Singer Denied US Entry Gets Peace Award

By Sabina Castelfranco

Yusuf Islam, formerly¹ known as the rock star Cat Stevens, receives Man for Peace 2004 award.

Nobel Peace Prize laureates have given a peace award to the controversial singer once known as Cat Stevens at an annual meeting in Rome.  The singer, now known as Yusuf Islam, was refused entry into the United States in September, when U.S. officials said they had information about an alleged² unspecified relationship with terrorist activity either by him or someone with a similar name.  But the Nobel Prize winners honored Mr. Islam for his charity work.

The World Summit of Nobel Peace laureates opened with the presentation of a peace prize to the 56-year-old British musician.  The "Man for Peace" award is given annually³ by the Gorbachev Foundation, a socio-economic and political studies center run by the former Soviet⁴ leader Mikhail Gorbachev, which organizes the summit every year.

The motivations for the award to Yusuf Islam were read out at the summit.

Announcer:  "For having dedicated⁵ the most part of his life in the promotion⁶ of peace and reconciliation⁷ among peoples and for having condemned⁸ terrorism."

The singer, who is chairman of the Small Kindness charity, was honored for alleviating⁹ the suffering of thousands of children in war-ravaged areas, including Kosovo, Bosnia and Iraq; for having given the majority of the royalties¹⁰ for his artistic¹¹ activities to the victims of the September 11th attacks in the United States; and for his work in favor of the homeless, orphans¹² and AIDS sufferers.

Receiving the award, Mr. Islam said he used music as a means to express his ideals for a better world. He says one must move away from selfishness to selflessness and that that is not easy in the rock music business.

"The Nobel peace laureates are examples of those who have contributed and influenced the course of history by their sacrifices, by their noble virtues¹³ for a better world and a more peaceful world. And, therefore, I am honored to be here today, not just as a rock-and-roller, but as someone sharing a platform with those noble examples."

In September, Mr. Islam was refused entry to the United States because his name was on a terrorist watch list.  He says he was a victim of an "unjust and arbitrary system," and has denied any link to terrorism.

In 2000, the entertainer was deported¹⁴ from Israel following claims that he had given money to the Palestinian group Hamas 12 years earlier.  He strongly denied the allegation saying he had "never knowingly supported any terrorist group."

Mr. Islam had converted to Islam in 1977 and retired¹⁵ from the music business.  He founded a Muslim school near London.

He returned to the public eye in 1989 when he said Salman Rushdie's novel "The Satanic Verses" was a blasphemous¹⁶ book, and that under Islamic law, a person found guilty of blasphemy¹⁷ must be put to death.

The former Soviet leader, Mr. Gorbachev, alluded¹⁸ to the musician's troubles, as he presented the award.

Mr. Gorbachev said, "Every person who takes a critical stance to make the world a better place has a difficult life."

The Rome summit, which runs through Friday, will be focused on a variety of issues, including continuing violations¹⁹ of human rights, the economic gap between North and South and the issue of land rights for indigenous²⁰ peoples.

The Iraqi situation will also be addressed.  Both the Shiite and Sunni communities have been invited to present their positions.

25 Nobel peace laureates are taking part in the summit, including Rigoberta Menchu, Lech Walesa and Kim Dae-Jung. In his opening speech, Mr. Gorbachev proposed establishing a "Charter of the Peaceful World" to be addressed to all peoples

Sabina Castelfranco, VOA news, Rome.
注释：
laureate 得主，戴桂冠的人
alleged 所谓的
unspecified 未指明的
Gorbachev Foundation 戈尔巴乔夫基金会
motivation 动机，原因
reconciliation 和解，调和
alleviate 减轻
Kosovo 科索沃
Bosnia 波斯尼亚
selfishness 自私自利
selflessness 无私，忘我
Hamas 哈马斯
blasphemous 亵渎神明的
indigenous 本土的

1 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

2 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

3 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

4 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

5 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

6 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

7 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

8 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

9 alleviating   

减轻，缓解，缓和( alleviate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• If it's alleviating pain,who knows what else it's doing? 如果它减轻了疼痛，天知道还影响什么？
• Measuring poverty is not the same as alleviating it, of course. 当然，衡量贫困和减轻贫困是截然不同的。

10 royalties   

特许权使用费

参考例句：

• I lived on about £3,000 a year from the royalties on my book. 我靠着写书得来的每年约3，000英镑的版税生活。 来自辞典例句
• Payments shall generally be made in the form of royalties. 一般应采取提成方式支付。 来自经济法规部分

11 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

12 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

13 virtues   

美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处

参考例句：

• Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
• She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

14 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

16 blasphemous   

adj.亵渎神明的，不敬神的

参考例句：

• The book was declared blasphemous and all copies ordered to be burnt.这本书被断定为亵渎神明之作，命令全数焚毀。
• The people in the room were shocked by his blasphemous language.满屋的人都对他那侮慢的语言感到愤慨。

17 blasphemy   

n.亵渎，渎神

参考例句：

• His writings were branded as obscene and a blasphemy against God.他的著作被定为淫秽作品，是对上帝的亵渎。
• You have just heard his blasphemy!你刚刚听到他那番亵渎上帝的话了！

18 alluded   

提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In your remarks you alluded to a certain sinister design. 在你的谈话中，你提到了某个阴谋。
• She also alluded to her rival's past marital troubles. 她还影射了对手过去的婚姻问题。

19 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

20 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。