2006年VOA标准英语-Record Number of Rockets Strike Israel

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
02 August 2006

Hezbollah militants¹ fired a record number of rockets against Israel Wednesday as Israeli troops carried out their deepest raids yet in Lebanese territory. At least 55 Israelis and 540 Lebanese have died in the conflict that began three weeks ago Wednesday. Israel's prime minister says his country will not stop its offensive until an international peacekeeping force is in Lebanon.

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Israeli police officers stand at site of rocket attack by Hezbollah guerrillas in Kibbutz Sa'ar near northern town of Nahariya, Aug. 2, 2006 
  
Hezbollah rockets fell south of the Sea of Galilee, along Israel's border with Jordan, 70 kilometers south of the Lebanese border.

Israel has an estimated 10,000 troops in southern Lebanon, but they are encountering heavy resistance in their drive to push Hezbollah militants out of the area. 

Ehud Olmert during interview with The Associated Press at his office in Jerusalem, Aug. 2, 2006   
  
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says Israel will keep fighting in Lebanon until international peacekeepers arrive there to take up positions previously² occupied by Hezbollah.

"Israel will stop fighting when the international force will be present in the southern part of Lebanon," he said. "We cannot stop before then because, if there is no presence of a very effective robust³ military international force, Hezbollah will be there and we will have achieved nothing. Therefore this is the most important and significant line from where we can think of a cease-fire." 

  
A Lebanese soldier prepares to place bodies of victims of Israeli forces' bombardment from last several days, in coffins⁴ at a parking lot in Tyre, Lebanon 
  
Israel resumed air strikes across Lebanon after suspending most attacks for 48 hours after more than 50 Lebanese, many of them children, were killed Sunday in an Israeli strike against the town of Qana.

Prime Minister Olmert says despite the continuing missile attacks against Israel, his military forces are largely achieving their objective of destroying Hezbollah's infrastructure⁵.

"I think Hezbollah has been disarmed⁶ by the military operation of Israel to a large degree. That cannot only be measured by the number of missiles they still shoot," he said. The infrastructure of Hezbollah has been entirely⁷ destroyed. More than 700 different ground and command positions of Hezbollah were wiped out by the Israeli Army."

Mr. Olmert says Hezbollah must unconditionally⁸ release two Israeli soldiers it captured three weeks ago. He also says any international force sent to Lebanon should take up positions along Lebanon's border with Syria, to stop Hezbollah being resupplied with weapons.

Israeli commandos also attacked the Lebanese city of Baalbek, which is just 10 kilometers from the Syrian border, in an operation in which they seized five Hezbollah militants.

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 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

3 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

4 coffins   

n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 )；使某人早亡[死，完蛋，垮台等]之物

参考例句：

• The shop was close and hot, and the atmosphere seemed tainted with the smell of coffins. 店堂里相当闷热，空气仿佛被棺木的味儿污染了。 来自辞典例句
• Donate some coffins to the temple, equal to the number of deaths. 到寺庙里，捐赠棺材盒给这些死者吧。 来自电影对白

5 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

6 disarmed   

v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。
• The swordsman disarmed his opponent and ran him through. 剑客缴了对手的械，并对其乱刺一气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

8 unconditionally   

adv.无条件地

参考例句：

• All foreign troops must be withdrawn immediately and unconditionally. 所有外国军队必须立即无条件地撤出。
• It makes things very awkward to have your girls going back unconditionally just now! 你们现在是无条件上工，真糟糕！ 来自子夜部分