VOA标准英语2008年-India Enforces Curfew in Kashmir Before Planned

Police in Indian Kashmir fired tear gas and used batons¹ to disperse² protesters who defied a curfew imposed in Muslim-majority areas ahead of a planned separatist rally. Officials say one protester was shot dead by police. Dozens of people were injured, including several journalists. Shahnawaz Khan has more from Kashmir's largest city, Srinagar.
　
Indian paramilitary soldiers carry a signboard to use it as a barricade³ during a curfew in Srinagar, 24 Aug 2008

Thousands of security forces have been deployed⁴ to enforce a curfew in the Muslim-dominated Kashmir Valley ahead of a separatist rally planned for Monday. But thousands of people took to the streets in defiance⁵ of the curfew Sunday, and Muslim separatists said they would go ahead with the planned rally on Monday.

The news agency Press Trust of India reported that at least 15 journalists were beaten by members of an Indian paramilitary force, despite having curfew passes.

Bilal Bhat, bureau chief of the Indian news channel, Sahara TV, says he and and his colleague were badly beaten.
　
Sahara Samay TV correspondent Bilal Bhat is carried by his colleagues after he was allegedly beaten by Central Reserve Police Force soldiers during a curfew in Srinagar, 24 Aug 2008

"They simply told us to get out of the car and started beating us with gun butts⁶ with sticks," he said. "I got injuries in my chest, my lumbar, and one of my assistants [got a] fracture in his arm. Then two police personnel watching nearby came to our rescue and took us to a nearby hospital."

Tensions have escalated⁷ over the past two weeks, with a series of protests calling for an end to Indian rule in disputed Kashmir. Several separatist leaders have been detained or put under house arrest.

In some areas of Srinagar Sunday, Indian paramilitary forces threw rocks at houses, breaking windows.

Authorities banned local cable television channels from broadcasting news and current affairs programs, charging they included what one official called 'inflammatory content.'

Moderate separatist leader Shabir Shah said Muslim separatists would go ahead with the planned rally and march to Lal Chowk, in Srinagar, on Monday, despite the curfew.

"We appeal to people to march peacefully," he said.

Shah said security forces were intimidating⁸ people to prevent them from attending the rally.

In the past few months, Kashmir has seen some of the biggest pro-independence demonstrations⁹ since a separatist revolt against New Delhi's rule broke out in the region in 1989. The latest demonstrations grew out of protests by Kashmir Muslims against a controversial land transfer to a Hindu Shrine¹⁰ in June. The government later rescinded¹¹ the transfer, which in turn stirred protests and communal¹² tension in Hindu-dominated Jammu province.

Muslim and Hindu protests across the region have killed at least 34 people and wounded hundreds more.

India and Pakistan both claim divided Kashmir, and have fought two wars over it since the two nations split in 1947.

 

1 batons   

n.（警察武器）警棍( baton的名词复数 )；（乐队指挥用的）指挥棒；接力棒

参考例句：

• There were many riot policemen with batons. 有许多带警棍的防暴警察。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Chinese police fight? Number one is a person with batons to fight! 满街飘的中国国旗，是一个老华侨在事发时那出来分给大家的，很感动，真的，从来一向多一事不如少一事的中国人今天团结到一起站出来反抗。 来自互联网

2 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

3 barricade   

n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住

参考例句：

• The soldiers make a barricade across the road.士兵在路上设路障。
• It is difficult to break through a steel barricade.冲破钢铁障碍很难。

4 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

5 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

6 butts   

笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。
• The house butts to a cemetery. 这所房子和墓地相连。

7 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

8 intimidating   

vt.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的现在分词)

参考例句：

• They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them. 他们被控胁迫选民投他们的票。
• This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. 这种问话的方式可能让孩子们非常害怕。

9 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

10 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

11 rescinded   

v.废除，取消( rescind的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Rescinded civil acts shall be null and void from the very beginning. 被撤销的民事行为从行为开始起无效。 来自互联网
• They accepted his advice and rescinded the original plan. 他们听从了他的劝告，撤销了原计划。 来自互联网

12 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。