2006年VOA标准英语-Afghan Protesters Clash with NATO Troops

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
07 February 2006
 
 
Afghani protesters shout slogans outside the Danish embassy during a demonstration¹ in Kabul, Afghanistan
  
Thousands of rioters in northwestern Afghanistan clashed with NATO troops Tuesday during protests over cartoons depicting² the Prophet Mohammed as a terrorist. Regional U.N. offices were evacuated³ as a precaution, while NATO peacekeepers were being flown in to help impose order.

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Violent protests erupted in towns and cities across Afghanistan Tuesday, spurred by anger over the cartoons, which depicted⁴ the Prophet Mohammed in an unfavorable way.

Some of the worst violence occurred in Maymana, in northwestern Afghanistan, where clashes between demonstrators and NATO peacekeepers led United Nations staff to leave the city.

Protests also took place across Asia Tuesday, but those in Afghanistan were by far the most violent.

Speaking from Kabul, U.N. spokesman Adrian Edwards confirmed the reported evacuation from Maymana.

"At the moment, we've reduced our staffing levels and they're being moved to a safer place," he said.

Police shot and killed at least one protester in Maymana during the day and wounded more than a dozen others, as the crowd tried to storm a local NATO peacekeeping base housing a few dozen Norwegian and Finnish troops.

Later in the day, NATO ordered British reinforcements to the base.

In Kabul, police prevented hundreds of demonstrators from attacking Denmark's diplomatic mission over the controversial cartoons. Witnesses say the mob cracked the windows of several U.N. vehicles before police managed to disperse⁵ the crowd.

The offending cartoons, which have sparked outrage⁶ throughout the Muslim world, were originally published in a Danish newspaper.

In Pakistan, thousands of protesters took to the streets in Peshawar, where they burned effigies⁷ of the Danish prime minister.

1 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。

2 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。

3 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

4 depicted   

描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• Other animals were depicted on the periphery of the group. 其他动物在群像的外围加以修饰。
• They depicted the thrilling situation to us in great detail. 他们向我们详细地描述了那激动人心的场面。

5 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。

6 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

7 effigies   

n.（人的）雕像，模拟像，肖像( effigy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• stone effigies in the church 教堂里的石雕像
• On 5 November British children burn effigies of Guy Fawkes. 每逢11月5日英国儿童都焚烧盖伊．福克斯的模拟像。 来自辞典例句