VOA常速英语2008年-Iraq PM Touts Success in Address to Shi'ite Pil

By Daniel Schearf
Irbil
28 February 2008

Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has declared success in efforts to achieve stability and eliminate sectarian violence in the country.  In an address to millions of Shi'ite pilgrims, he urged Iraqis to work together to defeat al-Qaida in Iraq.   Daniel Schearf reports from the northern Iraqi city of Irbil.

Mr. Maliki's speech Thursday was broadcast live and to more than six million Shiite pilgrims in the city of Karbala, south of Baghdad.

In his address he praised Iraqi Shi'ites for looking past sectarian divisions and working for peace.

Mr. Maliki said terrorists want to burn the land and destroy everything good in the country.  But, he said Iraq's people have banded together to keep civil war at bay. 

The throngs¹ of Shi'ite pilgrims had gathered in Karbala to commemorate² the death of the Prophet Mohammed's grandson, Hussein, 13 centuries ago.

The annual pilgrimage was marred³ earlier this week by attacks on traveling Shiites.  At least 64 were killed and around a hundred wounded in bombings and gunfire blamed on Sunni-led al-Qaida in Iraq.

Mr. Maliki, a Shi'ite, vowed⁴ to defeat the insurgents⁵. 

He said security has returned to some areas, but he added that al-Qaida must be defeated in Mosul, Diyala and Kirkuk, all north of Baghdad.

U.S. and Iraqi security say those northern cities have become strongholds for al-Qaida-linked insurgents.

Security in Iraq has improved in the last year with a surge of U.S. troops and cooperation with Shi'ite and Sunni militias⁶.

But there has been a wave of bombings, terror attacks, and kidnappings this month.

On Tuesday, a suicide bomber⁷ in Mosul killed at least nine people.  Earlier this month twin suicide bombings at Baghdad pet markets killed nearly a hundred people.

The U.S. Defense⁸ Department said this week that the U.S. troop presence in Iraq will remain greater than it was before last year's surge in forces, at 140,000 troops.

Political divisions, along religious and ethnic⁹ lines, are also slowing Iraq's progress.

Baghdad has yet to pass an oil revenue sharing law, and on Wednesday Iraq's presidential council rejected a law for establishing provincial¹⁰ elections. The bill would have required national elections in October and was seen by Washington as a key benchmark for national reconciliation¹¹ efforts.

1 throngs   

n.人群( throng的名词复数 )v.成群，挤满( throng的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She muscled through the throngs of people, frantically searching for David. 她使劲挤过人群，拼命寻找戴维。 来自辞典例句
• Our friends threaded their way slowly through the throngs upon the Bridge. 我们这两位朋友在桥上从人群中穿过，慢慢地往前走。 来自辞典例句

2 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

3 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

4 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

5 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

6 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

7 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

9 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

10 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

11 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。