VOA慢速英语2014 博科圣地袭击带来的生命损失

 

AS IT IS 2014-07-18 Boko Haram Attacks Cost Human Lives 博科圣地袭击带来的生命损失

Human Rights Watch says the Nigerian rebel group Boko Haram has killed more than 2,000 people in the first six months of this year. It says the group’s attacks are crimes against humanity. 

Corinne Dufka is West Africa director of Human Rights Watch. She says Boko Haram is making war against the people of northeastern Nigeria. She says this aggression¹ is causing what she calls “a staggering human cost.”

“We have documented 95 attacks on 70 towns and villages.”

She said most of the attacks happened in northeastern Nigeria. Boko Haram kidnapped an estimated 276 schoolgirls from that area in April.

Boko Haram has also carried out attacks in the capital, Abuja. 

Ms. Dufka says her group used media reports and information from human rights groups and others to confirm that Boko Haram has caused more than 2,000 deaths since January.

“We analyzed² these reports looking at, again, credible³ reports of morgue workers, local officials, civilians⁴, witnesses, who had seen the bodies buried or registered. And we came up with this figure, which is probably conservative.”

She says the attacks have greatly increased since a state of emergency was declared in three northern states. The emergency conditions took effect in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states in May, 2013.

Human Rights Watch says there has been a sharp increase this year in deaths from bomb explosions, including suicide bombings.   

Ms. Dufka says the attacks should be considered crimes against humanity. She said the crimes include murder, torture, rape⁵ and other actions done as part of what Human Rights Watch calls a widespread or systematic⁶ attack. 

“And we believe that the nature of these attacks -- the similarity, the organized nature in which they’re being committed -- suggest that they really are crimes against humanity.”

One of Boko Haram’s actions included kidnapping the schoolgirls from the town of Chibok. Human Rights Watch says there have also been many attacks on schools where male students were killed. In February, an attack on the Federal Government College in Yobe State killed 59 boys.

Ms. Dufka says Human Rights Watch and other groups also have confirmed abuses by Nigerian security forces. It says they include use of unreasonable⁷ force, detentions⁸ without charge, the burning of homes, and killing⁹ suspected Boko Haram supporters.                       

“The government of Nigeria, regardless of how egregious¹⁰ these attacks are -- they have to abide¹¹ by international law when responding to them.”                                         

She says the Nigerian government must not only protect the population from Boko Haram. She says Nigeria must also protect against security forces that may operate outside the law. 

1 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

2 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

4 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。

5 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

6 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

7 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

8 detentions   

拘留( detention的名词复数 )； 扣押； 监禁； 放学后留校

参考例句：

• Teachers may assign detention tasks as they wish and some detentions have been actually dangerous. 老师可能随心所欲指派关禁闭的形式，有些禁闭事实上很危险。
• Intimidation, beatings and administrative detentions are often enough to prevent them from trying again. 恐吓，拷打和行政拘留足以阻止请愿者二次进京的脚步。

9 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

10 egregious   

adj.非常的，过分的

参考例句：

• When it comes to blatant lies,there are none more egregious than budget figures.谈到公众谎言，没有比预算数字更令人震惊的。
• What an egregious example was here!现摆着一个多么触目惊心的例子啊。

11 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。