2007年VOA标准英语-Religious Tensions Run High In India's Punjab S

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
22 May 2007

A daylong general strike called by Sikh religious leaders has shut down activity in India's northern state of Punjab, a Sikh majority region. Anjana Pasricha reports that the strike was ordered after tensions escalated¹ between the Sikh community and another Punjab-based religious sect².

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Protesters burn tires during a strike in the outskirts of Jammu, India, 22 May 2007

Schools, shops and businesses shut down across Punjab as thousands of paramilitary forces and policemen fanned out Tuesday in the northern state, where religious tensions are running high.

Sikh leaders are demanding an apology from the leader of a Punjab-based religious sect, who posed for newspaper advertisements dressed up as a revered⁵ 17th century Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh.

Protests by outraged⁶ Sikhs have engulfed⁷ the state since the controversy⁸ began last week. Angry Sikh leaders say Gurmeet Ram⁴ Rahim Singh, the head of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, has insulted their religion. They have blocked highways, and clashed with Dera supporters. Security was stepped up after one person was killed and many were injured.

The state's political leadership has joined Sikh religious leaders in calling for an apology.

However, the state's Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal says law and order should not be disturbed.

He has called for calm, and says the government is determined⁹ to maintain peace at all costs.

Although Punjab remained calm during the daylong shutdown, sporadic¹⁰ protests by Sikhs were reported on Tuesday in two neighboring regions, Haryana and Jammu.

A spokesman for the Dera sect, Aditya Insaan, has said the leader did not mean to offend Sikhs when he dressed up as a Sikh guru.

"We have expressed our sincere and heartfelt regrets on several occasions in front of the media," said Insaan. "If an effort is not made to understand the full import of whatever we have tried to convey and it is transformed into a battle of semantics, then I think we have not been understood."

But the failure of the Dera leader to issue an outright¹¹ apology has angered Sikhs, and prompted a demand for a shutdown of all branches of the sect in the state.

The Dera Sacha Sauda calls itself a spiritual, humanitarian¹² organization and says its followers¹³ are drawn¹⁴ from all religions.

Analysts¹⁵ say the government should watch out for wider violence in a state that was engulfed in a violent insurgency¹⁶ in the 1980s and 90s by Sikhs seeking an independent homeland.

Punjab is India's only Sikh majority state.

1 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

2 sect   

n.派别，宗教，学派，派系

参考例句：

• When he was sixteen he joined a religious sect.他16岁的时候加入了一个宗教教派。
• Each religious sect in the town had its own church.该城每一个宗教教派都有自己的教堂。

3 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

4 ram   

(random access memory)随机存取存储器

参考例句：

• 512k RAM is recommended and 640k RAM is preferred.推荐配置为512K内存，640K内存则更佳。

5 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

6 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

7 engulfed   

v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was engulfed by a crowd of reporters. 他被一群记者团团围住。
• The little boat was engulfed by the waves. 小船被波浪吞没了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

9 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

10 sporadic   

adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular；分散的

参考例句：

• The sound of sporadic shooting could still be heard.仍能听见零星的枪声。
• You know this better than I.I received only sporadic news about it.你们比我更清楚，而我听到的只是零星消息。

11 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

12 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

13 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

14 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

15 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

16 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网