2007年VOA标准英语-Algeria Bombing Death Toll Now 33

By Challiss McDonough
Cairo
12 April 2007

Algeria's interior minister says the death toll¹ from Wednesday's double car bombing in Algiers has risen to at least 33, with more than 220 people wounded.  The attack has awakened³ fears that the country could slide back into the political violence of the 1990s.  VOA Correspondent Challiss McDonough reports from our Middle East and North Africa bureau in Cairo.

Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem said the Algerian president led an emergency cabinet meeting and ordered what he called "a series of measures to end these criminal acts."

He gave no details of the measures.

The prime minister said the bombings were designed to drag Algeria back to "the crisis years."

The deadly attacks awakened fears that Algeria could return to the bloodshed of the 1990s, when a brutal⁴ civil war between government forces and Islamic extremists left some 200,000 people dead.

Algerian policemen search a young man as they perform security checks in a district of Algiers, 12 Apr 2007

Regional analyst⁵ Marina Ottaway of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said the attack is also likely to shift the always-delicate balance of power between the civilian⁶ government and the military, which became particularly entrenched⁷ during the civil war.

"Politically, I think the greatest danger is that this is going to set back the process of transformation⁸ and of reforming the country," she said.  "President Bouteflika has made considerable progress in the last few years in wrestling power from the military and putting it back in the hands of the civilian government.  Of course, any return to terrorism, essentially⁹, and to violence, is going to enhance the role of the military again."

The bombings in Algiers came just over a month before key parliamentary elections, which are expected to serve as a sign of Algeria's progress toward reform.

Ottaway doubts the bombers¹⁰ were trying to influence the outcome of the vote, but says the attack does seem aimed at shattering the growing sense of security.  She says that alone will shift the balance of power toward the military.

"Now, I have trouble seeing how that plays into the hands of these terrorist groups," she added.  "In other words, I am not sure that that is what they were trying to achieve, because it seems to me that the increased power of the military also means increased repression¹¹, increased violence used against them."

The first of the two bombings was particularly brazen¹², targeting the prime minister's office in the center of the capital.  The second targeted a police station in an eastern suburb.  Algeria's main Islamic militant¹³ group has claimed responsibility.  It was formerly¹⁴ known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, but several months ago changed its name to the al-Qaida Organization in the Islamic Maghreb, and pledged allegiance to Osama Bin² Laden¹⁵ and his terrorist network.

A series of recent attacks in the Algerian countryside and in neighboring Tunisia and Morocco have targeted mainly security forces and foreigners.  In recent weeks, according to Algerian media reports, Algerian security forces have been conducting an intense campaign against al-Qaida militants¹⁶ in the region of Kabylie, east of the capital.

European analysts¹⁷ have expressed particular concern that the Algiers bombings could signify a resurgence¹⁸ in Islamic extremist militancy¹⁹ in North Africa, fearing it could potentially spill over into Europe, which has historically close ties with the Maghreb.

1 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

2 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

3 awakened   

v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到

参考例句：

• She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。
• The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

5 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。

6 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

7 entrenched   

adj.确立的，不容易改的(风俗习惯)

参考例句：

• Television seems to be firmly entrenched as the number one medium for national advertising.电视看来要在全国广告媒介中牢固地占据头等位置。
• If the enemy dares to attack us in these entrenched positions,we will make short work of them.如果敌人胆敢进攻我们固守的阵地，我们就消灭他们。

8 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

9 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

10 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

12 brazen   

adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.那无耻的女子冲着给她判刑的法官高声大笑。
• Some people prefer to brazen a thing out rather than admit defeat.有的人不愿承认失败，而是宁肯厚着脸皮干下去。

13 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

14 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

15 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

16 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。

17 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。

18 resurgence   

n.再起，复活，再现

参考例句：

• A resurgence of his grief swept over Nim.悲痛又涌上了尼姆的心头。
• Police say drugs traffickers are behind the resurgence of violence.警方说毒贩是暴力活动重新抬头的罪魁祸首。

19 militancy   

n.warlike behavior or tendency

参考例句：

• Full of militancy and revolutionary ardour, the people of all nationalities in the country are working hard for the realization of the four modernizations. 全国各族人民意气风发， 斗志昂扬，为实现四个现代化而奋战。
• The seniority system is another factor that leads to union militancy. 排资论辈制度也是导致工会好斗争的另一因素。