Libyan Rebels Continue Holding Tripoli

 　　Anti-Gadhafi forces in Libya are consolidating¹ their hold on the capital and other parts of the country even as pro-Gadhafi fighters put up fierce resistance. Recent developments have given many Libyans who had fled the fighting hope that it is safe to return home.

　　Opposition² forces now claim to control 90 percent of Libya, but their ultimate prize, the capture of Moammar Gadhafi, remains³ elusive⁴.

　　Pro-Gadhafi forces fired mortar⁵ rounds into the now-rebel held Bab al-Aziziya compound,  Colonel Gadhafi's former Tripoli headquarters. Opposition leaders say thei forces have arrested several government fighters still inside the complex , but that there was no sign of any members of the Gadhafi family.

　　Heavy fighting continued Wednesday around Tripoli's airport, which the opposition says is in its hands. Several rockets hit the airport tarmac and the fighting delayed plans to re-open the facility.

　　The opposition Transitional National Council (TNC) it is moving some of its ministries⁶ from Benghazi in the east, to the capital. The TNC head, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, also announced that elections will be held in eight months.

　　And speaking of what he hoped would be Gadhafi's eventual⁷ capture, Jalil said  the council wants him tried in Libya, not sent to the International Criminal Court in Holland.

　　Colonel Gadhafi is wanted by the ICC on war crimes charges. An international trial was initially⁸ welcomed by the rebel council and by TNC allies as a way to avoid acts of revenge.

　　Western powers continue to call on both sides to show restraint and act in a spirit of reconciliation⁹. But there was no such sentiment from Gadhafi.

　　An audio message said to be from Gadhafi called on the residents of Tripoli to clear the city of what he called criminals, traitors¹⁰ and rats.  His spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, also struck a defiant¹¹ tone, saying the "traitors" would face a "volcano of lava¹²."

　　But the mood in western Libya indicates most here consider the Gadhafi era over.  Families who had fled the fighting began returning to their homes in areas closer to Tripoli, with children hanging out of car windows waving the rebel flag.  The region, from which rebels launched their lightening strike against the capital over the weekend, is now trying to right itself after six months of conflict.

1 consolidating   

v.（使）巩固， （使）加强( consolidate的现在分词 )；（使）合并

参考例句：

• These measures are meant for consolidating the system of basic medical care. 这些举措旨在夯实基层医疗体系，让老百姓看大病不必出远门。 来自互联网
• We are consolidating the Chinese and English versions of our homepage. 我们将为您提供中英文版本一起的主页。 来自互联网

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 elusive   

adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的

参考例句：

• Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
• Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。

5 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

6 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

7 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

8 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

9 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

10 traitors   

卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人

参考例句：

• Traitors are held in infamy. 叛徒为人所不齿。
• Traitors have always been treated with contempt. 叛徒永被人们唾弃。

11 defiant   

adj.无礼的，挑战的

参考例句：

• With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。
• He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。

12 lava   

n.熔岩，火山岩

参考例句：

• The lava flowed down the sides of the volcano.熔岩沿火山坡面涌流而下。
• His anger spilled out like lava.他的愤怒像火山爆发似的迸发出来。