2006年VOA标准英语-Sri Lanka Jets Strike at Rebels

By Patricia Nunan
New Delhi
17 October 2006 

		Head of Tamil Tiger political wing, S. P. Thamilselvan (2R) inspects damage to their radio transmitting station in Kokkavil, October 17, 2006

The Sri Lankan government has launched air stikes on Tamil rebel areas, in apparent retaliation¹ for the suicide bombing that killed as many as 100 people. Meanwhile, officials are preparing to exhume² the bodies of 15 aid-workers from the French organization, Action Against Hunger, who were massacred in the northeastern town of Muttur in August. 

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Defense⁴ officials say that air force jets pounded a suspected Tamil Tiger rebel military base in the northeastern district of Trincomalee, after the suicide bombing killed as many as 100 sailors and others.

A pro-rebel Internet site charges the air strikes killed two children and destroyed the homes of nine civilians⁵. Neither statement can be independently confirmed.

Officials blame the Tamil Tigers for Monday's suicide bombing, in which a truck packed with explosives was driven into a convoy⁶ of buses carrying unarmed sailors. It was one of the most deadly incidents in months of growing hostilities⁷ between the rebels and the government, which threaten to return the country to all-out war.

On Wednesday, police are expected to exhume the bodies of 15 aid-workers, among 17 who were massacred in August, following weeks of fighting between the government and the rebels in the northeastern town of Muttur.

All of the victims worked for the French organization Action Against Hunger, known as ACF. Most were ethnic⁸ Tamils. And most were found lying face down in the group's compound, having been shot in the back of the head, execution-style.

ACF officials say they will be at the exhumations, as will other international observers. Australian forensic⁹ experts are to help conduct post-mortem examinations, which could reveal evidence that point toward the killers¹⁰, such as the type of ammunition¹¹ used.

"Perhaps, but in this kind of situation we have to be very cautious because it can be manipulated," said Benoit Miribel, ACF's general director.  "So you never know who has used these arms. It could be one element. But the key factor to know the truth will be through the eye-witnesses."

The investigation¹² into the killing¹³ of the aid workers is one of 14 cases of gross human rights violations¹⁴ to be considered by a commission formed by President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Some have doubts as to whether the new commission will lead to the prosecution¹⁵ of those who have committed abuses. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu is an analyst¹⁶ with the Center for Policy Alternatives.

"The point is simply this: presidential commissions have recommendary [recommendation] powers," he said.  "Indictment¹⁷, prosecution, etc, go back to the existing national procedures and institutions, which if they were doing their job properly in the first instance, would not require separate presidential commissions to investigate these."

The former head of the a group of international ceasefire monitors, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, in August blamed the massacre³ on government security forces. Officials vehemently¹⁸ denied the assertion, and criticized the SLMM for releasing its findings before the government investigation.

The Tamil Tigers and the government signed a ceasefire in 2002, meant to bring an end to more than two decades of ethnically¹⁹ fueled civil war. But with about 2,000 people killed in isolated²⁰ fighting and tit-for-tat violence so far this year, many in Sri Lanka say the war has resumed.

1 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》

2 exhume   

v.掘出，挖掘

参考例句：

• His remains have been exhumed from a cemetery in Queens,New York City.他的遗体被从纽约市皇后区的墓地里挖了出来。
• When the police exhume the corpse,they discover trace of poison in it.警方掘出尸体，发现有中毒的痕迹。

3 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

4 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。

5 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。

6 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

7 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

8 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

9 forensic   

adj.法庭的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence.该报告包括他对法庭证据的诠释。
• The judge concluded the proceeding on 10:30 Am after one hour of forensic debate.经过近一个小时的法庭辩论后，法官于10时30分宣布休庭。

10 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

11 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

12 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

13 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。

14 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

15 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

16 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。

17 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

18 vehemently   

adv. 热烈地

参考例句：

• He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈，以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
• Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。

19 ethnically   

adv.人种上，民族上

参考例句：

• Ethnically, the Yuan Empire comprised most of modern China's ethnic groups. 元朝的民族成分包括现今中国绝大多数民族。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• Russia is ethnically relatively homogeneous. 俄罗斯是个民族成分相对单一的国家。 来自辞典例句

20 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。