2007年VOA标准英语-Violence Forces Many Iraqis to Safer Havens in
时间:2019-01-12 作者:英语课 分类:2007年VOA标准英语(二月)
Irbil
16 February 2007
Hundreds-of-thousands of Iraqis have fled sectarian violence near their homes since Saddam Hussein was ousted 1, and the U.N. says up to 1 million more could flee their homes this year. About half of them are believed to go abroad. The rest move elsewhere in Iraq. VOA's Barry Newhouse is in northern Iraq and has this profile of one man who decided 2 this week that his neighborhood in the city of Mosul had become too dangerous for his family.
An Iraqi Shiite woman washes her dishes in a camp for Baghdad's displaced Shiite families in Diwaniyah
It's a Friday morning in Irbil, the start of the weekend, and while many stores are closed, the local barbershop is packed.
In the back of the store, at the last chair, is the shop's newest barber, a 27-year-old Christian 3 man who does not want to reveal his name for fear of reprisals 4 against family he has left behind in Mosul. He asks to be called Bashar.
Bashar brought his wife and two children to Irbil in recent days, after the threats and killings 5 in his Mosul neighborhood became too much to bear. He says Sunni Arabs are increasingly targeting Christians 6 and Kurds.
"I can't even describe the situation to you - it's so hard," he said. "Especially nowadays, they are kidnapping so many people. Even people who sell gas or vegetables on the street. They take money from them, or kidnap and kill them, if they don't pay."
The International Organization for Migration 7 (IOM) says nearly 400,000 people have been displaced over the past year in Iraq. It says a rise in sectarian violence led to the forceful removal of people from their homes in some mixed neighborhoods.
Mosul is Iraq's third largest city, and while it has not experienced the same level of sectarian killings as Baghdad, Bashar says the situation is becoming dire 8.
He says Mosul's Muslim Arabs, Christians and Kurds have lived together for many years without major problems. Tension among the groups increased following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. But Bashar says the turning point for his neighborhood came last September, when the pope quoted a critic of Islam in a public address, sparking a violent reaction from extremist Muslims.
"When we heard the pope talk against Islam at that time, it was so hard for us," he added. "They attacked the churches and attacked our homes. They tell us, 'you are Christian and you must leave your home.'"
He says militants 9 later kidnapped the local priest and cut off his arms, legs and head. Since then, Christians and Kurds have been leaving Mosul in increasing numbers. He says three-quarters of his neighbors have now left town, and many have abandoned their homes.
"Some people rent their houses, but others are taken by the Sunni refugees who come from Baghdad," he noted 10. "They see it's an empty house, and they move in. But the people who get a warning and then leave town, sometimes the mujahadeen will use the house or they will blow it up."
Bashar's brother and father have stayed behind to guard the family home, and he worries for their safety. There are people in the neighborhood, Bashar calls them "spies," who he says call up local militants and tell them where the Christians and Kurds live. The family still does not know who threatened them several weeks ago.
"We don't know them. We can't see their faces, all we see is the mobile phone number when they call us. If they can't reach you on the phone, then they kidnap you. And if you don't have the money, or you don't pay, then you will be killed."
Bashar owned his barbershop in Mosul, which he was able to buy with the money earned from 11 years of cutting hair. When local militants found out, they demanded $6,000. He paid the money, but more demands followed. Facing few options, he decided to move to Irbil.
The Kurdish-majority city is only about 70 kilometers from Mosul, but it is a great deal safer. Tight Kurdish-run security makes the city a haven 11 for Kurds and Christians, but it also keeps out many Arab Muslims.
"It's true the distance is only one hour between Irbil and Mosul, but I feel as if I'm in a strange country," he said. "It's so hard for me, because I left everything behind. I left my home, my shop and my friends. It's so expensive for us."
Bashar now makes less money cutting hair in someone else's barbershop. His brother works in construction. Their combined income is barely enough to get by, partly because the arrival of fleeing Iraqis has driven up local rents.
Bashar says he hopes the situation in Mosul eventually will improve enough for him to return. In the meantime, he says, the coming months will be difficult for him and his family.
- 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。
- 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。
- 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。
- They did not want to give evidence for fear of reprisals. 他们因为害怕报复而不想作证。
- They took bloody reprisals against the leaders. 他们对领导进行了血腥的报复。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- 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。
- 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。
- Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
- He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。
- There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
- We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了,但是我们渡过了困难。
- The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来,反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
- Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此,巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。
- The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
- Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。