VOA常速英语2014--US Closely Monitors Iraq Violence but has Few Options 美国密切关注伊拉克暴力

 

US Closely Monitors Iraq Violence but has Few Options 美国密切关注伊拉克暴力

President Barack Obama and his advisers¹ are keeping a close watch on Iraq, where government forces are confronting al-Qaida-linked militants². Washington is sending surveillance drones and missiles and is urging Iraq's Shiite-dominated government and Sunni tribal³ leaders to unite against the militants. However, analysts⁵ think the U.S. has few options.

美国总统奥巴马和他的顾问们正在密切关注伊拉克局势。美国一方面加强伊拉克的军备，向伊拉克出售无人侦察机和导弹，一方面敦促什叶派为主的伊拉克政府和逊尼派部落领导人团结一致对抗激进分子。但是分析人士说，美国的选择并不多。

In Ramadi and Fallujah, in western Anbar province, Iraqi government troops face off against Islamist militants linked to al-Qaida. In the most serious threat to central authority since U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq in 2011, the Sunni militants have taken over parts of both cities.

伊拉克政府军在安巴尔省的拉马迪和费卢杰正在同跟基地组织有关的伊斯兰激进分子作战。逊尼派激进分子已占领了这两个城市的很多地区。这是美国军队2011年从伊拉克撤军以来，伊拉克政府面临的最严重的威胁。

The current insurgency⁶ appears similar to what U.S. troops faced after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has urged tribal leaders in Anbar to expel the al-Qaida elements.

目前的局势似乎已经倒退到美军2003年出兵伊拉克前的局面。伊拉克总理马利基敦促安巴尔的部落领导人驱逐基地组织成员。

However, observers such as Brookings Institution national security analyst⁴, Michael O'Hanlon warn that the violence could spiral out of control.

但是布鲁金斯学会的国家安全分析家迈克尔.奥汉隆说，伊拉克的暴力还可能加剧。

"If you go in brutally⁷ and you suppress one group in one neighborhood at one time, you may be simply stoking the resentments⁸ and angers of other groups of the same sectarian background. And so you generate new enemies even as you have neutralized⁹ or killed others," said O’Hanlon.

他说：“如果你残酷镇压一个地区的某个组织，就可能引发属于相同派系的其他组织的不满和服怒。因此，即使在你制服或打死其他人的时候，你又制造了新的敌人。”

President Obama considers the withdrawal¹⁰ from Iraq among his major accomplishments¹¹, although the two countries failed to agree on keeping a residual¹² U.S. military presence.

奥巴马总统把从伊拉克撤军当成是他的主要政绩之一。但是目前美国和伊拉克还未能就剩余的美军在伊拉克的问题达成协议。

Obama has ruled out sending combat forces back to the country, but is sending air-to-ground missiles and surveillance drones. 

奥巴马已经排除向伊拉克派遣战斗部队的可能性，但是却在向伊拉克部署空对地导弹和无人侦察机。

Responding to renewed criticism on Iraq from Republican lawmakers, White House spokesman Jay Carney said that there's no reason to think that U.S. troops could have prevented sectarian conflict.

白宫发言人卡尼在回答共和党议员提出的最新批评时说，没有理由认为美军能阻止目前的派系冲突。

"There was sectarian conflict -- violent sectarian conflict -- in Iraq when there were 150,000 U.S. troops on the ground there. So the idea that this would not be happening if there were 10,000 troops in Iraq, I think, bears scrutiny," said Carney.

他说：“当初有15万美军驻扎在伊拉克时那里也有派系冲突，因此，那种认为如果在伊拉克的美军人数为1万人时，派系冲突就不会发生的想法是经不住推敲的。”

Military analyst Anthony Cordesman said that the violence in Anbar province is part of a wider struggle between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in the region.

军事分析人士安东尼.柯狄斯曼说，安巴尔省的冲突不过是逊尼派和什叶派穆斯林在中东地区更大范围冲突的一部分。

Cordesman believes the U.S. needs to find the least bad option.

他说，美国没有什么上策。

"A lot of what we can do is simply to, very quietly, try to bring the factions¹³ together, to push the Maliki government to take a more balanced view, to treat the Sunnis, give them more respect, to stop this kind of series of political purges," said Cordesman.

他说：“我们能做的事情，就是慢慢地设法让各个派系团结起来，敦促马利基政府采取更平衡的政策对待逊尼派，给予他们更多尊重，遏制这种一系列的政治清洗。”

Nearly 4,500 U.S. soldiers died in Iraq between 2003 and 2011. 

近4500名美军官兵在2003年至2011年期间在伊拉克丧生。

Polls show the conflict was among the most divisive for Americans, with many still questioning what was accomplished¹⁴.

民调显示，美国人对伊拉克战争的看法分歧相当大，很多美国人仍然质疑伊拉克战争到底取得了什么成果。

1 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

2 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。

3 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

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 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

7 brutally   

adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地

参考例句：

• The uprising was brutally put down.起义被残酷地镇压下去了。
• A pro-democracy uprising was brutally suppressed.一场争取民主的起义被残酷镇压了。

8 resentments   

（因受虐待而）愤恨，不满，怨恨( resentment的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He could never transcend his resentments and his complexes. 他从来不能把他的怨恨和感情上的症结置之度外。
• These local resentments burst into open revolt. 地方性反感变成公开暴动。

9 neutralized   

v.使失效( neutralize的过去式和过去分词 )；抵消；中和；使（一个国家）中立化

参考例句：

• Acidity in soil can be neutralized by spreading lime on it. 土壤的酸性可以通过在它上面撒石灰来中和。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This strategy effectively neutralized what the Conservatives had hoped would be a vote-winner. 这一策略有效地冲淡了保守党希望在选举中获胜的心态。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

11 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

12 residual   

adj.复播复映追加时间；存留下来的，剩余的

参考例句：

• There are still a few residual problems with the computer program.电脑程序还有一些残留问题。
• The resulting residual chromatism is known as secondary spectrum.所得到的剩余色差叫做二次光谱。

13 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

14 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。