.

In earlier Facebook posts, he expressed support for Islamic State (IS) group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and called for an end to U.S. and Russian bombings of IS positions.

Mateen was born in New York and was a U.S. citizen. His parents are from Afghanistan. The gunman had worked as a security guard since 2007.

A federal agent said he bought at least two guns legally in the week before the attack. The Federal Bureau of Investigation¹ questioned him earlier after reports that he had made comments in support for the Islamic State.

FBI Director James Comey told reporters on Monday federal agents had questioned Mateen in 2013 and 2014. Investigators³ also followed him and had studied his communications and contacts.

But officials took no action against him because the FBI did not find any evidence of criminal activity.

Comey said Mateen had “strong indications of radicalization” and may have been “inspired by foreign terrorist organizations.”

But he added that the FBI has so far found no evidence the Orlando gunman was assisted or supported by any foreign terror groups.

FBI officials say Mateen’s wife had some knowledge of his plans to attack the nightclub. One investigator² said Noor Zahi Salman went with her husband on a “reconnaissance” mission to the nightclub between June 5th and 9th.

Law enforcement officials told reporters that Salman warned her husband not to carry out the attack as he left for Orlando last Saturday.

Salman was born in the United States to Palestinian parents. She was Mateen’s second wife and the mother of their 3-year-old son.

On Monday, the Islamic State called Omar Mateen “one of the soldiers of the caliphate in America.” However, the group did not make any claim of responsibility for the nightclub attack.

Mateen’s father, Seddique Mateen, told NBC News that he did not believe the attack was connected to religion. He suggested it was more likely an act of homophobia. He said his son had expressed deep anger when he saw two men kissing recently.

President Barack Obama went to Orlando Thursday and met with some of the wounded and with the families of those who were killed. He also spoke⁴ with some of the police officers who helped end the shooting, emergency medical workers and doctors who treated the wounded.

Obama repeated his earlier statements that the attack was both an act of terrorism and an act of hate.

“This was an attack on the LGBT community. Americans were targeted because we’re a country that has learned to welcome everyone -- no matter who you are or who you love.”

Obama added that that the government would “be relentless⁵” against terrorist groups like Islamic State and al-Qaida.

“We are going to destroy them. We are going to disrupt their networks and their financing and the flow of fighters in and out of war theaters. We’re going to disrupt their propaganda that poisons so many minds around the world.”

Words in This Story

gay – adj. sexually attracted to someone who is the same sex

nightclub – n. a place that is open at night, has music, dancing, or a show and usually serves food and alcoholic⁶ drinks

reconnaissance – adj. activity in which information is gathered about people or a place

mission – n. a task or job that someone is given to do

caliphate – n. the area ruled by a caliph, a religious leader

homophobia – n. hatred⁷ or abuse of homosexuals

kiss – v. to touch (someone) with your lips as a greeting or as a way of showing love or sexual attraction

LGBT – expression/acronym Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender

relentless – adj. continuing without becoming weaker, less severe, etc.; remaining determined

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 investigator   

n.研究者，调查者，审查者

参考例句：

• He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。
• The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。

3 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》

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 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

6 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

7 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。