VOA标准英语2010年-Ethiopians, Eritreans Face Double Susp

Ugandan police inspect the destroyed Ethiopian Village restaurant in Kampala after twin bomb blasts tore through crowds of football fans, killing¹ 64 people, 11 Jul 2010

The bodies of seven Ethiopian and Eritrean victims of the Uganda bomb attacks have been sent home to their native countries for burial.  Members of the Ethiopian and Eritrean expatriate communities face suspicion from all sides, in a city shaken by the realization² that it is the latest front in Somalia's war.

 A crowd of about 100 mourners gathered at Kampala's tiny Ethiopian Orthodox church Friday to remember 32-year-old Getayewakal Tessema, the only Ethiopian killed in the Kampala terror blasts.

Eritreans in the Ugandan capital held a similar service for six members of their community who also died in the attack on an Ethiopian restaurant, where fans were watching the World Cup soccer final.

The bodies were later taken to Entebbe airport for shipment home.

Members of the small Eritrean and Ethiopian expatriate communities expressed thanks to the Ugandan government for its help in returning the bodies and for the security provided in the hours immediately after the bombings, when anti-foreigner sentiments briefly³ flared⁴ in Kampala.

But the representative for Ethiopian refugees in Kampala, Aman Abile Dure, says Ugandans' normally hospitable⁵ attitude toward outsiders changed abruptly⁶ when Somali insurgents⁷ took responsibility for the bombs, and word spread that police had arrested several foreigners. 

"Sometimes when you lost something, you may suspect everything," said Aman. "Because Uganda has not been used to such a problem.  And then when someone is taking responsibility of such things they may suspect, but not all Ugandans.  Ugandans are good people for us."

Aman says the World Cup bomb attacks put Ethiopians in Uganda in an peculiar⁸ situation.  On one hand, the Ethiopian restaurant appears to have been hit because of Ethiopia's deep involvement in Somalia's war in support of the western-backed transitional government.

On the other hand, the bombings led many Ugandans to see Ethiopians and others from the Horn of Africa as the source of their troubles.

Immediately after the bombings, Ugandan opposition⁹ leader Kizza Besigye described the position of Ethiopians as "a double edge".

"I have heard many reports so far that anybody who looks like a Somali is being attacked," he said. "And unfortunately some of those people are being attacked [are] Ethiopians who are on the other [side of the] fence of the struggle."

Ethiopians and others with lighter¹⁰ skin and thin features, normally associated with the Horn of Africa, say they have been staying off the streets of Kampala in recent days.  Ethiopian community leader Banteyehu Haile says it is regrettable but understandable given the fear that raced through Kampala when people realized they were being targeted by Somali insurgents.

"It's very sad," he said. "Uganda is a very nice country.  People are hospitable.  We had enjoyed everything to date, but suddenly this thing happens.  So it's really very depressed¹¹.

As days go by, Ugandan tempers are clearly cooling.  Attacks against foreigners have stopped.

Ethiopian community leaders Friday reported what could be good news.  They were called to the Ugandan prime minister's office and asked to produce documents about four Ethiopians held in connection with the bombing case.  A community spokesman said the tone of the conversation indicated the four could be released within days.
 

1 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。

2 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

3 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

4 Flared   

adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
• The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭，但它突然又燃烧起来。

5 hospitable   

adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的

参考例句：

• The man is very hospitable.He keeps open house for his friends and fellow-workers.那人十分好客，无论是他的朋友还是同事，他都盛情接待。
• The locals are hospitable and welcoming.当地人热情好客。

6 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

7 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

8 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

9 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。

10 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

11 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。