VOA常速英语2018--美国指责阿萨德政权对平民使用化学武器（在线收听）

Today in Syria, we are confronted once more with some of the worst atrocities known to man, said National Security Council Advisor Lieutenant General HR McMaster in a speech at the Holocaust Museum in Washington.

如今在叙利亚，我们再次面临着人类史上最为恶劣的一些暴行，国家安全委员会(NSC)顾问、中将麦克马斯特(HR McMaster)在华盛顿大屠杀纪念馆的一次演讲中如是说道。

For seven years now, the Bashar al-Assad regime has killed indiscriminately, tortured, starved, raped, and used chemical weapons on its own people. It has attacked hospitals and schools, and countless Syrians have been arrested, abducted, or have simply disappeared.

七年来，阿萨德政权肆意虐杀平民、不给饭吃、强暴民女，对自己的百姓使用化学武器。阿萨德政权还袭击了医院、学校。无数叙利亚人遭到逮捕、拐卖甚至干脆人间蒸发。

At the same time, ISIS has kidnapped, tortured, murdered, brutally persecuted religious minorities, and committed unspeakable horrors.

与此同时，IS还绑架、虐待、谋杀、残忍迫害宗教少数群体，犯下了难以启齿的恐怖行为。

It is estimated that nearly 500,000 people have perished since the war began. In February alone, nearly 1,400 civilians have died. The conflict has created over 5 million refugees and over 6 million displaced persons.

据估测，自战争开始以来，已有50万人因此死亡。仅2月一个月，就有近1400名死亡。冲突使500多万人成为难民，600多万人流离失所。

The United States is taking action to protect innocent Syrians, defeat ISIS, and hold the Assad regime accountable for its crimes.

美国正在采取行动保护无辜的叙利亚民众，打击IS，并让阿萨德为其罪行负责。

First of all the U.S. is helping to fund the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism created by the United Nations General Assembly. It is tasked with collecting evidence of crimes committed in Syria – particulartly international humanitarian law violations and crimes against humanity and preparing this evidence for potential independent criminal proceedings on Syria.

首先，美国正在助力资助国际公正独立机制，这是联合国大会上创建的机制。该机制旨在收集叙利亚境内所发生罪行的证据——尤其是违反国际人道主义法的行为，以及反人道主义的罪行。然后将这些证据用于未来可能发生的、与叙利亚有关的独立刑事诉讼中。

Second, the U.S. is fighting alongside partners, such as the Syrian Democratic Forces, to defeat terrorist organizations. The Coalition to Defeat ISIS has now liberated almost 100 percent of territory previously held by these terrorists in Iraq and Syria.

其二，美国正与各个伙伴并肩战斗，比如叙利亚民主力量，以打击各个恐怖组织。反IS联盟现在已经解放了IS恐怖分子此前在伊拉克和叙利亚占领的几乎所有领土。

The United States will continue to pursue these murderers until ISIS is completely defeated.

美国将继续对IS穷追不舍，直到其被彻底击垮。

Third, the U.S. is providing humanitarian aid - over 7.6 billion dollars - to assist Syrians both in and outside of Syria.

其三，美国将提供76亿多美元的人道主义援助金——以在叙利亚境内外协助其平民。

Finally, the U.S. is working to protect innocent civilians from chemical attack and to hold Assad accountable for using these heinous weapons. Following Assad's April 4, 2017, sarin attack on innocents, President Donald Trump launched a powerful missile strike on the Syrian air base from which the chemical attack originated, destroying twenty percent of the Syrian Air Force.

最后，美国正在努力保护无辜平民不受化学武器攻击，将使用邪恶化学武器的阿萨德政权绳之以法。自2017年4月4日阿萨德政权对无辜百姓使用沙林毒气攻击以来，特朗普总统化学武器攻击的发源地，也即叙利亚空军基地发动了一次有力的导弹攻击，摧毁了20%的叙利亚空军。

The U.S. along with its allies and partners will continue to expose atrocities, defeat ISIS, provide humanitarian assistance, and deter chemical weapons attacks. Assad must and will be held to account.

美国将与其盟友和伙伴一道，继续揭露暴行，打击IS，提供人道主义援助，阻止化学武器攻击。阿萨德政权必须也一定会受到应有的惩治。