VOA慢速英语2013 美国参议院委员会批准对叙利亚使用武力

 

US Senate Committee Approves Use of Force in Syria 美国参议院委员会批准对叙利亚使用武力

From VOA Learning English, this is In The News.

这里是美国之音慢速英语新闻报道。

This week, a United States Senate committee voted in support of a possible American military strike against Syria. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a proposed resolution by a vote of 10 to seven. The resolution gives President Barack Obama power to take military action against Syria because the United States says the Syrian government used chemical weapons against civilians¹. The resolution calls for limited U.S. action lasting² no more than 90 days. It does not permit the use of American ground troops in Syria.

本周，美国参议院委员会通过投票支持美军对叙利亚可能的军事打击。参议院外交关系委员会以10:7的投票通过决议，因为美国称叙利亚政府使用化武对付平民，该决议给总统巴拉克·奥巴马对叙利亚采取军事行动的权力。该决议呼吁将美国的行动限制在90天之内，同时不允许对叙利亚派出美国地面部队。

The resolution now goes to the full Senate. The House of Representatives must also vote on it.

该决议目前得到参议院全体投票，众议院必须对此进行表决。

The Senate committee vote came less than a week after United Nations chemical weapons inspectors³ left Syria. U.N. officials sent the inspection⁴ team to investigate an attack that took place 10 days earlier. American officials say more than 1,400 people were killed in the attack, near Damascus.

就在不到一周前，联合国化学武器检查员离开了叙利亚。联合国官方派出该检查团来调查10天前的袭击事件，美国官方称有1400多人在大马士革附近的袭击中身亡。

The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denies using chemical weapons. It says Syrian rebels used them against government soldiers.

叙利亚总统巴沙尔·阿萨德的政府否认使用化武，称是叙利亚叛军用来对付政府军的。

Last Saturday, President Obama spoke⁵ to Americans and the world about Syria. He said U.S. intelligence is clear that well over 1,000 people were killed -- gassed to death by their own government. He denounced what he called the worst chemical weapons attack of the 21st century.

上周六，总统奥巴马就叙利亚向美国和全世界发表讲话。他说美国情报明确表明，有1000多人被杀，被自己的政府用毒气杀死。他谴责称这是21世纪最残暴的化学武器袭击。

President Obama and some leading lawmakers have expressed strong support for military strikes against Syria. But a recent study found that 59 percent of Americans questioned oppose the idea.

总统奥巴马和一些主要议员表示强烈支持对叙利亚进行军事打击，但最近的调查发现有59%的美国人反对这个主张。

Christopher Hill is a former U.S. ambassador to Iraq and a former special representative to Kosovo. He supports limited military action against Syria. He says the world needs to send a strong signal that anyone who uses chemical weapons will be punished.

克里斯托弗·希尔是前美国驻伊拉克大使，也是前驻科索沃特使，他支持对叙利亚进行有限的军事打击。他说全世界应该发出有力的信号，即任何使用化武的人都应该受到惩罚。

But the problem is we dont have an overall way forward on Syria. People are out there fighting in Syria, either on Assads forces or against Assad, because they have no idea what the future of the country is going to hold and therefore they feel that in order to safeguard their future, they need to fight.

“但问题是我们对叙利亚没有全面的部署，叙利亚国内的人们在打仗，无论是阿萨德的军队还是反阿萨德的军队，因为他们不知道这个国家未来走向如何，因此为了捍卫未来，他们感到有必要作战。”

Retired⁶ U.S. Marine⁷ Corps⁸ General Anthony Zinni agrees with Mr. Hill. General Zinni headed Operation Desert Fox, a series of strikes against Iraq in 1998. He says American military action will strengthen rebel forces allied⁹ with al-Qaida.

退役海军陆战队将军安东尼·津尼认同希尔的话，1998年，津尼将军领导对伊拉克的名为“沙漠之狐行动”的系列打击。他说，美国的军事行动将有助于增强与基地组织为盟的叛军的力量。

Any strikes on Assad weaken him. When you weaken him, you strengthen the opposition¹⁰. Those extremists are also part of the opposition.

“任何对阿萨德的打击都会削弱他，一旦削弱他，就会加强反对派。这些极端分子也是反对派的一部分。”

Some experts say a U.S. military strike might incite¹¹ the Shiite militant¹² group Hezbollah to attack Western targets or Israel. Others say the Syrian military might use more chemical weapons against rebels and civilians.

有的专家认为，美国的军事打击可能会煽动什叶派武装组织真主党袭击西方国家或以色列。也有人说叙利亚军队或许会使用更多化学武器来对付叛军和平民。

General Zinni says the situation is like a theatrical¹³ production.

津尼将军说目前的局势像是舞台剧。

Once Assad goes -- when, and if -- this could even be a greater mess than it is now. I mean, this civil war isnt over because it will have an Act Two to it. 

“如果阿萨德离开，将会造成比现在更严重的乱局，那么这场内战还不会结束，因为还会有‘第二幕’。”

The former general says that act could see Syrian opposition groups fighting each other after President Assad is gone.

这位前将军说，一旦总统阿萨德离去，那么第二幕将是叙利亚反对派组织之间的斗争。

And thats In the News, from VOA Learning English. Im Steve Ember.

这就是美国之音慢速英语新闻报道，我是斯蒂夫·恩波。

1 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

2 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

3 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

7 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

8 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

9 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

10 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。

11 incite   

v.引起，激动，煽动

参考例句：

• I wanted to point out he was a very good speaker, and could incite a crowd.我想说明他曾是一个非常出色的演讲家，非常会调动群众的情绪。
• Just a few words will incite him into action.他只需几句话一将，就会干。

12 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

13 theatrical   

adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的

参考例句：

• The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果，叫人失望。
• She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。