2006年VOA标准英语-Putin Denounces Racism at Victory Day Para

By Bill Gasperini
Moscow
09 May 2006

President Vladimir Putin used the occasion of Russia's World War II Victory Day holiday to warn extremists that ethnic¹ hatred² will not be tolerated in Russia.

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Vladimir Putin speaks during annual Red Square parade celebrating World War II victory over the Nazis 
  

Each year on May 9 Russia and other former Soviet⁴ republics pause to remember the horrors they endured during what is still called the Great Patriotic⁵ War against Nazi³ Germany.

The Soviet death toll⁶ in the war was around 25 million, far more than any other of the countries that were pulled into the conflict.

The central event in Russia is a parade on Red Square complete with marching bands and soldiers who belong to the same units that fought in the war.

As he does every year, President Vladimir Putin warmly greeted the aging veterans who, as he put, sacrificed so much to defeat fascism.

But this year he added a new twist, in addressing the growing menace posed by neo-Nazi and extremist groups.

He warned that those who sow ethnic hatred, extremism and xenophobic ideas are leading the world to a dead end.

Mr. Putin did not refer specifically to Russia.  But his comments come amid a rising tide of extremist violence by groups that often use the Nazi salute⁷ and even Swastikas.

Scores of dark-skinned foreigners or non-Slavic Russians have been killed or injured in recent years by skinheads or other extremists.

Human rights groups say the authorities are doing little to deal with the problem, often ascribing racist⁸ crimes to hooliganism, which carries a much lower sentence.

The Victory Day speech comes just one day before Mr. Putin is due to deliver his annual state of the nation speech, which is expected to focus on foreign policy issues.

He is also likely to comment on the issue of energy security, which he has said is the focus of Russia's yearlong leadership of the G-8 group of major industrial nations.

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

3 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

4 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

5 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

6 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

7 salute   

vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮

参考例句：

• Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
• The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。

8 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。