2007年VOA标准英语-Some Indians Say Proposed Canal Will Destroy Sa

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
22 September 2007

A political storm is raging over a project to build a shipping¹ canal in southern India. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, Hindu activists² say the canal will destroy a bridge they believe was built by the Hindu god Rama and his army of monkeys.   

It is known as "India's Suez Canal," a project to dredge a deep passage between India and Sri Lanka, to allow cargo⁴ ships a faster route around the southern tip of India.

But Hindu activists say it is not that simple.  They say the canal will damage a 50 kilometer-long chain of limestone⁵ shoals, which they believe was built by a monkey army to help the Hindu God Rama cross into neighboring Sri Lanka to rescue his kidnapped wife.

Hindu groups have petitioned the Supreme⁶ Court to save the bridge, known as Adam's Bridge, or Ram³ Sethu. 
 
The government responded with a court affidavit⁷ that was probably ill-advised in a country with about 900 million Hindu citizens. 

The affidavit said there is no historical evidence to prove the existence of Lord Rama, or any of the other characters in the revered⁸ Hindu epic⁹ "Ramayana," which describes his life. The affidavit said scientific evidence indicates the chain of shoals is a natural structure.   

That did not sit well with such hard-line Hindu groups as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, or World Hindu Council. The group's general secretary, Praveen Togadia, says the government has questioned Hindus' religious beliefs. 

"Anywhere in the world, faith should be respected," he said.  "Here [the] government [has] raised a question regarding the faith of almost 1 billion Hindus of the world.  It was basically an insult to Hindu society."
 
There is a distinct political edge to the debate.  The issue has given ammunition¹⁰ to the main opposition¹¹ party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which rose to power in the 1990s on a Hindu revivalist ideology¹².  Political analysts¹³ say this is a sensitive time: there is a possibility that India might face early national elections.

A defensive¹⁴ government, led by the Congress Party, is trying to control the damage caused by the court statement. It has suspended two officials of the Archeological Survey of India who drew up the affidavit.  Senior ministers are trying to calm Hindu tempers by assuring the public they were not questioning the existence of Lord Rama.
 
But Hindu activists are determined¹⁵ not to let the issue fade away. They say they plan to hold nationwide marches later this month in favor of saving the bridge. The government says it will consult all political parties before deciding the fate of the project.

1 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

5 limestone   

n.石灰石

参考例句：

• Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。
• Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。

6 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

7 affidavit   

n.宣誓书

参考例句：

• I gave an affidavit to the judge about the accident I witnessed.我向法官提交了一份关于我目击的事故的证词。
• The affidavit was formally read to the court.书面证词正式向出席法庭的人宣读了。

8 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

9 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

10 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

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 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

15 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。