VOA标准英语2014--Islamic Militants Fight in Iraq; War in Syria Spills Over

 

Islamic Militants¹ Fight in Iraq; War in Syria Spills Over

Radical² Islamic militants linked to al-Qaida are tightening³ their grip on Iraq’s Anbar province, mounting a serious challenge to the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.  Analysts⁵ say the fresh fighting is the latest evidence the Syrian civil war is spilling over, causing sectarian violence and bloodshed around the region.

For the first time since U.S. troops pulled out of Iraq, al-Qaida-linked militants have seized parts of key cities in the desert leading to the Syrian border.

Militants have taken over neighborhoods in Fallujah and Ramadi in western Anbar province, a hotbed of Sunni extremism.

The militants are members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the most hardline jihadists battling in the Syrian civil war.

The uprising against Damascus has been going on for three years and analysts like David Pollock of the Washington Institute say it is spreading across the border.

“The most extreme, most radical, most fundamentalist, even terrorist parts of the Syrian opposition⁶ are the ones that have gained more control on the border with Iraq and so that is spilling over into Iraq," said Pollock.

The Baghdad government has been hitting back, firing missiles at rebel vehicles and hideouts.

The United States is rushing air-to-ground Hellfire missiles and surveillance drones to help with the fight.

But Secretary of State John Kerry says no U.S. troops will join the battle.

“So we are not, obviously, contemplating⁷ returning.  We are not contemplating putting boots on the ground; this is their fight," said Kerry.

Violence between Iraq’s Shi’ite-led government and the Sunni minority has claimed thousands of lives.

Sectarian clashes are destabilizing the country.

Again, David Pollock.

“It is not just a matter of bullets.  It is a matter of popular legitimacy⁸ or at least acceptance and in large parts of the country unfortunately, the Iraqi government is losing that legitimacy," he said.

After years of fierce fighting in Iraq, U.S. troops defeated al-Qaida in Anbar by recruiting and arming local tribesmen to fight the militants.

But Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki did not continue that relationship and instead alienated⁹ many of his Sunni opponents.

Analyst⁴ Bill Roggio spoke¹⁰ to VOA via Skype.

“We are going to learn whether they can get this situation under control.  But when two major Iraqi cities fall completely or partially¹¹ under enemy control I think at that point you have to say the situation has spiraled out of control," said Roggio.

The Iraqi Army has deployed¹² tanks and troops in Anbar and civilians¹³ are fleeing the fighting.

1 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

2 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

3 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

4 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

5 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。

6 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。

7 contemplating   

深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想

参考例句：

• You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。
• She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。

8 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

9 alienated   

adj.感到孤独的，不合群的v.使疏远( alienate的过去式和过去分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• His comments have alienated a lot of young voters. 他的言论使许多年轻选民离他而去。
• The Prime Minister's policy alienated many of her followers. 首相的政策使很多拥护她的人疏远了她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 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。

11 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

12 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

13 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。