VOA标准英语2008年-Sri Lankan Minister Killed in Bomb Attack

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
08 January 2008

A Sri Lankan government minister has been killed and 10 others wounded in a bomb attack by suspected Tamil Tiger rebels. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the latest attack follows the government's decision to formally abandon a tattered¹ truce².

Officials say Nation Building Minister D.M. Dassanayake was on his way to parliament Tuesday when his convoy³ was hit by a roadside bomb about 20 kilometers north of Colombo.

The minister suffered severe head injuries and died while undergoing surgery in hospital. The assassination⁴ took place despite tight security in the capital, where police have been searching vehicles and questioning people in an attempt to prevent attacks by Tamil rebels.

Colombo has witnessed numerous bombings targeting senior government officials and the military since the two sides resumed hostilities⁵ two years ago.

But Tuesday's attack was the first major attack since the government announced last week that it was pulling out of a truce that had consistently been breached⁶ by both sides.

The head of Colombo's National Peace Council, Jehan Perera, fears the formal end of the truce between the government and the rebels, who are also referred to as the LTTE, presages⁷ an increase in the level of violence.

"Although the government is making every effort to prevent such attacks, the LTTE has been adept⁸ for the last several decades in getting to Colombo," said Perera.  "In all likelihood, violence is going to increase, because by abrogating⁹ the ceasefire, whatever hope there was that the level of violence would reduce and the two parties would again go back to peace talks has evaporated."

Fighting is also intensifying¹⁰ in the north, where the rebels have their bases. Since the start of the year, the government says 95 rebels and six soldiers have been killed in clashes.

There is no way to verify these numbers, and both sides often make exaggerated claims. Still, the government is confident it has the upper hand with the rebels, and military officials have expressed confidence in defeating them in the field.

 

Analysts¹¹, however, are skeptical¹² that the rebels, who have waged a 25-year-long campaign for a Tamil homeland, can be vanquished¹³ militarily.

1 tattered   

adj.破旧的，衣衫破的

参考例句：

• Her tattered clothes in no way detracted from her beauty.她的破衣烂衫丝毫没有影响她的美貌。
• Their tattered clothing and broken furniture indicated their poverty.他们褴褛的衣服和破烂的家具显出他们的贫穷。

2 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

3 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。

4 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

5 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。

6 breached   

攻破( breach的现在分词 )； 破坏，违反

参考例句：

• These commitments have already been breached. 这些承诺已遭背弃。
• Our tanks have breached the enemy defences. 我方坦克车突破了敌人的防线。

7 presages   

v.预示，预兆( presage的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• This sign presages rains. 这种迹象是下雨的预兆。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• And each presages the bigger pivots ahead in China's course. 每一件也都预示着中国今后路线的更大转机。 来自互联网

8 adept   

adj.老练的，精通的

参考例句：

• When it comes to photography,I'm not an adept.要说照相，我不是内行。
• He was highly adept at avoiding trouble.他十分善于避开麻烦。

9 abrogating   

废除（法律等）( abrogate的现在分词 )； 取消； 去掉； 抛开

参考例句：

• Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty-starting now. 噢，同时，从现在开始，美国也要取消太平洋自由贸易区谈判。

10 intensifying   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的现在分词 )；增辉

参考例句：

• The allies are intensifying their air campaign. 联军部队正加大他们的空战强度。 来自辞典例句
• The rest of the European powers were in a state of intensifying congestion. 其余的欧洲强国则处于越来越拥挤的状态。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史

11 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。

12 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。

13 vanquished   

v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制

参考例句：

• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I vanquished her coldness with my assiduity. 我对她关心照顾从而消除了她的冷淡。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》