2007年VOA标准英语-Tamil Tigers Vow Retaliation for Capture of Str

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
13 July 2007

The Sri Lankan government says it is planning victory celebrations and is drawing up an economic plan for the east of the country, where troops have captured a Tamil Tiger stronghold. But as Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the rebels have vowed² retaliation³.

The government says it will mark the army's success in driving Tamil Tiger rebels out of their eastern bases with victory celebrations and an ambitious reconstruction⁴ plan for the area.

The plan, called "Eastern Revival⁵" will be inaugurated July 19.

The Sri Lanka military captured the last rebel stronghold in the east on Wednesday, enabling the government to establish control over the entire eastern province for the first time in 15 years.

A Tamil Tiger fighter with machine gun bullets around his neck at a training camp in an undisclosed location deep in Tiger controlled territory, northeast of Colombo, Sri Lanka, 13 July 2007

Tamil Tiger guerrillas admit they have lost territory in the east, but vow¹ to retaliate⁶.

A rebel spokesman, Rasiah Ilanthirayan, says the Tigers will continue to put up resistance.

"That does not mean that we have quit in the east," he said. "We have switched mode of operating, our modus operandi…. We are there, and our command is there, our structure is there, and we continue to operate."

Another Tamil Tiger leader has warned that the group will hit economic and military targets to weaken the government's military capacity.

Defense⁷ analysts⁸ say that capturing rebel strongholds in the east marks an important success for the military, but holding the region will not be easy. They say rebel fighters hidden among villagers could continue attacking soldiers.

All eyes are now turned to the north of the country, which is the main stronghold of the rebels.

Head of Colombo's National Peace Council, Jehan Perera says routing the Tamil Tigers in the east was relatively⁹ easy because a split in the rebel ranks in the area had weakened them. But he says the military strength of the rebels, who are also known as the LTTE, is still intact in the north.

"In the north the LTTE is still very unified¹⁰ as far as we can see," he said. "Also the troops from the east, the LTTE forces, now have moved to the north to consolidate¹¹ the northern defenses."

The Tamil Tigers campaign for an autonomous¹² homeland for the minority Tamil community erupted in 1983 on complaints that they suffer discrimination at the hands of the majority Sinhalese community. More than 70,000 people have died in the fighting since then.

1 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

2 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

3 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

5 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。

6 retaliate   

v.报复，反击

参考例句：

• He sought every opportunity to retaliate against his enemy.他找机会向他的敌人反击。
• It is strictly forbidden to retaliate against the quality inspectors.严禁对质量检验人员进行打击报复。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

9 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

10 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

11 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

12 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。