VOA标准英语--欧洲宗教自由状况令人担忧

Threats to Religious Freedom in Europe

Religious freedom is often called America's first freedom. It is the first freedom America's founders¹ included in the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights. Speaking at the recently concluded Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, Vice² President Mike Pence, declared the United States will continue to lead the world by example in promoting this freedom.

The Vice President expressed concern over growing religious intolerance in many countries around the world, including countries in Europe. In Russia, for example, more than 170,000 Jehovah's Witnesses are legally banned from practicing their faith. Government agents have seized Jehovah Witnesses' headquarters near St. Petersburg, raided their prayer halls across the country, and arrested and imprisoned³ scores of believers.

Just 70 years after the Holocaust⁴, attacks on Jews in Europe, even on aging Holocaust survivors⁵, are growing at an alarming rate.

The United States is also concerned about increasing incidents of anti-Muslim hatred⁶. The United States is working with many European governments and multilateral organizations, like the European Union and Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, to combat anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim discrimination.

The American people will always cherish religious freedom. And we will always stand with people across the world, including in Europe, who stand for their faith.

1 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

4 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

5 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

6 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。