时间:2018-12-16 作者:英语课 分类:2007年VOA标准英语(九月)


英语课
By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
12 September 2007

Israelis are observing the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days on the Hebrew calendar. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, the holiday season takes place against the background of growing tension on Israel's northern and southern borders.






Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men pray at Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, in Jerusalem's Old City, 12 Sep 2007


Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men pray at Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, in Jerusalem's Old City, 12 Sep 2007



Israelis gathered in synagogues around the country to welcome Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It is the beginning of the High Holy Days, culminating in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, in 10 days time. That is followed by the weeklong Feast of Tabernacles, an autumn harvest feast where observant Jews live in booths called Succot.


But the holiday season has been overshadowed by escalating 1 tensions between Israel and its northern neighbor, Syria. A week ago, Syria said its air defenses fired on Israeli warplanes that violated its airspace. And now, media reports are emerging with details of the incident.


The reports say Israel launched an air strike deep inside Syria, targeting weapons supplies from Iran or a missile base. The New York Times said Israeli jets recently spotted 2 possible nuclear facilities in Syria. Israeli officials have not commented, but the reports have raised fresh fears of another Mideast war.






Israeli soldiers unload a large group of detained Palestinians from a truck following an army operation in the Gaza Strip, 06 Sep 2007


Israeli soldiers unload a large group of detained Palestinians from a truck following an army operation in the Gaza Strip, 06 Sep 2007



In addition, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been launching daily rocket attacks on Israeli border towns, prompting threats of retaliation 3 from Israel.


The High Holy Days are a time of reflection, so recent events are weighing on the minds of Israelis. Barry Mevorach immigrated 4 to Israel from New York a few years ago. He spoke 5 to VOA about his concerns.


"I don't think we're going to see peace," he said. "I think we're going to see an increase of violence on the northern border, an increase in the Gaza area."


And tensions on two fronts make many Israelis nervous.


"There's such a division in the north area and in the Gaza area that the dilution 6 of the military strength is something that we've got to be very concerned about in Israel at this time," he noted 7.


Despite these concerns, Israelis dip apples into honey on Rosh Hashanah, a tradition symbolizing 8 hope for a sweet new year.




1 escalating
v.(使)逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 );(使)逐步扩大;(使)更高;(使)更大
  • The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句
2 spotted
adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的
  • The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
  • Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。
3 retaliation
n.报复,反击
  • retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
  • He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 immigrated
v.移入( immigrate的过去式和过去分词 );移民
  • He immigrated from Ulster in 1848. 他1848年从阿尔斯特移民到这里。 来自辞典例句
  • Many Pakistanis have immigrated to Britain. 许多巴基斯坦人移居到了英国。 来自辞典例句
5 spoke
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
  • 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。
6 dilution
n.稀释,淡化
  • There is no hard and fast rule about dilution.至于稀释程度,没有严格的规定。
  • He attributed this to a dilution effect of the herbicide.他把这归因于除草剂的稀释效应。
7 noted
adj.著名的,知名的
  • 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。
8 symbolizing
v.象征,作为…的象征( symbolize的现在分词 )
  • This symbol later evolved into a common hieroglyphic symbolizing victory. 这幕场景后来逐渐演化为象征胜利的普通象形文字。 来自时文部分
  • Mooncakes reunion, is symbolizing the Mid-Autumn festival will feed. 月饼象征着团圆,是中秋佳节必食之品。 来自互联网
学英语单词
43
a win
absolute surplus value
Actinomyces minutissimus
air delivered antipollution transter system
albuminoses
all-singing,all-dancing
always on
ambushment
ancientness
Asset-Conversion Loan
associated liquid
batishchev
be the scorn of
book scorpions
Budacu, Vârful
byliner
capitals of washington
centiamp
ceramium aduncum
Chandlerian
chrome-Clinochlore
close reach
contractor's trial
core mixer
corotte
couples-only
cowinner
declinometer
DMOZ
elimination of common subexpression
embosomed
extruded particle board
Farinas
flow stage
fredrilksonite
functional enhancement package
gather colour
gorge line
happ
howdahs
hydraulic squeezer
hyperfunctional state
inauguring
isomelic
isotope transport equation
itterly
Kerner's tests
lag phase (in microbial growth)
lanie
light(weight) aggregate concrete
local produce-local market
loop stick antenna
Macciavelian
magnetic ink character sorter
materia subtilis
measuring cylinder with cover
Mehammad
moisture-content ratio
morphin
mountainartillery
musk-cat
narrow-mindednesses
nickel minerals
non-chromogenic
odd point
online video
pandero
path-gain factor
pebble armor
pencil out
phenyltolyl
pollution-prevention
Pt-carrollite
Q-machine plasma
radioimmunodiffusion
reed-marked
Register of Ships
rental collection
retrolental fibroplasia
RK galaxy
rod guidance
rogues' gallery
sack coats
sample light beam
semi automatic furnace
Silene viscidula
skinning knife
snoozing
steam attemperation
strip radiant panel
student-teachers
swelling coal
T type highway
transmitting ratio
tricholoma populinums
Urothripidae
vector boson
volume-temperature coefficient
W. C. L.
wayne rooney
Wiener-Hopf technique