2006年VOA标准英语- Israelis Celebrate Jerusalem Day

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
25 May 2006

 
Fireworks explode as the Dome¹ of the Rock Mosque², also known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is seen during Israel's Jerusalem Day celebrations 
  
Israelis are celebrating Jerusalem Day, an annual holiday aimed at strengthening Jewish claims over the city at the heart of the Mideast conflict.

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Thousands of Israelis marched through the streets of Jerusalem, celebrating the 39th anniversary of the reunification of the city during the Six Day War in 1967.  They waved national flags, as they marched to the Western Wall in the disputed Old City, the last remnant of the biblical Temple.

The Palestinians want the Old City and the rest of East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, but the message of Jerusalem Day is that the city is Jewish.

"Well, we have to show that Jerusalem really belongs to Israel, and that it is the heart and soul of the Jewish people here," said Yaakov Friedman, who immigrated³ to Israel from New York 12 years ago.  "Every year, we say, you know, at Passover time, 'Next year, we should be in Jerusalem. Oh, here we are,' you know, praying and hoping that Jerusalem stays united," 

Jerusalem remains⁴ one of the most intractable issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Israel says it will never relinquish⁵ the Temple Mount and Western Wall, the holiest places in Judaism. 

But the mount is also home to the Mosque of al Aksa, the third holiest place in Islam.  Palestinians say there will never be peace until Israel withdraws and the Old City returns to Muslim control.
 
 
Ehud Olmert (file photo) 
  
At a Jerusalem Day ceremony on a Six Day War battlefield, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made it clear that is not going to happen.

"Jerusalem was born Jewish," Mr. Olmert said, and, today, more than ever, he said, it is Jewish, complete and united.

1 dome   

n.圆屋顶，拱顶

参考例句：

• The dome was supported by white marble columns.圆顶由白色大理石柱支撑着。
• They formed the dome with the tree's branches.他们用树枝搭成圆屋顶。

2 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。

3 immigrated   

v.移入( immigrate的过去式和过去分词 )；移民

参考例句：

• He immigrated from Ulster in 1848. 他1848年从阿尔斯特移民到这里。 来自辞典例句
• Many Pakistanis have immigrated to Britain. 许多巴基斯坦人移居到了英国。 来自辞典例句

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 relinquish   

v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手

参考例句：

• He was forced to relinquish control of the company.他被迫放弃公司的掌控权。
• They will never voluntarily relinquish their independence.他们绝对不会自动放弃独立。