VOA慢速英语2019 美伊似有意避免局势升级（在线收听）

US, Iran Appear to Avoid Military Conflict

American President Donald Trump says the United States did not have to necessarily answer Iran's attack on American bases in Iraq.

美国总统特朗普表示，不一定会对伊朗袭击美国位于伊拉克的基地做出回应。

Speaking at the White House Wednesday, Trump said, "No Americans were harmed in last night's attack by the Iranian regime... All of our soldiers are safe and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases."

特朗普周三在白宫表示：“昨晚，在伊朗的袭击中，没有美国人受伤……我们所有的士兵都是安全的，我们的军事基地只是遭到轻微的破坏。”

The president added, "Our great American forces are prepared for anything. Iran appears to be standing down." Trump also said that the U.S. will place more economic sanctions on Iran.

特朗普补充说：“我们伟大的美国军队已为一切做好准备。伊朗似乎有收手迹象。”特朗普还表示，将对伊朗实施更多经济制裁。

Iran fired missiles at U.S. airbases

伊朗导弹袭击美国空军基地

Trump's comment came after Iran fired 15 missiles at two airbases that house U.S. soldiers in Iraq. U.S. military officials said al-Asad and Erbil were targeted early on Wednesday.

在特朗普发表这番言论之前，伊朗向驻伊拉克美军的两处空军基地发射了15枚导弹。美国军方官员称，周二早些时候，阿萨德和埃尔比勒基地成为袭击的目标。

The missile attacks were in answer to the U.S. killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani last week in Iraq.

导弹袭击是对美国上周在伊拉克暗杀伊朗军事指挥官苏拉曼尼的报复。

Iranian government media said the attacks killed 80 "American terrorists" and damaged U.S. helicopters and military equipment. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the attacks a "slap on the face" of the U.S. and said American troops should leave the area.

伊朗政府媒体称，袭击造成80名“美国恐怖分子”死亡，并摧毁了美国直升机和军事装备。伊朗最高领袖哈梅内伊称，这些袭击是给美国的“一记耳光”，并表示美国军队应该离开该地区。

Iran's foreign minister said the country's attacks were in self-defense and that Iran did not seek to increase hostilities.

伊朗外长称，伊朗的袭击属于自卫，伊朗不寻求增加敌对行动。

The Associated Press reported that Iran appeared to have warned about the strikes. Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi said Iran told him that the missile attacks "would start soon" and would target only on U.S. positions. The militaries of Finland and Lithuania also said they received information about a coming attack and had time to move to shelters or leave the base.

美联社报道称，伊朗似乎曾就袭击发出了警告。伊拉克总理阿卜杜尔-马赫迪说，伊朗方面告知，导弹袭击“很快会开始”，而且只针对美国的基地。芬兰和立陶宛军方还表示，他们也收到了即将发生袭击的信息，有时间转移到避难所或离开基地。

Henry Rome is an Iran expert with Eurasia Group. He told the AP the attacks appeared designed to avoid human injury and any increase in hostilities.

亨利·罗马（Henry Rome）是欧亚集团的伊朗问题专家。他告诉美联社，这些袭击看来是为了避免人员伤亡和任何敌对行动的增加。

"For a president who wants to avoid a war in the Middle East during an election year, the Iranians have provided an off-ramp he will likely take," Rome said. Trump, who is facing reelection in November, has repeatedly said he wants to keep the U.S. from involving itself in "endless war."

罗马表示，“对于一位希望在选举年避免中东地区战争的总统来说，伊朗人提供了一个他可能会选择的台阶”。即将在11月面临连任的特朗普一再表示，他希望美国不要卷入“无休止的战争”。

Tensions between U.S. and Iran

美伊紧张局势

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have increased since Trump's 2018 decision to withdraw the U.S. from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers.

自从特朗普2018年决定退出伊朗与世界大国的核协议以来，美国和伊朗之间的紧张关系有所加剧。

Last year, Iran shot down a U.S. military drone, seized several oil tankers and interfered with international ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. also blamed Iran for a September missile attack on a large Saudi Arabian oil processing center.

去年，伊朗击落了一架美国无人驾驶飞机，截获了几艘油轮，并干扰了霍尔木兹海峡的国际航运。美国还指责伊朗9月份对沙特一个大型石油加工中心发动导弹袭击。

Recently, a large group of protesters attacked the outer edge of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. The embassy attack followed U.S. airstrikes that killed 25 Kataeb Hezbollah fighters, an Iranian-supported militia which operates in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. said it acted to answer the killing of an American defense contractor in Iraq.

最近，一大群抗议者袭击了美国驻巴格达大使馆的外围。大使馆遇袭之前，美国发动的空袭导致25名卡塔伊卜真主党武装人员身亡。卡塔伊卜真主党是伊朗支持的民兵组织，在伊拉克和叙利亚活动。美国称，这是对一名美国国防承包商在伊拉克被杀一事的回应。

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke to the Iranian cabinet after the strikes on American bases. He said, "if America commits a crime, no matter how much she threatens us, she must know that we will act decisively as we have already shown."

伊朗总统鲁哈尼在美军基地遇袭后对伊朗内阁发表讲话。他说：“如果美国犯下罪行，无论其对我们的威胁多大，对方必须得知道我们将采取果断行动，就像我们已经表明的那样。”

Words in This Story

regime - n. a form of government

minimal - adj. very small in amount

sustain - v. to deal with or experience

stand down - phrasal verb, to leave a position

slap - v. to hit someone or something with an open hand

off-ramp - n. a short road that is used to slow down or leave

commit - v. to do something that is illegal or harmful