2007年VOA标准英语-Pain of Partition Lingers 60 Years After Indepe

By Steve Herman
New Delhi
14 August 2007

decorative1 lights on the Indian gate, at the joint2 border check post, Wagah, India, 13 Aug 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070817/1500260.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

An electrician checks the decorative lights on the Indian gate, at the joint border check post, Wagah, India, 13 Aug 2007

Sixty years ago, India and Pakistan celebrated³ their newly won independence from British colonial rule. Pakistan was created from predominately Muslim regions of British India to create a Muslim homeland, whose two parts sat awkwardly on either side of a largely Hindu India. But independence also brought violence and tragedy. Ten million people were uprooted⁴ from their homes. Hundreds of thousands died, and women were sexually assaulted and kidnapped, in the upheaval⁵ that followed. VOA's Steve Herman in New Delhi takes a look at the lingering effects of that partition.

In a museum in New Delhi, an image of independent India's initial hopes springs back to life. A robot of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, accompanies a recording⁶ of him addressing the Constituent⁷ Assembly minutes before independence at midnight, August 15, 1947.

"It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity. The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but so long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over," he said.

Sixty years on, that work is still not over. Hundreds of millions in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh - which was originally the eastern portion of Pakistan - are impoverished⁸. And painful memories of the violence that accompanied independence remain.

Partition, the dividing of British India into a new "India" and a predominately Muslim Pakistan, was bitterly debated prior to independence. The debate was finally won by Muhammed Ali Jinnah, the father of Pakistan, who argued that without partition, the Muslim minority would become marginalized, with consequences he called too disastrous⁹ to imagine.

"We must remember that we have to take momentous¹⁰ decisions and handle grave issues facing us in the solution of the complex political problems of this great sub-continent, inhabited by 400 million people," said Jinnah.

When independence came, millions fled across the new borders: Hindus and Sikhs out of West and East Pakistan into India, Muslims in the opposite direction. Hundreds of thousands died cruelly in the rampant¹¹ inter-ethnic violence that accompanied these dual¹² migrations¹³.

Refugees were attacked as they fled. It was not uncommon¹⁴ for trains to arrive in one country or the other with all passengers dead. Sometimes, the carriages of these "ghost trains" were still ablaze¹⁵ as the trains pulled into the station.

Professor Farooq Ahmad Dar of Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad recalls that his mother's family masqueraded as Hindus when their train heading for Pakistan was attacked.

"That family was the only family which could manage to reach Pakistan alive. And that was because of the trick they used. They were protected by the Hindus and the Sikhs, who killed all others," said Dar.

Pritam Singh Mahna

Pritam Singh Mahna was a nine-year-old fourth grader in 1947 in what is now the Pakistani part of Punjab province.

"I still remember. Whenever we face 15th August, I start weeping," said Pritam.

Ten generations of Mahnas, a Sikh family, had worked the land in the Punjab. But Pritam's father would be the last.

While preparing to flee, the father convinced neighbors the family had converted to Islam, to keep them all from being massacred.

"Yes, we would have been murdered by the Mohammedans," added Pritam.

Manmohan Madhok, a Hindu, had significant landholdings in what was now Pakistan, some 40 miles north of Lahore. He had hoped to remain with his wife and four children.

"I have sweet memories of that place. But we no longer consider that our home. Our home is India now," he said.

Many of the refugee families would eventually flourish in India, although Pritam Singh Mahna's family had to spend a decade as refugees here living in wooden huts. But they were lucky to be alive.

India and Pakistan have fought each other three times since independence, and the territory that prompted two wars, Kashmir, remains¹⁶ disputed. The third war, in 1971, saw East Pakistan become independent Bangladesh. India and Pakistan, by now nuclear powers, came close to war again in 2002.

While many who witnessed the massacres¹⁷ during partition and fought in the subsequent wars remain bitter, India and Pakistan have taken constructive¹⁸ steps to improve relations in recent years.

Historian Visalakshi Menon, Jesus & Mary College, Delhi University

Delhi University historian Visalakshi Menon says that despite lingering antagonisms¹⁹, the inhabitants of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh cannot forget their shared past.

