VOA标准英语2012--Pakistani Acid-Attack Victim Enjoys New Life in Texas
时间：2019-01-13 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2012年(八月)
Pakistani Acid-Attack Victim Enjoys New Life in Texas
After taking the oath of citizenship 1, Julie Aftab celebrated 2.
“I have waited eight-and-a-half years to hear those words, and those words mean so much to me,” she said.
Ten years ago, when she was 16, two men in Pakistan threw acid in Julie Aftab's face because, she says, she is a Christian 3.
She says her attackers then spread a false rumor 4 that she had insulted Islam, and mobs threatened her and her family.
“All my friends turned against me, and they set my house on fire,” Aftab explained.
She has lived for the past eight years with Lee and Gloria Erwin, whom she calls her uncle and aunt.
“We have been blessed having her in our home," Erwin said. "We really have been blessed.”
“My parents gave me birth, but both of them brought me to this world. He spent many nights sitting with me and teaching me English," explained Aftab. "People say they do not see angels, but I see angels around me every day.”
She still misses her homeland and her family, but Julie Aftab feels estranged 5 from Pakistan. “I am not ashamed of being Pakistani, but Pakistan is ashamed of me. They did not want me, I think,” she said.
Although she is now safe, Aftab aids efforts in Pakistan to help abused women.
“They are women. That does not mean they are not human beings," Aftab explained. "They are somebody's daughter, somebody's sister.”
One man, a Pakistani Muslim who also became a U.S. citizen at the ceremony, apologized for what happened to her.
But she says she does not blame all Muslims, and, as a Christian, believes she must forgive the men who attacked her.
“If I hate them, then I will create more hate, and I do not want to do that,” she said.
Another new citizen from Pakistan, Nawaid Isa, says he hopes fanatics 6 in his birth country will stop misusing 7 Islam as a pretext 8 for violence against people of other faiths.
“People do not understand what our religion teaches, they do not know about the Quran. They do not know that the Quran teaches respect for everybody, respect for other religions,” Isa added.
Pakistani lawmakers have tried to curb 9 acid attacks with tougher sentences, but they continue, with Muslim women being the most frequent victims.
Aftab attends a local college, while working full time and taking part in church activities.
As is no doubt true for other people who were sworn in as citizens Tuesday, Julie Aftab is not thinking so much about the past, she is focused on the future.
- He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
- Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。
- He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
- The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。
- 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。
- The rumor has been traced back to a bad man.那谣言经追查是个坏人造的。
- The rumor has taken air.谣言流传开了。
- He became estranged from his family after the argument.那场争吵后他便与家人疏远了。
- The argument estranged him from his brother.争吵使他同他的兄弟之间的关系疏远了。
- The heathen temple was torn down by a crowd of religions fanatics. 异教徒的神殿被一群宗教狂热分子拆除了。
- Placing nukes in the hands of baby-faced fanatics? 把核弹交给一些宗教狂热者手里？
- This means we must stop misusing them. 也就是说，我们已必须停止滥用抗菌素不可了。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 预防生物武器
- Misusing organic fertilizer may cause a decrease in the soil's quality. 滥用有机肥料可能会导致土地的土质下降。 来自互联网
- He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。
- He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。