2006年VOA标准英语-Protests Against Lebanese Government Continue

By Challiss McDonough
Beirut
02 December 2006

Thousands of opposition¹ protesters remain camped outside the Lebanese prime minister's office, demanding the resignation of his U.S.-backed government. Leaders of Hezbollah say the demonstration² will not end until he goes.  As VOA's Challiss McDonough reports from Beirut, many of the protesters say they are ready for the long haul.

 
Hundreds of white tents set up by Hezbollah supporters in an open-ended protest to force the resignation of Western-backed Prime Minister Fuad Saniora
At times, it seemed more like a street festival than a protest.  Although only a few thousand camped out overnight in tents erected³ near the government building, the crowd grew much larger during the day.  Music blared from countless⁴ loudspeakers, and the protesters never seemed to tire of dancing and waving the Lebanese flag.  Families strolled through the demonstration together, eating ice cream and snacks.

Bands of young men with drums and horns marched, chanting, from one tent camp to another, sometimes at breakneck speed.  But there are scores of Hezbollah "discipline" men deployed⁵ throughout the crowd to keep order.

When one rowdy group headed full-speed for the heavily guarded razor-wire barricade⁶ around the prime minister's office, they were quickly intercepted⁷ by burly men wearing white baseball caps and ID badges that say "discipline."

 
Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora
The protesters are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, or a national unity⁸ government, in which the opposition, including Hezbollah, would have one-third of the Cabinet posts and, therefore, a veto over government decisions.

But the prime minister is flatly refusing to step down, and has accused the protesters of trying to topple Lebanon's legitimate⁹, constitutional government.  His position has broad support in the international community.

The protesters carried banners of Hezbollah, and the other major Shi'ite party, Amal, as well as the popular Christian¹⁰ party, known as the Free Patriotic¹¹ Movement, led by General Michel Aoun.  His trademark¹² orange scarves and banners were everywhere - although some of them were worn by Shi'ite Hezbollah supporters.

As music blared in one tent, rows of traditionally dressed Shi'ite women clapped in rhythm, as two orange-clad Christian women danced wildly and waved Lebanese flags. One of the Christians¹³ wore a bright orange wig¹⁴, which was in sharp contrast to the many dark abayas and headscarves.

A science teacher from the southern village of Tebnine, Miriam Fawaz, called it a display of unity.

"We are one family in Lebanon, whatever they do," she said.  "They try to separate us apart, but we are one family.  Hezbollah, Aoun, any party in Lebanon is one family, you see?  Let the other world leave us alone.  We can live happily ever after, if they leave us alone.  That's for sure."

It is not clear how long the stalemate will continue.

Fawaz said she was prepared to stay a month or a year, if it takes that long.  But one or two other protesters, who seemed to be there more out of curiosity than commitment, quietly confided¹⁵ that they hoped it would all be over soon.

Fawaz also said it is possible that the two sides could negotiate a different solution. "That's up to our leaders to decide now," she added.  "Because not everyone will say I want so, and I want so.  But our leaders will decide, and we will stand by their side, you see?"

An editorial in the English-language Daily Star newspaper on Saturday called on both government and opposition leaders to resolve the stalemate through dialogue.  The paper said both sides have proved that they can put bodies on the streets, in a organized and peaceful way.  But the editorial said, without real dialogue between the parties, the alarmist rhetoric¹⁶ currently in use would only lead to frustration¹⁷ and perhaps violence.  It concluded, "We now need the protagonists¹⁸ to put specific political ideas on the table, and sit down and discuss them rationally."  
 
Tensions have been high in Beirut since the November 21 assassination¹⁹ of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel.

1 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。

2 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

3 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

4 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

5 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。

6 barricade   

n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住

参考例句：

• The soldiers make a barricade across the road.士兵在路上设路障。
• It is difficult to break through a steel barricade.冲破钢铁障碍很难。

7 intercepted   

拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻

参考例句：

• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆，记者们把他拦截住了。
• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走，记者把他截住了。

8 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

9 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

10 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。

11 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

12 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

13 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

14 wig   

n.假发

参考例句：

• The actress wore a black wig over her blond hair.那个女演员戴一顶黑色假发罩住自己的金黄色头发。
• He disguised himself with a wig and false beard.他用假发和假胡须来乔装。

15 confided   

v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等）

参考例句：

• She confided all her secrets to her best friend. 她向她最要好的朋友倾吐了自己所有的秘密。
• He confided to me that he had spent five years in prison. 他私下向我透露，他蹲过五年监狱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

17 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

18 protagonists   

n.（戏剧的）主角( protagonist的名词复数 )；（故事的）主人公；现实事件（尤指冲突和争端的）主要参与者；领导者

参考例句：

• Mrs Pankhurst was one of the chief protagonists of women's rights. 潘克赫斯特太太是女权的主要倡导者之一。 来自辞典例句
• This reflects that Feng Menglong heartily sympathized with these protagonists. 这反映出冯梦龙由衷地同情书中的这些主要人物。 来自互联网

19 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。