def _delchars(p_str, p_chars):
    """ Returns a string for which all occurrences of characters in chars have been removed.
    """
    #  Translate demands a mapping string of 256 characters;
    #  whip up a string that will leave all characters unmolested.
    l_table = dict.fromkeys(map(ord, p_chars), None)
    return p_str.translate(l_table)