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(单词翻译)
By Sabina Castelfranco
Yusuf Islam, formerly1 known as the rock star Cat Stevens, receives Man for Peace 2004 award.
Nobel Peace Prize laureates have given a peace award to the controversial singer once known as Cat Stevens at an annual meeting in Rome. The singer, now known as Yusuf Islam, was refused entry into the United States in September, when U.S. officials said they had information about an alleged2 unspecified relationship with terrorist activity either by him or someone with a similar name. But the Nobel Prize winners honored Mr. Islam for his charity work.
The World Summit of Nobel Peace laureates opened with the presentation of a peace prize to the 56-year-old British musician. The "Man for Peace" award is given annually3 by the Gorbachev Foundation, a socio-economic and political studies center run by the former Soviet4 leader Mikhail Gorbachev, which organizes the summit every year.
The motivations for the award to Yusuf Islam were read out at the summit.
Announcer: "For having dedicated5 the most part of his life in the promotion6 of peace and reconciliation7 among peoples and for having condemned8 terrorism."
The singer, who is chairman of the Small Kindness charity, was honored for alleviating9 the suffering of thousands of children in war-ravaged areas, including Kosovo, Bosnia and Iraq; for having given the majority of the royalties10 for his artistic11 activities to the victims of the September 11th attacks in the United States; and for his work in favor of the homeless, orphans12 and AIDS sufferers.
Receiving the award, Mr. Islam said he used music as a means to express his ideals for a better world. He says one must move away from selfishness to selflessness and that that is not easy in the rock music business.
"The Nobel peace laureates are examples of those who have contributed and influenced the course of history by their sacrifices, by their noble virtues13 for a better world and a more peaceful world. And, therefore, I am honored to be here today, not just as a rock-and-roller, but as someone sharing a platform with those noble examples."
In September, Mr. Islam was refused entry to the United States because his name was on a terrorist watch list. He says he was a victim of an "unjust and arbitrary system," and has denied any link to terrorism.
In 2000, the entertainer was deported14 from Israel following claims that he had given money to the Palestinian group Hamas 12 years earlier. He strongly denied the allegation saying he had "never knowingly supported any terrorist group."
Mr. Islam had converted to Islam in 1977 and retired15 from the music business. He founded a Muslim school near London.
He returned to the public eye in 1989 when he said Salman Rushdie's novel "The Satanic Verses" was a blasphemous16 book, and that under Islamic law, a person found guilty of blasphemy17 must be put to death.
The former Soviet leader, Mr. Gorbachev, alluded18 to the musician's troubles, as he presented the award.
Mr. Gorbachev said, "Every person who takes a critical stance to make the world a better place has a difficult life."
The Rome summit, which runs through Friday, will be focused on a variety of issues, including continuing violations19 of human rights, the economic gap between North and South and the issue of land rights for indigenous20 peoples.
The Iraqi situation will also be addressed. Both the Shiite and Sunni communities have been invited to present their positions.
25 Nobel peace laureates are taking part in the summit, including Rigoberta Menchu, Lech Walesa and Kim Dae-Jung. In his opening speech, Mr. Gorbachev proposed establishing a "Charter of the Peaceful World" to be addressed to all peoples
Sabina Castelfranco, VOA news, Rome.
注释:
laureate 得主,戴桂冠的人
alleged 所谓的
unspecified 未指明的
Gorbachev Foundation 戈尔巴乔夫基金会
motivation 动机,原因
reconciliation 和解,调和
alleviate 减轻
Kosovo 科索沃
Bosnia 波斯尼亚
selfishness 自私自利
selflessness 无私,忘我
Hamas 哈马斯
blasphemous 亵渎神明的
indigenous 本土的
1 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
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2 alleged | |
a.被指控的,嫌疑的 | |
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3 annually | |
adv.一年一次,每年 | |
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4 Soviet | |
adj.苏联的,苏维埃的;n.苏维埃 | |
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5 dedicated | |
adj.一心一意的;献身的;热诚的 | |
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6 promotion | |
n.提升,晋级;促销,宣传 | |
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7 reconciliation | |
n.和解,和谐,一致 | |
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8 condemned | |
adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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9 alleviating | |
减轻,缓解,缓和( alleviate的现在分词 ) | |
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10 royalties | |
特许权使用费 | |
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11 artistic | |
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的 | |
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12 orphans | |
孤儿( orphan的名词复数 ) | |
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13 virtues | |
美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处 | |
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14 deported | |
v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 );举止 | |
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15 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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16 blasphemous | |
adj.亵渎神明的,不敬神的 | |
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17 blasphemy | |
n.亵渎,渎神 | |
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18 alluded | |
提及,暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19 violations | |
违反( violation的名词复数 ); 冒犯; 违反(行为、事例); 强奸 | |
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20 indigenous | |
adj.土产的,土生土长的,本地的 | |
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