VOA标准英语2008年-Sydney's Muslims Welcome International Catholic

Australia's Muslim leaders have opened their mosques² and schools to house Roman Catholic pilgrims for World Youth Day as part of efforts to ease interfaith tensions. The Australian Federation³ of Islamic Councils is also planning mixed-faith sporting competitions and mosque¹ open days for the international festival. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.
　
Pope Benedict XVI (R) shakes hands with Cardinal⁴ George Pell at the Kenthurst Study Center in Sydney, 14 Jul 2008

Roman Catholic leaders in Australia sought the help of other faiths to help house an army of foreign pilgrims arriving for the World Youth Day events this week.

Sydney's Muslim community responded with an offer to accommodate young visitors in Islamic schools.

Islamic leaders here see World Youth Day as an opportunity to break down barriers between the faiths.

Father Mark Podesta, a Catholic priest, says the involvement of Islamic schools is an important step forward.

"One thing that really marks Sydney and marks Australia is the fact that we come from many different backgrounds, many different faiths, many different ethnicities, nationalities and yet we all live alongside one another in peace, with goodwill⁵ and in harmony and so this is an opportunity to build bridges, to forge friendships and to break down barriers," he said. "This is an opportunity to show the rest of the world that people of different backgrounds and different beliefs can live alongside one another in peace and goodwill and harmony."

Pope Benedict XVI is in Sydney for World Youth Day, which is expected to draw more than 100,000 foreign visitors and tens of thousands of Australians to the city.

Relations between Australia Muslim community of 350,000 and its Christian⁶ majority at times are strained. In December 2005 groups of young white Australians clashed with those of Middle Eastern backgrounds in the Sydney beachside suburb of Cronulla.

In May local officials rejected plans to build an Islamic school on the outskirts⁷ of the country's biggest city, Sydney. Critics say the decision was based on racism⁸, but officials say the school was rejected because of town planning issues, such as traffic flows.

Last year Pope Benedict sparked fury in the Muslim world when he quoted a medieval text that criticized some teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman⁹".

Sydney's Catholic Archbishop, Cardinal George Pell, defended the pontiff's comments and drew a link between Islamists and violence.

Church officials have said the pope's visit to Australia has fostered a new spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation¹⁰.

Pope Benedict is taking a few days rest after arriving in Sydney Sunday. He begins his official engagements on Thursday, when he travels across Sydney's iconic harbor.

World Youth Day is expected to attract more foreign visitors than the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

 

1 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

2 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。

3 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

4 cardinal   

n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的

参考例句：

• This is a matter of cardinal significance.这是非常重要的事。
• The Cardinal coloured with vexation. 红衣主教感到恼火，脸涨得通红。

5 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

6 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。

7 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

8 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

9 inhuman   

adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的

参考例句：

• We must unite the workers in fighting against inhuman conditions.我们必须使工人们团结起来反对那些难以忍受的工作条件。
• It was inhuman to refuse him permission to see his wife.不容许他去看自己的妻子是太不近人情了。

10 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。