VOA标准英语2010年-Obama Marks 9-11 Anniversary at Pentag

"It was not a religion that attacked that September day. It was al-Qaida, a sorry band of men who pervert¹ religion." - President Barack Obama

On the ninth anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, U.S. President Barack Obama has emphasized that America is not at war with Islam.  The president made his remarks at the Pentagon Memorial.

 

President Obama spoke² after laying a wreath at the memorial to the 184 people killed when Islamist militants³ hijacked⁴ a commercial airliner⁵ and slammed it into the side of the Defense⁶ Department headquarters.

Flowers had been placed on many of the memorial's stone benches, each of which bears the name of one of that day's victims.

Calling the Pentagon "hallowed ground," the president told the families of those who died nine years ago their loved ones will not be forgotten.

"I thought it must seem some days the world has moved on to other things. I say to you today, that your loved ones endure in the heart of our nation now and forever," he said.

The president alluded⁷ indirectly⁸ to the controversy⁹ over a plan to build an Islamic center and mosque¹⁰ near the area of the 9-11 attacks in New York, and to a Christian¹¹ minister who Friday called off his plan to burn the Quran in protest.

Mr. Obama spoke strongly in favor of religious freedom, saying Americans will not give in to the hatred¹² and prejudice the 9-11 hijackers had sought to spread.

"They may seek to spark conflict between faiths but as Americans we are not and never will be at war with Islam," said the president. "It was not a religion that attacked that September day. It was al-Qaida, a sorry band of men who pervert religion."

The president also said the United States will be relentless¹³ in defending itself against terrorism. "They doubted our will, but as Americans we persevere¹⁴.  Today in Afghanistan and beyond, we have gone on the offensive and struck major blows against al-Qaida and its allies.  We will do what is necessary to protect our country," he said.

Earlier Saturday, Mr. Obama observed a private moment of silence at 8:46, the time when the first plane crashed into New York's World Trade Center.

The president has also encouraged Americans to make September 11th a day of service to others.  After speaking at the Pentagon Memorial, the president traveled to a school in Washington to help paint its walls.  While there, he talked with volunteers who were making quilts for the children of service members deployed¹⁵ overseas.
 

1 pervert   

n.堕落者，反常者；vt.误用，滥用；使人堕落，使入邪路

参考例句：

• Reading such silly stories will pervert your taste for good books.读这种愚昧的故事会败坏你对好书的嗜好。
• Do not pervert the idea.别歪曲那想法。

2 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。

3 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。

4 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

5 airliner   

n.客机，班机

参考例句：

• The pilot landed the airliner safely.驾驶员使客机安全着陆。
• The passengers were shepherded across the tarmac to the airliner.旅客们被引导走过跑道去上飞机。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 alluded   

提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In your remarks you alluded to a certain sinister design. 在你的谈话中，你提到了某个阴谋。
• She also alluded to her rival's past marital troubles. 她还影射了对手过去的婚姻问题。

8 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

9 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

10 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

11 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

12 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

13 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

14 persevere   

v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• They are determined to persevere in the fight.他们决心坚持战斗。
• It is strength of character enabled him to persevere.他那坚强的性格使他能够坚持不懈。

15 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。