VOA常速英语2017--打击叙利亚IS取得新进展（在线收听）

In Iraq and Syria, U.S.-led coalition forces are making progress in the fight against ISIL, including in two crucial areas: killing its leaders, and taking back territory.

美国领导的联军军力在打击伊拉克和叙利亚的IS方面取得了进展，包括2个关键领域：剿灭其多名领导人、收复领土。

The U.S Defense Department announced this month that a Syria-based Islamic State leader, Mahmud al-Isawi died in a coalition airstrike in Raqqa on December 31. Al-Isawi was a long-standing ISIL member who controlled the flow of instructions and finances between ISIL-held areas and ISIL leaders, and provided support to propaganda and intelligence outlets. Al-Isawi was also known to have facilitated trans-regional travel with other ISIL external operations coordinators and had a close relationship with Abd al-Basit al-Iraqi, the emir of ISIL's Middle East attack network, who was killed in a coalition airstrike on November 2, 2016.

美国国防部本月宣布，叙利亚当地一名名为马哈茂德(Mahmud al-Isawi)的IS领导人在联军12月31日于拉卡市发动的空袭中死亡。马哈茂德进入IS由来已久，他掌管着IS控制地区与IS领导人之间指示的发布和财务信息的流动，并为IS的宣传点和情报点提供支持。此外，马哈茂德还曾协助IS外部行动协调员进行跨地区活动，并与IS中东恐怖袭击网络的策划头目Abd al-Basit al-Iraqi过从甚密，后者已于2016年11月2日的联军空袭中死亡。

Al-Isawi's death brought the number of significant ISIL leaders killed last year to 16. These losses, as the Defense Department said, have degraded ISIL's trans-regional attack and facilitation network, and are forcing ISIL fighters to increase their focus on internal security.

马哈茂德是过去一年中第16名被剿灭的重要IS领导人。这些领导人的损失，如美国国防部所说，降低了IS跨区域袭击和促进恐袭网络运转的能力，并迫使IS分子将更多的经历分散到内部安全上。

In a press briefing from Baghdad, U.S. Airforce Colonel John Dorrian, Spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, also noted the progress being made in liberating territory from the terrorists.

在巴格达举行的新闻发布会上，美国空军上校多里安(John Dorrian)作为“内在决心”(Operation Inherent Resolve)行动的发言人也提到了从恐怖分子手中解放领土所取得的进展。

In Syria, he said, the Syrian Democratic Forces are continuing their advance to isolate Raqqa:

他说，叙利亚的叙利亚民主力量(SDF, Syrian Democratic Forces)正继续进军，以隔离拉卡市。

“Since this current phase began on December 9th, the SDF have liberated more than 500 square miles of Syrian land, home to tens of thousands of people who have been brutalized by ISIL's rule.”

“自12月9日开展现阶段以来，叙利亚民主力量已经解放了500多平方英里的叙利亚领土，而此前这片领土上成千上万的人民都曾在IS的统治下遭受虐待。”

In Iraq, Colonel Dorrian noted, Iraqi security forces, with the help of coalition airstrikes and advisers are making progress in their operation to liberate Mosul:

上校约翰在伊拉克说，伊拉克的安保部队在联军空袭以及顾问的合力帮助下，在解放摩苏尔的行动中取得了进展。

“The city is completely surrounded and the enemy doesn't have the ability to resupply or reinforce their fighters.”

“摩苏尔现在已经被全城包围，敌方无法补给资源和加强军力的能力。”

Colonel Dorrian said as difficult and dangerous as the fight for Mosul is and will be, “Time is not on the enemy's side, it's on the side of the Iraqi security forces and they are going to retake Mosul.”

上校约翰说，虽然摩苏尔之战无论从目前来看还是以后来看都会十分艰辛危险，但“敌方耗不起时间，而伊拉克安保部队有的是时间，他们一定能收复摩苏尔。”

ISIL is a brutal and determined enemy. But the U.S.-led coalition and the local fighters it supports will keep intensifying the pressure until Syria and Iraq are free from ISIL's gruesome grip.

IS是一个手段残忍、执迷不悟的敌人。但美国领导的联军及其支持的叙利亚当地的战士们将会加大施压，直到叙利亚和伊拉克脱离IS的可怕统治。