2007年VOA标准英语-5 Killed in Southern India Mosque Bombing

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
18 May 2007

Security personnel push back  crowd gathered near site of  explosion, 18 May 2007

A bomb explosion in a mosque¹ in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad has killed at least five people and wounded more than 25. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi that security was stepped up in other major Indian cities after the blast.

Authorities say the bomb exploded at the 17th-century Mecca Masjid mosque in Hyderabad just as Friday prayers were drawing to a close. The mosque is located in a congested area of the city.

As ambulances took the dead and injured to hospitals, angry crowds of Muslims gathered outside the mosque, throwing stones and shouting slogans. Police used baton² charges and fired tear gas to disperse³ the protesters.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil said two more bombs found at the mosque were defused. He said all the bombs were crude devices.

Minister Patil says steps are being taken to give medical aid to the wounded people. He says measures are also being taken to maintain peace in the city.

Hyderabad, which is the capital of the southern Andhra Pradesh state, has a large Muslim population.

The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy, appealed for calm in a city where tensions have erupted between Hindus and Muslims in the past.

"We are all very sorry about the unfortunate incident that took place near the Mecca Masjid. This is an intentional⁴ sabotage⁵ on the peace and tranquility of the state, and I appeal and take this opportunity to appeal to everyone concerned to show restraint," said Reddy.

Hyderabad is one of the biggest cities in southern India and one of the country's important information technology hubs.

Friday's attack was the third bombing in an Indian mosque in more than a year.

Last September, bombs exploded in a mosque in Malegaon, a city in the western state of Maharashtra, killing⁶ more than 30 people. And in April last year, 14 people were injured when two bombs exploded in Delhi's main mosque, the Jama Masjid.

The attacks are seen as an attempt to raise tensions between India's Hindu majority and Muslim minority population.

Security was stepped up in major cities - Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore - following Friday's explosions.

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 baton   

n.乐队用指挥杖

参考例句：

• With the baton the conductor was beating time.乐队指挥用指挥棒打拍子。
• The conductor waved his baton,and the band started up.指挥挥动指挥棒，乐队开始演奏起来。

3 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。

4 intentional   

adj.故意的，有意（识）的

参考例句：

• Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
• His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。

5 sabotage   

n.怠工，破坏活动，破坏；v.从事破坏活动，妨害，破坏

参考例句：

• They tried to sabotage my birthday party.他们企图破坏我的生日晚会。
• The fire at the factory was caused by sabotage.那家工厂的火灾是有人蓄意破坏引起的。

6 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。