VOA常速英语2008年-US Visit of Pope Benedict to Begin Tuesday

By Andre de Nesnera
Washington
14 April 2008

Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the United States Tuesday for a six-day visit - his first trip to this country since being elected head of the Roman Catholic Church almost three years ago. In this report from Washington, VOA Senior Correspondent André de Nesnera previews the pontiff's visit.

President George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush will greet Pope Benedict after his arrival Tuesday at Andrews Air Force base. The official welcoming ceremony will be held Wednesday at the White House, followed by a private meeting between the pontiff and the U.S. president.

During his six-day visit, Pope Benedict is also scheduled to celebrate open air masses in Washington D.C. and New York, address leaders of Catholic colleges, meet with representatives from other religions and pray at "Ground Zero" - the site of the New York World Trade Center towers destroyed on September 11, 2001.

But many experts, such as Father Thomas Reese from Georgetown University, say the high point of the pontiff's visit will be his address to the United Nations on Friday.

"His message is going to be that international relations should not just be governed by power and money - military power and money - but should be guided by ethical¹ principles, by moral values," said Father Reese. " He is going to talk about the importance of working for justice and peace. I think he will repeat what [Pope] John Paul [the Second] said that there is no peace without justice and no justice without reconciliation². This is what he world needs on the international level - peace, justice and reconciliation - and that is going to be a strong message from him."

Many experts say the visit will give the American public - including the estimated 67 million Roman Catholics - a chance to get-acquainted with the pontiff. John Allen wrote a biography of Pope Benedict.

"This pope does not have the same kind of high media profile that [Pope] John Paul II did - which means that if you are not a Catholic insider, you do not know very much about this pope, at least in the United States," said John Allen. "And so in that sense, I think he is coming in a way to introduce himself to the American public."

Before being elected pope and taking the name of Benedict XVI, Cardinal³ Joseph Ratzinger was for almost 25 years the man responsible for preserving Catholic orthodoxy. He was seen as a hard-liner, an enforcer of church doctrine⁴.

But the President of Assumption College in Masachusetts, Francesco Cesareo, who has met the pope, says his private demeanor⁵ is quite different from his portrayal⁶ in the media.

"He is a very - first of all - very humble⁷ man," said Francesco Cesareo. "For someone who has the kind of intellectual prowess and ability that he has and his theological training and for someone who has been in very high positions - when you meet him, he is very, very humble. But he is also very warm and a very friendly individual. It is a side of him that, unfortunately, has not been portrayed⁸ that way in terms of his persona. But he is a very, very gentle, warm and compassionate⁹ individual."

During his visit here, Pope Benedict is also expected to touch on controversial issues facing the Catholic Church: abortion¹⁰, contraception and how to address the decline in the number of priests - a decline some experts have described as critical.

Father Thomas Reese from Georgetown University says the pontiff might also talk about the massive scandal that erupted several years ago involving the sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests.

"As a cardinal, he was in charge of the office that processed priests out of the church, that threw priests out of the priesthood who were involved in the sex abuse," he said. "He has seen the files. He knows how terrible this was for the children who were abused and how disastrous¹¹ it was for the church. So I would not be surprised at all if he said how sorry he was that these children were hurt and we have to reach out in healing to them. And I think he will encourage and compliment the bishops¹² for what they have been doing to make churches a safer place."

While he is in the United States, Pope Benedict will mark two personal milestones¹³: Wednesday, April 16 will be his 81st birthday and Saturday, April 19 will be the third anniversary of his election as pontiff.

1 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

2 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

3 cardinal   

n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的

参考例句：

• This is a matter of cardinal significance.这是非常重要的事。
• The Cardinal coloured with vexation. 红衣主教感到恼火，脸涨得通红。

4 doctrine   

n.教义；主义；学说

参考例句：

• He was impelled to proclaim his doctrine.他不得不宣扬他的教义。
• The council met to consider changes to doctrine.宗教议会开会考虑更改教义。

5 demeanor   

n.行为；风度

参考例句：

• She is quiet in her demeanor.她举止文静。
• The old soldier never lost his military demeanor.那个老军人从来没有失去军人风度。

6 portrayal   

n.饰演；描画

参考例句：

• His novel is a vivid portrayal of life in a mining community.他的小说生动地描绘了矿区的生活。
• The portrayal of the characters in the novel is lifelike.该书中的人物写得有血有肉。

7 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

8 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 compassionate   

adj.有同情心的，表示同情的

参考例句：

• She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。
• The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。

10 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

11 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

12 bishops   

（基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象

参考例句：

• Each player has two bishops at the start of the game. 棋赛开始时，每名棋手有两只象。
• "Only sheriffs and bishops and rich people and kings, and such like. “他劫富济贫，抢的都是郡长、主教、国王之类的富人。

13 milestones   

n.重要事件( milestone的名词复数 )；重要阶段；转折点；里程碑

参考例句：

• Several important milestones in foreign policy have been passed by this Congress and they can be chalked up as major accomplishments. 这次代表大会通过了对外政策中几起划时代的事件，并且它们可作为主要成就记录下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dale: I really envy your milestones over the last few years, Don. 我真的很羡慕你在过去几年中所建立的丰功伟绩。 来自互联网