2007年VOA标准英语-Homeland Security Secretary Quizzed about Musli

By Peter Fedynsky
Washington
15 March 2007
 
watch Fedynsky report

Does the United States face a threat of homegrown radical¹ Islamic terrorism?  That is a question put to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday.  VOA's Peter Fedynsky has details.

Members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee expressed concern that some American Muslims could be radicalized under foreign influence to commit acts of terror in the United States.  Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told the committee the principle way of spreading such influence is through the Internet.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff

"I don't think it's necessary to send radical recruiters into the United States, and I think there's a risk to doing that,” Chertoff said.  “But I have no question about the fact that [Osama] bin² Laden³, [Ayman al-] Zawahiri and others like them quite consciously use the media, including the Internet, as a recruiting tool."

Chertoff and members of the committee were quick to point out that the ideology⁴ of violent extremism cannot be equated⁵ with the entire Muslim faith.

"We know that the vast majority of Muslims in this country, like the vast majority of Jews and Christians⁶, are not violent, are not adherents⁷ to an extreme ideology and are full participants in the United States,” Chertoff said.  “So we have to make sure we don't ever make that improper⁸ connection or equation of this ideology in any religion."

Secretary Chertoff said his department has regular meetings with Muslim communities across America to promote civic⁹ engagement and to discuss issues of mutual¹⁰ concern. 

Committee member Claire McCaskill said the United States should similarly engage Muslims abroad.  The Missouri Democrat¹¹ expressed concern that America, as she put it, may be "deporting¹² democracy" through excessively stringent¹³ security requirements on those who want to visit this country.

"Because the young people who come here to learn in terms of college education go back home at the highest levels of their government, at the highest levels of the world of medicine or engineering, and they bring back what they saw of this wonderful experiment called democracy in America," McCaskill said. 

Secretary Chertoff agreed.  He said the government has made adjustments to the visa process.  But he noted¹⁴ that a small minority can do a lot of damage, and that is why the visa process takes longer for everyone.

1 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

2 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

3 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

4 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

5 equated   

adj.换算的v.认为某事物（与另一事物）相等或相仿( equate的过去式和过去分词 )；相当于；等于；把（一事物） 和（另一事物）等同看待

参考例句：

• Production costs for the movie equated to around 30% of income. 这部电影的制作成本相当于收益的30%。
• Politics cannot be equated with art. 政治不能同艺术等同起来。

6 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

7 adherents   

n.支持者，拥护者( adherent的名词复数 )；党羽；徒子徒孙

参考例句：

• He is a leader with many adherents. 他是个有众多追随者的领袖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The proposal is gaining more and more adherents. 该建议得到越来越多的支持者。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

9 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

10 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

11 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。

12 deporting   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的现在分词 )；举止

参考例句：

13 stringent   

adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的

参考例句：

• Financiers are calling for a relaxation of these stringent measures.金融家呼吁对这些严厉的措施予以放宽。
• Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.合同中有几项条件太苛刻。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。