美国国家公共电台 NPR In Syria, The News Of U.S. Missile Strike Is Greeted With Ambivalence

 

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

NPR's Alison Meuse is in Beirut. She's been talking to people in Syria who oppose the Assad regime, and she's been asking them about last night's airstrikes.

ALISON MEUSE, BYLINE¹: The barrage² of Tomahawk missiles came as a surprise for many Syrians. This was the first time the U.S. has intentionally³ bombed Syrian government forces over the course of the entire six-year civil war. That might seem like it would be welcomed news for those opposed to Assad, especially in the area where the apparent chemical attack took place, but that's not how it was being talked about today.

Samer al-Hussein lives just a few miles outside of Khan Shaykhun. That's the town that produced the images of children and others choking due to apparent chemical exposure. He spoke⁴ to NPR after attending Friday prayers.

SAMER AL-HUSSEIN: (Through interpreter) The preacher of the mosque⁵ said the American strikes were a joke. They were just to save face. There were strikes that were not fruitful because today Russia is still killing⁶ civilians⁷.

MEUSE: What he means is people are getting killed by conventional airstrikes carried out by Syrian and even more powerful Russian warplanes every day. He says the preacher wasn't even focused on the U.S. strikes. The sermon was about education, urging parents to home-school their children on the many days airstrikes make going to class impossible. Al-Hussein says he and others are skeptical⁸ the U.S. is truly concerned about their plight⁹.

AL-HUSSEIN: (Through interpreter) People are worried that it's just to make some media noise, that this was a one-time U.S. strike on the air base, that they won't strike again, and the reckoning has ended.

MEUSE: Another resident of the area is Muznah al-Jundi. She runs a women's center in the rebel-held northwest, which recently cancelled its programming due to airstrikes that barely got any international attention. Reached by phone, she said people are unsure what to make of the U.S. missile strikes.

MUZNAH AL-JUNDI: (Through interpreter) Honestly, our feelings today are mixed between happiness and sadness.

MEUSE: Jundi says she felt relieved that the airport from which Syrian planes took off to attack Khan Shaykhun had been damaged, but she's also upset over yet more destruction.

JUNDI: (Through interpreter) As Syrians, we never wanted the situation to get to this point. We didn't want it to get to this level where Syria is being destroyed. But, unfortunately, this is where we are today.

MEUSE: She says that for U.S. strikes to be helpful, they need to be part of a full strategy towards Syria, not just a one-time event. The Syrian military, for its part, said the U.S. strikes will only make it harder for the Syrian air force to fight ISIS and other terrorist groups. The airbase the U.S. struck does provide support for Syrian troops fighting ISIS, but Jundi knows that when the government uses the word terrorist, it refers to all of Assad's opponents.

JUNDI: (Through interpreter) The regime made a statement today saying that they're fighting the terrorists. So this makes us more afraid.

MEUSE: She says we're tired inside. We're tired of planes. We want to live a normal life. Alison Meuse, NPR News, Beirut.

(SOUNDBITE OF LOWER DENS SONG, "REAL THING")

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 barrage   

n.火力网，弹幕

参考例句：

• The attack jumped off under cover of a barrage.进攻在炮火的掩护下开始了。
• The fierce artillery barrage destroyed the most part of the city in a few minutes.猛烈的炮火几分钟内便毁灭了这座城市的大部分地区。

3 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

4 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。

5 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。

6 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。

7 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。

8 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

9 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。