2007年VOA标准英语-Troops Patrol Bangladeshi Cities Under Curfew F

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
23 August 2007

Troops are patrolling major cities in Bangladesh, where the army-led administration has imposed a curfew to quell¹ unrest by university students. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the students are demanding an end to emergency rule imposed in January.

Military guards patrol during curfew in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 23 Aug 2007

The usually bustling² streets of Dhaka were deserted³ Thursday - a day after the military-backed interim⁴ administration imposed an indefinite curfew in the capital and five other cities.

Only pedestrians⁵ and cycle rickshaws ventured out as police and soldiers set up checkpoints at major street junctions⁶.

The curfew was briefly⁷ relaxed in the evening.

Universities and colleges have been shut down in the six cities, and students have been asked to vacate hostels⁸.

The tough action comes in the wake of three days of violent student protests.

Protesting students shout slogans in front of a burning roadblock, demanding an end to emergency rule near the Dhaka University campus in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 22 Aug 2007

The unrest initially⁹ erupted at Dhaka University, where students clashed with soldiers at a football match, and demanded the removal of an army post on the campus earlier this week.

The protests quickly spread to other campuses, although the administration agreed to withdraw troops from Dhaka University.

The demonstrating students later spilled into the streets demanding an end to emergency rule. They were joined by slum dwellers¹⁰ and shopkeepers. At least one man has been killed and more than 150 people have been injured in the unrest.

An independent political analyst¹¹ in Dhaka, Ataus Samad, says the demonstrations¹² are a sign of simmering discontent with the interim administration.

"Students said that we want a normal situation in the country, not be gagged like this, without any democratic rights, and shopkeepers, hawkers and other poor people, they said we are going hungry and we don't have work, prices have gone up, so this government has failed," said Ataus Samad.

Political analysts¹³ say early this year the administration got wide support from a public fed up with the country's bickering¹⁴ political parties. But discontent has been growing, particularly over rising prices of food.

The government has appealed for calm, and called the violence a "conspiracy¹⁵." Interim government chief Fakhruddin Ahmed says the curfews are a "temporary measure" to protect public and private property.

Observers say the government will be on the lookout¹⁶ for further signs of student unrest in the coming days - in the past university students have played a key role in political movements in Bangladesh.

1 quell   

v.压制，平息，减轻

参考例句：

• Soldiers were sent in to quell the riots.士兵们被派去平息骚乱。
• The armed force had to be called out to quell violence.不得不出动军队来镇压暴力行动。

2 bustling   

adj.喧闹的

参考例句：

• The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
• This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

3 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

4 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

5 pedestrians   

n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Several pedestrians had come to grief on the icy pavement. 几个行人在结冰的人行道上滑倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Pedestrians keep to the sidewalk [footpath]! 行人走便道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 junctions   

联结点( junction的名词复数 )； 会合点； （公路或铁路的）交叉路口； （电缆等的）主结点

参考例句：

• Metals which were mutually soluble would tend to give strong junctions. 可互溶的金属趋向于产生牢固的结合点。
• Some adhering junctions are present as narrow bands connecting two cells. 有些粘附连接以一窄带的形式连接两个细胞。

7 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

8 hostels   

n.旅舍，招待所( hostel的名词复数 )；青年宿舍

参考例句：

• The students were protesting at overcrowding in the university hostels. 学生们在抗议大学宿舍过于拥挤。 来自辞典例句
• Are there any cheap hostels in Nanjing for one person? 南京有没有便宜的旅店可以一个人住？ 来自互联网

9 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

10 dwellers   

n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes. 城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They have transformed themselves into permanent city dwellers. 他们已成为永久的城市居民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

12 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

13 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。

14 bickering   

v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁

参考例句：

• The children are always bickering about something or other. 孩子们有事没事总是在争吵。
• The two children were always bickering with each other over small matters. 这两个孩子总是为些小事斗嘴。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

15 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

16 lookout   

n.注意，前途，瞭望台

参考例句：

• You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
• It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。