2006年VOA标准英语-Muslims Voice Anger Over Cartoons Mocking

By Margaret Besheer
Washington
03 February 2006

Muslims around the world are protesting the publication of 12 caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed. The drawings were first printed in a Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, in September, but several European newspapers have since reprinted them, saying it is a matter of free speech, not religious beliefs.

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In Jerusalem, hundreds of angry worshippers gathered at the al Aqsa Mosque¹ compound after Friday prayers and burned the flag of Denmark, where the cartoons first appeared.

In Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population, dozens of members of the hard-line Muslim group, the Defenders² of Islam, or F.P.I., pushed past security guards into the lobby of the Danish embassy in Jakarta demanding to speak to the ambassador.

Muslim protesters chant slogans during a demonstration³ outside  French embassy in London   
  
Demonstrators also took to the streets in Turkey, Iran, Britain and Bahrain. They, like many other Muslims around the world, are outraged⁴ over the cartoons, which they say are deeply offensive. They are also angry because their faith forbids depicting⁵ images of the Prophet, for fear it may lead to idolatry.

One drawing shows the Prophet Mohammed wearing a turban shaped like a bomb. Another shows him turning away suicide bombers⁶ from Paradise, saying there are no more virgins⁷.

The United States expressed offense⁸ at the cartoons, but defended the right of the publications to print the cartoons, saying freedom of expression is a core principle of democracy. "While we share the offense that Muslims have taken at these images, we at the same time vigorously defend the right of individuals to express points of view. We may not agree with those points of view; we may condemn⁹ those points of view; but we respect and emphasize ... that those individuals have the right to express those points of view," said U.S. State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack.

In London, British Foreign Secretary Jack¹⁰ Straw criticized the decision of a number of European publications to reprint the cartoons. "The republication of these cartoons has been unnecessary; it has been insensitive, it has been disrespectful and it has been wrong," he said.

Straw praised the British media for showing what he called "considerable responsibility," and refraining from reprinting the cartoons. But BBC television briefly¹¹ broadcast them on Thursday.

Media groups have defended the cartoons' publication, arguing press freedom means publishing all kinds of opinions, even ones that some might consider shocking or defamatory.

In addition to street protests, Muslims have channeled their anger into a boycott¹² of Danish-made products. Several Arab governments have also withdrawn¹³ their ambassadors from Denmark.

In Copenhagen, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen tried to calm tensions, meeting Friday with more than 70 diplomats¹⁴ from Muslim countries. He said he is deeply distressed¹⁵ at the reaction to the drawings, but offered no apology for their publication.

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 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

4 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

5 depicting   

描绘，描画( depict的现在分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• a painting depicting the Virgin and Child 一幅描绘童贞马利亚和圣子耶稣的画
• The movie depicting the battles and bloodshed is bound to strike home. 这部描写战斗和流血牺牲的影片一定会取得预期效果。

6 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 virgins   

处女，童男( virgin的名词复数 )； 童贞玛利亚（耶稣之母）

参考例句：

• They were both virgins when they met and married. 他们从相识到结婚前都未曾经历男女之事。
• Men want virgins as concubines. 人家买姨太太的要整货。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

8 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

9 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

10 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

11 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

12 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

13 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

14 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。