VOA标准英语2011--Islamists Show Solidarity in Massive Egy

Islamists Show Solidarity¹ in Massive Egypt Rally

Tens of thousands of Egyptians supporting a variety of political movements rallied on Cairo's Tahrir Square Friday. The groups don't necessarily agree on what kind of country to build in the wake of the revolution five months ago, but their leaders decided² to try to show solidarity during Friday's protest.
Busloads of devout³ Muslims from around the country swelled⁴ the crowd and chanted for the establishment of Islamic Sharia law in Egypt. Transportation for the demonstrators was arranged by several Islamist political groups that are eager to assert their influence after being largely sidelined during the revolution.
Video clip of today's protest:
One young non-religious man, Mohammed Deraz, welcomed the newcomers, but said they are trying to "jump on the shoulders" of the secular⁵ liberals like himself who played the largest role in the revolution.
"We made this revolution and we will continue," he said. "They can come and say what you say. We want everybody to live the real democracy. But nobody will steal my revolution. I made it by myself and I will continue to the end or I will die. Give me liberty or give me die, that's what I'm doing."
One of the many Islamists on the square said there is no plan to takeover the revolution.
"No, no, no," said Ismail Sayed, wearing a traditional white galabiya, or robe. He said he wants Sharia law applied⁶ in Egypt, but through a constitutional framework. And he criticized the ruling military council for trying to impose rules that could empower the army to prevent an Islamic takeover in Egypt.
It was an impressive showing for the Islamists Friday, but one of their rivals in the square, Leila Hashem, said she is not concerned.
"It doesn't worry me at all because even if you see them as many people today, they are not the majority," said Hashem. "They will never be the majority. Most of the people don't' want this to be Egypt one day. When it is election time, I don't think these people will win."
Estimates of Islamist support in the coming election vary from 10 to 35 percent, but the leading Islamist group, the Muslim Brotherhood⁷, says it hopes to attract coalition⁸ partners and achieve a majority in the Egyptian parliament. Top leaders of secular parties say they will try to form an alliance to challenge the Islamists.
There is no date set yet for the parliamentary vote, but the military council has promised it will happen this year. The Islamists want the election as soon as possible, when they believe their support will be greatest compared to the new and relatively⁹ disorganized secular political groups.
But for one day Friday, officially at least, the various movements put their differences aside. A council of more than two dozen Islamist and secular groups agreed to focus on unity¹⁰. Among the few demands they agree on are an end to military trials of civilians¹¹ and swift prosecutions¹² of ousted¹³ President Hosni Mubarak and other former officials.
There was a report that some of the secular groups withdrew from the protest after it started Friday, accusing the Islamists of trying to dominate it. But a spokesman for one of the main secular groups, the April 6th movement, denied the report.
A young man in the tent city in the middle of Tahrir Square, who called himself an ‘independent' and said he was shot and arrested during the revolution, welcomed the unity theme. Giving his name only as Alaa, he said the revolutionary movement needs all the support it can get as it continues to fight the vestiges¹⁴ of the Mubarak regime.
"This is the democracy that we need, that we want," Alaa said. "They have some opinions that they say, and we have some opinions that we say. But we have much things that we agree about - many, many things."
That view was reflected even in the suffocating¹⁵ heat and intimidating¹⁶ crush of the crowd in Tahrir Square Friday. Many people said their main goal was to operate as "one hand, one Egypt."

1 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。

2 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。

3 devout   

adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness)

参考例句：

• His devout Catholicism appeals to ordinary people.他对天主教的虔诚信仰感染了普通民众。
• The devout man prayed daily.那位虔诚的男士每天都祈祷。

4 swelled   

增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）

参考例句：

• The infection swelled his hand. 由于感染，他的手肿了起来。
• After the heavy rain the river swelled. 大雨过后，河水猛涨。

5 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

6 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

7 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

8 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

9 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

10 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。

11 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。

12 prosecutions   

起诉( prosecution的名词复数 )； 原告； 实施； 从事

参考例句：

• It is the duty of the Attorney-General to institute prosecutions. 检察总长负责提起公诉。
• Since World War II, the government has been active in its antitrust prosecutions. 第二次世界大战以来，政府积极地进行着反对托拉斯的检举活动。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

13 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

14 vestiges   

残余部分( vestige的名词复数 )； 遗迹； 痕迹； 毫不

参考例句：

• the last vestiges of the old colonial regime 旧殖民制度最后的残余
• These upright stones are the vestiges of some ancient religion. 这些竖立的石头是某种古代宗教的遗迹。

15 suffocating   

a.使人窒息的

参考例句：

• After a few weeks with her parents, she felt she was suffocating.和父母呆了几个星期后，她感到自己毫无自由。
• That's better. I was suffocating in that cell of a room.这样好些了，我刚才在那个小房间里快闷死了。

16 intimidating   

vt.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的现在分词)

参考例句：

• They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them. 他们被控胁迫选民投他们的票。
• This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. 这种问话的方式可能让孩子们非常害怕。