2006年VOA标准英语-Iraqi Christians Caught in the Crossfire

By Brian Padden
Irbil, Iraq
23 August 2006
 
watch Iraq Christians² report

The news media often focus on the conflict between Shi'ites and Sunni Muslims in Iraq. But there are other ethnic³ and religious groups under attack.  The small Christian¹ community in Iraq is now finding itself caught in the crossfire⁴ of sectarian violence.   VOA's Brian Padden reports many Christians are moving north to find safety in the Kurdish-controlled region of the country.

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Residents attend a church service in Irbil, home to many displaced Christians   
  
Christians attend mass at St. Joseph's Church in Irbil, in the northern Kurdish region of Iraq, as they have done for thousands of years.   But today the number of Christians living here is growing, as more seek refugee from the sectarian violence devastating⁵ much of the country.   

 
Father Choucha
  
Father Tariq Choucha says what is happening now is not the persecution⁶ of Christians -- but indiscriminate killing⁷ by terrorists. "The news talks about the suicide bomber⁸ when he puts on that belt of explosives.   He goes to a popular market.  Who is in the market?  There is Kurd, Christian, Arab.  There are Sunnis and Shias.  So when he blows himself up he doesn't just kill Christians and Shias.  The terrorist, he has no allegiance."

But this group of Christian refugees in the city of Irbil says the violence against Christians is part of a deliberate strategy to intimidate⁹ minority groups.   One man -- who asked that his face be concealed¹⁰ for fear of retribution -- is a doctor from the city of Mosul.

"The Christians are targeted more there.  Our number in the city is small.  So when they target a few of us, it will be for the population, very big," he told us. 

 
Basam Hannah and family fled Baghdad for Irbil, but only survive through the generosity¹¹ of others
  
Basam Hannah, his wife, and child fled Baghdad after a car bomb exploded in front of their church, nearly killing them.  They lost everything they had and now live with three other families in a small house in Irbil. 

Hannah says the Christian community in Baghdad is too small to protect itself from the insurgents¹². "They choose the Christians because we are seen as weak and because we would like to live in peace."

Children laugh and run in the streets of the Ankawa neighborhood of Irbil. Old men play dominos on the sidewalks. For the Christians who have come here, there is a sense of safety in numbers.

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

3 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。

4 crossfire   

n.被卷进争端

参考例句：

• They say they are caught in the crossfire between the education establishment and the government.他们称自己被卷进了教育机构与政府之间的争端。
• When two industrial giants clash,small companies can get caught in the crossfire.两大工业企业争斗之下，小公司遭受池鱼之殃。

5 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

6 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

7 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

8 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

9 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

10 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

11 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

12 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网