VOA标准英语2014--纽约计划在世贸遗址附近兴建穆斯林中心

 

New York Revisits Plan to Build Muslim Center Near Ground Zero 纽约计划在世贸遗址附近兴建穆斯林中心

NEW YORK — For many Americans, memories of the September 11 terror attacks in New York are still vivid.  A new World Trade Center is soon to open at the site where the original one was destroyed.  There is also a plan to build a Muslim community center and mosque¹ nearby, though it is a more modest version of a previous one steeped in controversy². 

The new World Trade Center is nearing completion, 13 years after the September 11 attacks.

There is also a plan to build a Muslim Center with a museum and mosque three blocks from Ground Zero.  Even though it's a scaled back version of a previous one, it too is controversial.

The proposal includes a three-story building with a small mosque, a community center and a museum devoted³ to Islam.

Imam Talib Abdul Rashid - president of the Islamic Leadership Council - says the project should reflect the full story of Islam.

“...Islam itself as one of the three Abrahamic traditions, and, then, two -- and I kind of lean toward the second -- is a discussion and an accurate depiction⁴ of Muslims in America, generally, and New York City in particular,” he said.

In 2010, there were loud protests at the site against the previous plan. It called for a 15-story Muslim mosque and community center.  The demonstrators, including relatives of those killed in the September 11 attacks, argued it was insensitive to build an Islamic complex so close to Ground Zero.

The original plan, called Park 51, was dropped.

But the new one is drawing opposition⁵ too although its details have yet to be released.

“Honesty, what we need is candor⁶ about Jihad and the Jihadic doctrine," said Pamela Geller, president of the American Freedom Defense⁷ Initiative.  "Is this museum going to explore the total 1,400 years of Jihadi wars, land appropriations⁸, cultural annihilations and enslavements?  I think not.  It think it’s going to whitewash⁹, and I think it’s inappropriate at Ground Zero.  We have to see the plans.”

This visiting group of college students and professors from Canada had an exclusive briefing by one of the developers at the site.

 Alexandra Bain, a professor of religious studies, believes a  living history of Islam is important to the community and the world.  

“Muslims have been in America since the slaves came over," she said. "And they were among the first Americans, and they continue to be an important part of the American culture.

The developers have not fully¹⁰ disclosed the plans, nor where all the funding is coming from.  But they insist these buildings will soon come down and be replaced with an exciting structure dedicated¹¹ to exploring the faith of Islam and its arts and culture.

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 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

3 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

4 depiction   

n.描述

参考例句：

• Double rhythms, resounding through the lyric depiction and connecting with each other, indicate the thespian place of mankind and the cognition of the writer to this thespian place. 这双重旋律互为表里，表明了人类的某种悲剧性处境以及作家对这种悲剧性处境的感受和认识。
• A realistic depiction of scenes from everyday domestic life. 日常家居生活的写实画。

5 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。

6 candor   

n.坦白，率真

参考例句：

• He covered a wide range of topics with unusual candor.他极其坦率地谈了许多问题。
• He and his wife had avoided candor,and they had drained their marriage.他们夫妻间不坦率，已使婚姻奄奄一息。

7 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。

8 appropriations   

n.挪用（appropriation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• More commonly, funding controls are imposed in the annual appropriations process. 更普遍的作法是，拨款控制被规定在年度拨款手续中。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Should the president veto the appropriations bill, it goes back to Congress. 假如总统否决了这项拨款提案，就把它退还给国会。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

9 whitewash   

v.粉刷，掩饰；n.石灰水，粉刷，掩饰

参考例句：

• They tried hard to whitewash themselves.他们力图粉饰自己。
• What he said was a load of whitewash.他所说的是一大堆粉饰之词。

10 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

11 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。