2007年VOA标准英语-Bomb in Lebanon Kills Christian Member of Parli

By Edward Yeranian
Beirut
19 September 2007

A powerful car bomb, targeting a pro-government Christian¹ member of parliament, exploded in an east Beirut suburb, killing² the legislator and six other people and wounding some 20 others. Edward Yeranian reports for the VOA from Beirut.

 

Red Cross workers pulled victims from burning vehicles as thick plumes³ of black smoke covered several blocks of a Beirut residential⁴ neighborhood, following the explosion of a powerful car bomb.

Eyewitnesses⁵ say that Christian member of parliament Antoine Ghanem, the probable target of the bombing, was killed instantly.

A major road, filled with rush hour traffic appeared pocked and cratered⁶ from the explosion, with vehicles blown apart and chunks⁷ of concrete from surrounding buildings littering the sidewalk.

In Washington, White House Spokeswoman Dana Perino strongly condemned⁸ what she called the "vicious murder" of Antoine Ghanem.

"Since October 2004, there has been a pattern of political assassinations⁹ and attempted assassinations designed to intimidate¹⁰ those working courageously¹¹ toward a sovereign and democratic Lebanon," she said. "The victims of these cowardly attacks have consistently been those who publicly sought to end Syria's interference in Lebanon's internal affairs. It is no coincidence that this attack comes as Lebanon prepares to elect a new president. And the United States will continue to stand by those Lebanese who continue to courageously stand up for democracy and independence."

Wednesday's explosion took place one week before Lebanon's parliament is scheduled to meet to elect a new president to replace outgoing President Emile Lahoud, who is pro-Syrian.

Antoine Ghanem was a member of the pro-government Christian Kataeb Party. He is the fourth member of parliament and the eighth figure from the anti-Syrian majority to have been killed in the last two years.

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al Hariri was killed by a massive explosion on February 14, 2005. His son, a legislator who leads the anti-Syrian movement, has openly accused Syria of Mr. Hariri's killing.

In November, government minister Pierre Gemayal was gunned down on his way church. He was also against Syrian involvement in Lebanon.

Talks between the anti-Syrian majority and the pro-Syrian Hezbollah group and its allies have stalled, and the Beirut media has been speculating that Hezbollah might boycott¹² the presidential election, blocking the formation of the necessary two-thirds quorum¹³.

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 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。

3 plumes   

羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物

参考例句：

• The dancer wore a headdress of pink ostrich plumes. 那位舞蹈演员戴着粉色鸵鸟毛制作的头饰。
• The plumes on her bonnet barely moved as she nodded. 她点点头，那帽子的羽毛在一个劲儿颤动。

4 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

5 eyewitnesses   

目击者( eyewitness的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The examination of all the eyewitnesses took a week. 对所有证人的质询用了一周的时间。
• Several eyewitnesses testified that they saw the officers hit Miller in the face. 几位目击证人证明他们看见那几个警官打了米勒的脸。

6 cratered   

adj.有坑洞的，多坑的v.火山口( crater的过去分词 )；弹坑等

参考例句：

• The surface cratered with the constant dropping of water. 表面因经常滴水而成坑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Artillery cratered the roads. 炮击后大路布满了弹坑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 chunks   

厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分

参考例句：

• a tin of pineapple chunks 一罐菠萝块
• Those chunks of meat are rather large—could you chop them up a bIt'smaller? 这些肉块相当大，还能再切小一点吗？

8 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

9 assassinations   

n.暗杀( assassination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most anarchist assassinations were bungled because of haste or spontaneity, in his view. 在他看来，无政府主义者搞的许多刺杀都没成功就是因为匆忙和自发行动。 来自辞典例句
• Assassinations by Israelis of alleged terrorists habitually kill nearby women and children. 在以色列，自称恐怖分子的炸弹自杀者杀害靠近自己的以色列妇女和儿童。 来自互联网

10 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。

11 courageously   

ad.勇敢地，无畏地

参考例句：

• Under the correct leadership of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the army and civilians in flooded areas fought the floods courageously, reducing the losses to the minimum. 在中共中央、国务院的正确领导下，灾区广大军民奋勇抗洪，把灾害的损失减少到了最低限度。
• He fought death courageously though his life was draining away. 他虽然生命垂危，但仍然勇敢地与死亡作斗争。

12 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

13 quorum   

n.法定人数

参考例句：

• The meeting is adjourned since there is no quorum.因为没有法定人数会议休会。
• Three members shall constitute a quorum.三名成员可组成法定人数。