VOA慢速英语2015 土耳其不满教皇称亚美尼亚人“种族灭绝”说法
时间：2019-01-12 作者：英语课 分类：2015年VOA慢速英语(四)月
AS IT IS 2015-04-14 Turkey Rejects Pope’s Comments on Armenian Genocide 土耳其不满教皇称亚美尼亚人“种族灭绝”说法
Turkish officials have strongly criticized Pope Francis for his use of the word “genocide” to describe the mass killing 1 of Armenians in 1915. Turkey’s government ordered its ambassador to the Vatican to return home to protest the comments of the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Historians estimate up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed around the time of World War I. Most were living in the Ottoman Empire, which collapsed 2 after the war.
The Turkish government has repeatedly refused to use the word genocide to describe the killings 3. But Pope Francis used it in comments he made Sunday at the Vatican. The pope spoke 4 at a special service marking the 100th anniversary of the mass killing by the Ottoman rulers. Turkey was once part of the Ottoman Empire. Armenian religious leaders were among those attending the service.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu condemned 5 Pope Francis for using the word genocide.
He said it is wrong for someone with the power of the pope to speak of these deaths in a one-sided way.
The Turkish government argues that the number of Armenians reported killed in 1915 is overstated. And it says those who were killed died during a civil war.
The Turkish prime minister accused the pope of prejudice -- making a judgment 6 without knowing all the facts.
He said he expects religious leaders to call for peace. Opening up old issues for those who have an opinion that they will not change serves no purpose.
The Turkish leader warned that the pope’s comments could lead to greater hatred 7 against Muslims living in Europe. He also said the comments were in conflict with the message Pope Francis gave during his visit to Turkey in November.
The Turkish government showed its displeasure by ordering the Vatican representative to come to Turkey’s foreign ministry 8. It then ordered its ambassador to the Vatican to return home for discussions.
Observers say the prime minister’s comments may have been influenced by politics. Turkey is preparing for general elections, and nationalists are an important part of his party.
The Turkish government is in a diplomatic struggle with Armenia and the Armenian community overseas. Armenians are working to gain greater recognition of the genocide claims as part of the 100th anniversary of the killings. Turkey is seeking to block those efforts. Observers say the pope’s comments are likely to help the Armenians. More than 20 countries recognize the mass killings of Armenians in 1915 as genocide.
Words in This Story
genocide – n. a plan of action to kill or destroy a national, religious, racial or ethnic 9 group
protest – v. to speak against; to object
service – n. a religious ceremony
prejudice – n. an unfair feeling of dislike for someone or something because of race, sex or religion; a feeling of like or dislike for someone or something, especially when it is not reasonable
- Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
- Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
- Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
- The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。
- His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
- The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
- 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。
- The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
- He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。
- 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。
- They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
- We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。