2007年VOA标准英语-Lebanon Reacts to Yet Another Political Assassi

By Edward Yeranian
Beirut
20 September 2007

Stores, banks and some government offices were closed in many parts of Beirut to mourn the slaying¹ of Christian² member of parliament Antoine Ghanem in a car bomb explosion, Wednesday. Edward Yeranian reports from Beirut

 

Anger, frustration³ and fear are gripping many Lebanese, after Wednesday's powerful car bomb explosion that ripped through rush-hour traffic and killed Christian Lebanese Member of Parliament Antoine Ghanem.

Many stores, banks and offices across Beirut chose not open. Traffic remains⁴ light, as supporters of the embattled anti-Syrian governing coaliton observed a general strike to protest his killing⁵.

Beirut's An Nahar newspaper, whose editor, Jibrane Tueni, was killed in a similar explosion, two years ago, writes that Ghanem's slaying sends what it calls "a bloody⁶ message" to the government and its supporters.

The newspaper says the explosion was intended to reduce the number of pro-government members of parliament and to scuttle⁷ presidential elections set for September 25.

Lebanon's parliament meets in five days to elect a successor to pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud.

The pro-Syrian Hezbollah group and its allies, which withdrew from the government last year, have been threatening to boycott⁸ parliament, which elects the president, making a required two-thirds quorum⁹ impossible to reach.

Political leaders close to the ruling anti-Syrian majority have been vocal¹⁰ in condemning¹¹ the killing of Mr. Ghanem. Many of them are accusing Syria in his death, as well as in the death's of eight other politicians and journalists in the past two years.

The head of Lebanon's National Liberal Party and the son of former president Camille Chamoun, Dory Chamoun, insists Syria was involved in the latest slaying and that Damascus is trying to manipulate the upcoming presidential election to impose its own candidate.

"It was naturally a bad surprise, since I had just had a coffee the day before with him and he was a friend and so it is a very sad thing, but we never discounted such action on behalf of the Syrians," said Chamoun. "We have always thought that they would try and do their maximum to diminish the majority, so that the major[ity] will not be able to elect a President and so that they can impose a president that is their man, and they can step back into Lebanon they way they were before, so this is all part of the Syrian plan."

George Jabbour, a leading member of the Syria's Ba'ath Party, denies Damascus played a role in Ghanem's slaying.

Former Lebanese president Amine Gemayel, who's son, Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, was ambushed¹² and killed by gunmen last November, expressed determination and persistence¹³ to move on with presidential elections.

"So it is a real tragedy for me and, in the meantime, for our party, the Kataeb Party, because he was a member of the parliament representing the party at the eve of the presidential elections. It is a real loss and we are determined¹⁴ to go all the way and to resist this barbarian¹⁵ behavior - those assassinations¹⁶ - and we will not surrender," he said. "We will pursue our struggle to strengthen our sovereignty and to keep Lebanon in the free world, endorsing¹⁷ the democratic values."

Lebanon Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, of the pro-Syrian opposition¹⁸, is to meet with Sa'ad Hariri, the leader of the pro-government coalition¹⁹ and with Maronite Christian Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, in the next couple of days. That meeting could determine the fate of next week's scheduled presidential electiom.

1 slaying   

杀戮。

参考例句：

• The man mimed the slaying of an enemy. 此人比手划脚地表演砍死一个敌人的情况。
• He is suspected of having been an accomplice in the slaying,butthey can't pin it on him. 他有嫌疑曾参与该杀人案，但他们找不到证据来指控他。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

4 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。

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

7 scuttle   

v.急赶，疾走，逃避；n.天窗；舷窗

参考例句：

• There was a general scuttle for shelter when the rain began to fall heavily.下大雨了，人们都飞跑着寻找躲雨的地方。
• The scuttle was open,and the good daylight shone in.明朗的亮光从敞开的小窗中照了进来。

8 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

9 quorum   

n.法定人数

参考例句：

• The meeting is adjourned since there is no quorum.因为没有法定人数会议休会。
• Three members shall constitute a quorum.三名成员可组成法定人数。

10 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

11 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

12 ambushed   

v.埋伏( ambush的过去式和过去分词 )；埋伏着

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The military vehicles were ambushed. 军车遭到伏击。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。

14 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

15 barbarian   

n.野蛮人；adj.野蛮(人)的；未开化的

参考例句：

• There is a barbarian tribe living in this forest.有一个原始部落居住在这个林区。
• The walled city was attacked by barbarian hordes.那座有城墙的城市遭到野蛮部落的袭击。

16 assassinations   

n.暗杀( assassination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most anarchist assassinations were bungled because of haste or spontaneity, in his view. 在他看来，无政府主义者搞的许多刺杀都没成功就是因为匆忙和自发行动。 来自辞典例句
• Assassinations by Israelis of alleged terrorists habitually kill nearby women and children. 在以色列，自称恐怖分子的炸弹自杀者杀害靠近自己的以色列妇女和儿童。 来自互联网

17 endorsing   

v.赞同( endorse的现在分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• Yet Communist leaders are also publicly endorsing religion in an unprecedented way. 不过，共产党领导层对宗教信仰的公开认可也是以前不曾有过的。 来自互联网
• Connecticut Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman is endorsing Republican Senator John McCain. 康涅狄格州独立派参议员约瑟夫。列波曼将会票选共和议员约翰。麦凯恩。 来自互联网

18 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

19 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。