VOA常速英语2008年-Victims of Abuse by Priests Say Pope Meeting No

By Cindy Saine
Washington
18 April 2008

Pope Benedict held an emotional meeting Thursday in Washington with five people from Boston who had been sexually abused by priests.  Reaction to the meeting has been mixed and some victims say they are still waiting for the Roman Catholic Church to take decisive action to discipline bishops² who failed to remove abusive priests from the ministry³. VOA Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from Washington. 

Several people who were present at the meeting in the chapel⁴ of the papal embassy said the participants cried and prayed together.  One by one, each of the victims spoke⁵ alone with the Pope, telling him their stories.  One of the victims gave Pope Benedict a photo of himself when he was a nine-year-old boy, before the abuse by his priest began.

Some theologians and observers of the Catholic Church said the Pope's meeting with victims is a huge step forward, and that it gives every bishop¹ in America a model to follow.  But David Clohessy, the national director of the Survivor's Network of those Abused by Priests, said the meeting alone is not enough.

"We're glad that the meeting took place," he said.  "But the sad and the simple truth is that there is not a child on the planet today who is safer because of what was said yesterday.  You know, protecting children requires decisive action.  Not promises, not sympathy, not even face to face meetings."

During an outdoor mass in Washington, the Pope said measures have been taken in the wake of the scandal. 

"Great efforts have already been made to deal honestly and fairly with this tragic⁶ situation and to ensure that children, whom our Lord loves so deeply, and who are our greatest treasure, can grow up in a safe environment," he said.  "These efforts to protect children must continue."

Most Catholic dioceses in the United States have taught parents and children how to recognize the signs of abuse, and now have programs to try to screen out unfit candidates for the priesthood.

But victims' advocates say much more needs to be done to protect children, and that church leaders who knowingly tolerated the abuse should be punished.

"The missing piece is that while many predator⁷ priests have been identified and suspended, there is virtually not one church supervisor⁸ on the planet who has been disciplined for enabling abuse or concealing⁹ abuse or overlooking abuse, not one," he added.  "And that simply must change."

The clergy¹⁰ sexual abuse scandal has shaken the Catholic Church since it broke in 2002.  More than 4,000 priests have been accused of molesting¹¹ minors¹² in the United States since 1950.  The church has paid more than $2 billion to victims, after the case of a serial¹³ molester¹⁴ priest in Boston won national attention and inspired many more victims to step forward.

1 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

2 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。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

7 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

8 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

9 concealing   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Despite his outward display of friendliness, I sensed he was concealing something. 尽管他表现得友善，我还是感觉到他有所隐瞒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• SHE WAS BREAKING THE COMPACT, AND CONCEALING IT FROM HIM. 她违反了他们之间的约定，还把他蒙在鼓里。 来自英汉文学 - 三万元遗产

10 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

11 molesting   

v.骚扰( molest的现在分词 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵

参考例句：

• He was accused of sexually molesting a female colleague. 他被指控对一位女同事进行性骚扰。 来自辞典例句
• He was charged with molesting a woman. 他被指控调戏妇女。 来自辞典例句

12 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 serial   

n.连本影片，连本电视节目；adj.连续的

参考例句：

• A new serial is starting on television tonight.今晚电视开播一部新的电视连续剧。
• Can you account for the serial failures in our experiment?你能解释我们实验屡屡失败的原因吗？

14 molester   

参考例句：

• A nationwide manhunt for an alleged child molester is over. 一个全国搜捕骚扰儿童的行动告一段落。 来自互联网
• Did the molester penetrate the child? 这名性骚扰者插进小孩的身体了吗？ 来自互联网