2004年9月28日，九月初在伊拉克境内遭绑架的两名意大利籍女职员在伊拉克获释，乘飞机返回意大利。消息传开以后，意大利举国欢腾，以意大利总理贝卢斯科尼为首的欢迎团到机场迎接。两人俨然成为意大利的民族英雄。

    外电报道如下：

    Simona Pari and Simona Torretta were freed by their Iraqi captors earlier in the day and were immediately whisked by plane back to Italy, where they have unwittingly become national heroines thanks to their ordeal.

    ordeal 的意思是“严峻的考验、苦难的经历”。例如：The parents went through a terrible ordeal when their child was kidnapped.（那孩子被绑架后，他的父母经受了一场痛苦的折磨）。

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