voa标准英语2008-Pilgrims Flock to Bethlehem for Christmas

The faithful have flocked to the West Bank town of Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas.
　

Christians1 gather on Christmas Day inside the Church of Nativity, believed by many to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Thursday, 25 Dec. 2008

A fragrant² cloud of incense³ filled the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, as Palestinian Christians celebrated⁴ Christmas Mass. A few meters away, thousands of pilgrims from around the world visited the ancient grotto⁵ believed to be the birthplace of Jesus.

Adam Heyney came from the western U.S. state of Utah.

"It's amazing, it's always been a dream to come out here, you see all the stuff on TV, you read it in books, but it becomes reality. Just to be there in that spot was just an incredible experience," Heyney said.

For Barbara Beachie of the Midwest state of Michigan, it was an experience of faith and community.

"We need to touch something. We need to touch the sacred, we need to touch the place where Jesus was born, we need to see it," Beachie said. "There's a sense of mystery that is very overwhelming. And it's not just the place, but it's also the people that come from so far away."

Palestinian police armed with assault rifles patrolled Manger Square, but that did not bother Monty Luker of South Carolina.

"Even though it's a bit s cary, the guns in the hands of the security people is a good thing. Were it not for that, we'd have to worry about the bad guys," Luker said.

It was the biggest turnout in years thanks to a lull⁶ in West Bank violence. Bethlehem hotels were full, and Palestinian shopkeepers like Nabil Jakaman were upbeat.

"You can see tourists, many, many, many tourists, you can see it. That's good. It's nice to see this kind of tourists In Bethlehem," Jakaman said.

Palestinians bitterly complain about Israel's security barrier, or wall, surrounding Bethlehem, which was built in response to a wave of suicide bombings a few years ago. But Jakaman sees some light at the end of the tunnel.

"Well, the wall has made some problems but thank God, now there is a lot of tourists, now it's moving better," Jakaman said.

So for pilgrims and Palestinians, it was a Merry Christmas in the little town where it all began.

1 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

2 fragrant   

adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的

参考例句：

• The Fragrant Hills are exceptionally beautiful in late autumn.深秋的香山格外美丽。
• The air was fragrant with lavender.空气中弥漫薰衣草香。

3 incense   

v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气

参考例句：

• This proposal will incense conservation campaigners.这项提议会激怒环保人士。
• In summer,they usually burn some coil incense to keep away the mosquitoes.夏天他们通常点香驱蚊。

4 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

5 grotto   

n.洞穴

参考例句：

• We reached a beautiful grotto,whose entrance was almost hiden by the vine.我们到达了一个美丽的洞穴，洞的进口几乎被藤蔓遮掩著。
• Water trickles through an underground grotto.水沿着地下岩洞流淌。

6 lull   

v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇

参考例句：

• The drug put Simpson in a lull for thirty minutes.药物使辛普森安静了30分钟。
• Ground fighting flared up again after a two-week lull.经过两个星期的平静之后，地面战又突然爆发了。