2006年VOA标准英语-Reporter's Notebook: Iraq Suicide Bombs Frequen

By Alisha Ryu
Baghdad
06 September 2006

In Iraq, suicide car bombings occur on such a regular basis that only the ones that cause mass casualties are now covered in depth by the media. But as VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu in Baghdad reports, even an attack that causes few casualties is an unforgettably frightening and deeply disturbing experience.

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		wreckage1 of a car bomb explosion in Baghdad" src="/upimg/allimg/070418/1030100.jpg" width="210" border="0" /> Iraqis view wreckage of a car bomb explosion in Baghdad

"There are casualties on the ground. Get doc! Captain Williams!"

Army Lieutenant² Colonel John Norris calls urgently for the battalion³ medic, minutes after a thunderous explosion rocks eastern Baghdad.

"This is Tomahawk Six," said Colonel Norris. "I have got control of Doc Williams. We are moving, time now. Let us go!"

The sound of the explosion is familiar to Norris and his soldiers of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, who have been in Iraq for more than a year and have seen their share of unspeakable carnage and violence.

Norris orders his men to fan out and secure the area of the attack. He also reminds them that the threat of another deadly attack is far from over.

"Hey, be watching for suicide bombers⁴, all right," he said. "You guys watch that mosque⁶ tower, okay?"

Stunned⁷ residents are stumbling out of their houses to see what has happened. An anxious Norris tells them the area is still not safe.

"Go inside! Go inside and close the gate," commands Colonel Norris.

One of the residents shows us a charred⁸ human foot, which he says flew into his backyard. His brother is holding what appears to be the remains⁹ of an arm.

Staring at the ground, we realize that bits and chunks¹⁰ of human flesh, organs, and other body parts have thoroughly¹¹ mixed into the carpet of metal and concrete debris¹².

At the bomb site, a dozen Iraqi firefighters have arrived and are battling a blaze that is quickly engulfing¹³ what we are told is the main office building of al-Sabah newspaper.

A distraught eyewitness¹⁴, Walid Razhi, screams out to no one in particular that he saw a suicide car bomber⁵ drive his vehicle to the main entrance and detonate.

Razhi says the bomber drove his blue pick-up truck back and forth¹⁵ several times on a side road before it turned into the parking lot of the three-story building. Razhi says he believes Sunni terrorists targeted al-Sabah because they view the newspaper as a propaganda tool of the Shi'ite-dominated Iraqi government.

Thick, black smoke is now pouring out of the building and it is clear the structure has been severely¹⁶ damaged. More than two dozen cars, some blown upside down by the blast, are smoldering¹⁷ in the parking lot. No one knows yet just how many people have been killed or injured.

The sound of an Iraqi woman in agony gets the attention of a U.S. soldier, who is struggling to keep local residents away from the bomb site.

Through a female interpreter, the soldier learns that the woman had left her three children in a house behind the al-Sabah building and she is desperate to get to them. Several dozen other Iraqis are also jostling to get past the soldier to check on families and relatives.

They plead with the soldier to let them through.

"They want to get in here," says the interpreter.

 "I know that. I cannot let them in because there may be suicide bombers in here," replies the soldier.

Lieutenant Colonel Norris makes a decision to allow them through. But each person has to submit to a thorough body search because there is now fear that a suicide bomber may be hiding among them.

Meanwhile, Doc Williams, the army medic, moves among injured Iraqis to treat their wounds. Miraculously¹⁸, none of the wounds are severe.

Doc Williams gives special care to a two-year-old girl, who is bleeding from a deep cut on her head.

She cries in the arms of her father, who is cradling her like an infant. Tearfully, he whispers to her, "I am sorry I brought you into such a violent world, my child. Please forgive me."

1 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

2 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

3 battalion   

n.营；部队；大队(的人)

参考例句：

• The town was garrisoned by a battalion.该镇由一营士兵驻守。
• At the end of the drill parade,the battalion fell out.操练之后，队伍解散了。

4 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

6 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

7 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

8 charred   

v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦

参考例句：

• the charred remains of a burnt-out car 被烧焦的轿车残骸
• The intensity of the explosion is recorded on the charred tree trunks. 那些烧焦的树干表明爆炸的强烈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 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。

10 chunks   

厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分

参考例句：

• a tin of pineapple chunks 一罐菠萝块
• Those chunks of meat are rather large—could you chop them up a bIt'smaller? 这些肉块相当大，还能再切小一点吗？

11 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

12 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

13 engulfing   

adj.吞噬的v.吞没，包住( engulf的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A photographer had fused the lights,engulfing the entire house darkness. 一位摄影师把电灯的保险丝烧断了，使整栋房子陷于黑暗当中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A professional photographer had fused the lights,engulfing the entire house in darkness. 一位职业摄影师把保险丝烧断了使整所房子陷于黑暗当中。 来自辞典例句

14 eyewitness   

n.目击者，见证人

参考例句：

• The police questioned several eyewitness to the murder.警察询问了谋杀案的几位目击者。
• He was the only eyewitness of the robbery.他是那起抢劫案的唯一目击者。

15 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

16 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

17 smoldering   

v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The mat was smoldering where the burning log had fallen. 燃烧的木棒落下的地方垫子慢慢燃烧起来。 来自辞典例句
• The wood was smoldering in the fireplace. 木柴在壁炉中闷烧。 来自辞典例句

18 miraculously   

ad.奇迹般地

参考例句：

• He had been miraculously saved from almost certain death. 他奇迹般地从死亡线上获救。
• A schoolboy miraculously survived a 25 000-volt electric shock. 一名男学生在遭受2.5 万伏的电击后奇迹般地活了下来。