"There are really these conflicting emotions that on the one hand, there is hostility²⁰, and on the other hand, there's a realization²¹ that we have so much in common. After all, generations of a common heritage cannot be wished away, even over 60 years. That continues as part of our collective unconscious," she said.

Professor Dar of Quaid-i-Azam University says many Pakistanis resent India's feeling that it should be the dominant²² voice in the region.

"India needs to shed its superiority complex and this is exactly what Jinnah said in 1947," said Dar. "The problem is India being a bigger country - it's a huge country - their basic problem is they want to deal with Pakistan as a senior partner, and that is not acceptable to anybody here in Pakistan."

Madhok Mamohan at 92, recalling his family's departure from Pakistan 60 years ago

At age 92, Manmohan Madhok is among those who still believe partition was a mistake.

"It should not have taken place. It is very, very illogical - doing it. India was one and it should have remained one," said Madhok. "For centuries, Mohammedans and Hindus, they have been living here quite amicably²³ without any grudge²⁴ with each other, nothing."

Historians like Visalakshi Menon believe partition was inevitable²⁵, but they also acknowledge it did not achieve its goal of bringing peace and prosperity.

"Pakistan was supposed to have been the solution to the communal²⁶ problem in India - the Hindu-Muslim divide that was growing," she added. "But it hasn't solved the communal problem at all."

India and Pakistan still suffer from sectarian conflict, and they and Bangladesh have yet to end poverty. But India and Pakistan have seen strong economic gains in the past several years, and have taken larger roles in world affairs. Citizens of the two countries continue to hope their governments will move closer to the ideals of those who led the drive for independence.

1 decorative   

adj.装饰的，可作装饰的

参考例句：

• This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
• The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽，而且装饰效果很好。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

4 uprooted   

v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园

参考例句：

• Many people were uprooted from their homes by the flood. 水灾令许多人背井离乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hurricane blew with such force that trees were uprooted. 飓风强烈地刮着，树都被连根拔起了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 upheaval   

n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱

参考例句：

• It was faced with the greatest social upheaval since World War Ⅱ.它面临第二次世界大战以来最大的社会动乱。
• The country has been thrown into an upheaval.这个国家已经陷入动乱之中。

6 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

7 constituent   

n.选民；成分，组分；adj.组成的，构成的

参考例句：

• Sugar is the main constituent of candy.食糖是糖果的主要成分。
• Fibre is a natural constituent of a healthy diet.纤维是健康饮食的天然组成部分。

8 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

10 momentous   

adj.重要的，重大的

参考例句：

• I am deeply honoured to be invited to this momentous occasion.能应邀出席如此重要的场合，我深感荣幸。
• The momentous news was that war had begun.重大的新闻是战争已经开始。

11 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

12 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

13 migrations   

n.迁移，移居( migration的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It foundered during the turmoils accompanying the Great Migrations. 它在随着民族大迁徙而出现的混乱中崩溃。 来自辞典例句
• Birds also have built-in timepieces which send them off on fall and spring migrations. 鸟类也有天生的时间感应器指导它们秋春迁移。 来自互联网

14 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

15 ablaze   

adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的

参考例句：

• The main street was ablaze with lights in the evening.晚上，那条主要街道灯火辉煌。
• Forests are sometimes set ablaze by lightning.森林有时因雷击而起火。

16 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

17 massacres   

大屠杀( massacre的名词复数 )； 惨败

参考例句：

• The time is past for guns and killings and massacres. 动不动就用枪、动不动就杀、大规模屠杀的时代已经过去了。 来自教父部分
• Numberless recent massacres were still vivid in their recollection. 近来那些不可胜数的屠杀，在他们的头脑中记忆犹新。

18 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

19 antagonisms   

对抗，敌对( antagonism的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The fundamental antagonisms in such an arrangement were obvious. 在这样一种安排中，基本矛盾很明显。
• The antagonisms between the two empires and systems were mortal. 这两个帝国和两种制度之间，有着不共戴天的仇恨。

20 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

21 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

22 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

23 amicably   

adv.友善地

参考例句：

• Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The couple parted amicably. 这对夫妻客气地分手了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 grudge   

n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做

参考例句：

• I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。
• I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。

25 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

26 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。