VOA标准英语2009年-Insurgents Target State Schools in Souther

By Daniel Schearf
Bangkok
21 September 2009

 
Map of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat in Thailand
In southern Thailand, insurgents¹ target state schools and teachers, seen as tools of a dominant² Thai Buddhist³ state that is diluting⁴ their Muslim Malay culture. In the past few years, they have attacked hundreds of schools, killing⁵ over 150 teachers, employees and students. While the frequency of attacks has recently slowed down, Thai Buddhist teachers in the south still require special protection.

Like most Thai Buddhist school teachers in the south, 32-year-old Lalita Suthep rides her motorbike to work escorted by soldiers and with armed volunteers lining⁶ the road.

Suthep teaches first grade, including the Thai language, to Malay Muslim students at the Jakhe School. And that makes her, and the school, a target for insurgents. 

Suthep has lived in Pattani province her whole life. Although Thailand's southern rebels have never attacked her, two colleagues at the last school where she taught at were not so lucky.

"After school we would leave in groups," said Suthep. "But, my two male colleagues at a nearby school were working late and decided⁷ to drive back in the same car. After they left the school, a terrorist shot one of them dead. The other was shot in his arm."

After the attack, Suthep decided to transfer to the Jakhe School, thinking it would be safer.

But the principal Chavarat Negnrat, says the school also came under attack.

 
Ethnic Thai Muslims in Thailand's Southern Pattani Province
Standing⁸ in front of a one-story building, he points across the schoolyard to an outdoor bulletin board, exposing the pistol he has holstered under his belt.

"There was one incident, around December 2007, over there, there was a bomb," said Chavarat Negnrat. "Over there used to be a break area for soldiers who protect teachers. Their aim was the soldiers. Maybe they wanted to hurt them, but they were only slightly injured. "

Fifteen-year-old student Masba Thahe wears a violet hijab, a traditional headscarf that all the girls in her class wear. 

Flanked by her classmates, she remembers the day the bomb went off.

"About nine in the morning, while the teacher was teaching, there was a bomb," said Masba Thahe. "Students were frightened, cried, then the military came to supervise and teachers soothed⁹ the students."

 
Students at Jakhe School in Thailand's Pattani Province 
Southern Thailand was an independent Malay Muslim sultanate before the Buddhist kingdom seized the region a century ago and began assimilating residents at the expense of their own culture.

A sporadic¹⁰ insurgency¹¹ in the southern provinces came back to life in 2004, and since then nearly 4,000 people have died, most of them civilians¹².

Analysts¹³ say the militants¹⁴ attack state schools and teachers because they represent and teach the dominant Thai culture.

The head of southern Thailand's Teacher's Union, Boonsom Thongsriprai, agrees.

But he says the schools have in recent years been trying to improve relations with the Muslim Malay community.

"Schools must have community activities with villagers to create a good relationship, understanding, and reconciliation," said Boonsom Thongsriprai.

State schools like the Jakhe School now teach Islam using the local Malay dialect. 

And, Suthep says the younger generation of Thai Buddhist teachers like herself, who grew up in the region, are more sensitive to Muslim Malay culture and history. 

She says despite the risk of being attacked by rebels, she would never leave Pattani because it is her home.

Also, she says, it is important to teach the children to understand and accept other cultures and religions.

1 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

2 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

3 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

4 diluting   

稀释，冲淡( dilute的现在分词 )； 削弱，使降低效果

参考例句：

• A companion would have been a distraction, diluting the pathos of the moment. 要是有一个伴侣在旁就会分散我的注意，冲淡此时此刻的哀婉之情。
• Diluting agent has certain transparency for ink multi-color overprint. 冲淡剂具有必定的透明量，适分油不朱的众色叠印。

5 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。

6 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

9 soothed   

v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦

参考例句：

• The music soothed her for a while. 音乐让她稍微安静了一会儿。
• The soft modulation of her voice soothed the infant. 她柔和的声调使婴儿安静了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 sporadic   

adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular；分散的

参考例句：

• The sound of sporadic shooting could still be heard.仍能听见零星的枪声。
• You know this better than I.I received only sporadic news about it.你们比我更清楚，而我听到的只是零星消息。

11 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

12 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

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 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。