VOA标准英语2012--53 Dead in Attack on Iraqi Shites

53 Dead in Attack on Iraqi Shites

Firefighters hosed down the pavement along the road where the bombing took place, as workers removed pieces of food, shoes and clothing from the scene of the explosion. Dozens were killed and wounded in the blast, but government TV showed only the cleanup.
Witnesses initially¹ reported that a policeman blew himself up near a checkpoint, but security officials insisted that the culprit was a food vendor². Ali Maliki, who heads the Basra security commission stressed that stringent³ safety measures are causing the terrorists to change tactics.
Maliki said that terrorists were unable to detonate car bombs or roadside bombs, so they found a new trick, using someone carrying a container of food and pastries⁴ who began handing them out to (pilgrims), causing people to gather around him.
General Osman al-Ghanemi, who heads the Central Euphrates military district told al-Hurra TV that 17.5 million Shi'ite pilgrims visited the holy sites at Karbala and Najaf for the pilgrimage and that a government security plan curbed⁵ the usual threat of car bombs and roadside blasts:
Al-Ghanemi said that the security plan was implemented⁶, amid major threats, and it involved searching visitors and evacuating⁷ them from three different sites by day's end. He says that bomb detection equipment helped prevent car bombings and insisted that several car bombs were found before they went off.
Iraqi TV noted⁸ that most of the victims of the blast were Shi'ite pilgrims visiting a mosque⁹ near Basra, rather than the main holy site at Karbala.
Khattar Aboud Diab, who teaches political science at the University of Paris, notes that the Sunni Shi'ite conflict dates back to the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD, but that fresh violence has been brewing¹⁰ since recent attempts by Shi'ite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to arrest his Sunni vice¹¹ president, Tareq al-Hashemi.
Diab said that for many observers in the Arab world and in the West, Iraq is now governed by the Shi'ites and by Shi'ite Prime Minister Maliki, who many say is governing like former leader Saddam Hussein. Diab argued thia has caused a radicalization of the Sunni community, which lost some clout¹² after being vanquished¹³ in the 2004-2007 civil strife¹⁴.
Abou Diab also said that the Sunni community has been struggling to regain¹⁵ some of its lost power and prestige in the wake of the recent crisis involving Sunni Vice President Tareq al Hashemi. Hashemi fled to Kurdistan after Prime Minister Maliki tried to have him arrested.

1 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

2 vendor   

n.卖主；小贩

参考例句：

• She looked at the vendor who cheated her the other day with distaste.她厌恶地望着那个前几天曾经欺骗过她的小贩。
• He must inform the vendor immediately.他必须立即通知卖方。

3 stringent   

adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的

参考例句：

• Financiers are calling for a relaxation of these stringent measures.金融家呼吁对这些严厉的措施予以放宽。
• Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.合同中有几项条件太苛刻。

4 pastries   

n.面粉制的糕点

参考例句：

• He gave a dry laugh, then sat down and started on the pastries. 杜新箨说着干笑一声，坐下去就吃点心。 来自子夜部分
• Mike: So many! I like Xijiang raisins, beef jerky, and local pastries. 麦克：太多了。我最喜欢吃新疆葡萄干、牛肉干和风味点心。

5 curbed   

v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Advertising aimed at children should be curbed. 针对儿童的广告应受到限制。 来自辞典例句
• Inflation needs to be curbed in Russia. 俄罗斯需要抑制通货膨胀。 来自辞典例句

6 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

7 evacuating   

撤离，疏散( evacuate的现在分词 )； 排空（胃肠），排泄（粪便）； （从危险的地方）撤出，搬出，撤空

参考例句：

• The solution is degassed by alternately freezing, evacuating and thawing. 通过交替的冻结、抽空和溶化来使溶液除气。
• Are we evacuating these potential targets? 能够在这些目标地域内进行疏散吗？

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 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。

10 brewing   

n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• It was obvious that a big storm was brewing up. 很显然，一场暴风雨正在酝酿中。
• She set about brewing some herb tea. 她动手泡一些药茶。

11 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

12 clout   

n.用手猛击；权力，影响力

参考例句：

• The queen may have privilege but she has no real political clout.女王有特权，但无真正的政治影响力。
• He gave the little boy a clout on the head.他在那小男孩的头部打了一下。

13 vanquished   

v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制

参考例句：

• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I vanquished her coldness with my assiduity. 我对她关心照顾从而消除了她的冷淡。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

15 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。