VOA标准英语2013--Minnesota Somalis Demonstrate Against Al-Shabab

 

Minnesota Somalis Demonstrate Against Al-Shabab 

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA — A small group of ethnic¹ Somalis demonstrated in Minneapolis, Minnesota to express condolences for the victims of the recent terrorist attack in Kenya and to condemn² the Somali Islamic militant³ group al Shabab for carrying out the attack and recruiting susceptible⁴ Somali Americans to its cause.

A hundred or so demonstrators gathered at a Somali community center in Minneapolis to show solidarity⁵ for their adopted American homeland and to express grief at the loss of innocent lives in Kenya.  But mostly the participants wanted to speak out against the terrorist group al-Shabab.

Jamal Hassan says his anger at al-Shabab is personal. His two nieces were victims of the al-Shabab attack on the Nairobi Westgate Mall that killed over 60 people.

“The older one, she was here with me in August, like 20 days before this happened to her. And she was talking about becoming a doctor. She just graduated from high school and now she is fighting for her life, and she may lose her leg. She may never walk again,” he said.

Some young Somali American men have joined al-Shabab and some may have taken part in the Kenya attack. But Mariam Mahmoud wants her fellow Americans to know that these few extremists do not speak for the vast majority of Somalis.

“We are not terrorists. We are good people. We are survivors," she said. "We come [from] civil war to this country to survive. So there are some kids, they [are] brainwashed. They go back and they do bad things. Not everybody [is] like that way.”

Nimco Ahmed says she went to school with a boy in Minneapolis who was later recruited by al-Shabab and became a suicide bomber⁶. She blames the Islamic extremist group for his terrible transformation⁷ from naive⁸ boy to terrorist.

“When he put on that suicide bomb and blown himself up in a bus full of innocent people, you know I struggle with that because I've know him so well that I can't imagine he could do such a thing," she said. "But part of me feels also, could he have been the victim as well?”

While few in number, this vocal⁹ crowd came to speak out against terrorism and to dissociate themselves al-Shabab. 

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

3 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

4 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

5 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

6 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

7 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

8 naive   

adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的

参考例句：

• It's naive of you to believe he'll do what he says.相信他会言行一致，你未免太单纯了。
• Don't be naive.The matter is not so simple.你别傻乎乎的。事情没有那么简单。

9 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。