VOA常速英语207--打击阿拉伯半岛的基地组织取得新进展

The U.S. military carried out a successful raid on the militant¹ Islamist group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula compound in Yemen on January 28. One U.S. Service member was killed and three others were injured in the raid. U.S. forces were instrumental in killing² an estimated 14 terrorists and capturing important intelligence that will assist the U.S. in preventing terrorism against its citizens and people around the world, said President Donald Trump³.

1月28日，美军对也门阿拉伯半岛地区的激进伊斯兰组织——基地组织(al-Qaida)成功发动了一场袭击。这场袭击中，一名美国士兵被敌方杀害，另有三名受伤。而美军则成功击毙大约14名恐怖分子，并获得了重要情报，将有助于美国防范针对美国公民和世界人民的恐怖主义，特朗普说。

In an ongoing⁴ assessment⁵, the U.S. government has concluded regrettably that civilian⁶ non-combatants were likely killed in the midst of the firefight and that casualties may include children. These persons appear to have been caught up in aerial gunfire that was called in to assist U.S. forces as they fought a determined⁷ enemy that included armed women firing from prepared fighting positions.

根据美国政府现行的估测情况，一些非参战的平民很可能在双方的火拼中不幸身亡，而死伤者中可能还有孩子。从现在的情况来看，这些死伤者可能是在空袭中被困，而空袭部队是来应援美军的，毕竟敌军冥顽不灵，甚至让女性披甲上阵，去既定的战地作战。

“Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has a horrifying⁸ history of hiding women and children within militant operating areas and terrorist camps, and continuously shows a callous⁹ disregard for innocent lives,” said U.S. Central Command Spokesman Col. John J. Thomas.

“阿拉伯半岛基地组织过往的做法让人不寒而栗：在其活动领域和恐怖分子露营中藏匿女性和儿童，并始终对无辜生命的死活置之不理，”美国中央司令部发言人约翰托马斯上校说道。

Similar operations in Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq have produced information about terrorist planner logistics, recruiting, and financing efforts, said Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis.

基地组织在阿富汗、叙利亚、伊拉克的类似行动为我们提供了其物流、招募、财务方面的运作，国防部发言人戴维斯说。

This operation was specifically to enable the Pentagon to gather information needed to be able to map out al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, and to prevent future foreign terrorist attacks, said Captain Davis. He noted¹⁰ that al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has a number of strong links to very specific, United States and Western-focused attacks.

此次行动是专门为国防部收集所需信息，以大致勾画出基地组织在阿拉伯半岛的位置并防止今后国外空袭而进行的，戴维斯说。他强调，阿拉伯半岛的基地组织与专门针对美国和西方国家的很多袭击事件有强的关系。

Captain Davis said the terrorist events that the group has claimed responsibility for or been linked to include the targeted and financed attack and massacre¹¹ on the French newspaper Charlie Hebdo in January 2015, orchestrating complex attacks against Yemen's ministry¹² of defense¹³ in 2013, and the attempt to mail explosives to U.S. addresses in 2010.

戴维斯说，基地组织承认或涉嫌主导的空袭包括法国《查理周刊》2015年1月报道的恐袭和屠杀事件，这起事件是有预谋、有资金支持的；2013年也门国防部遭受的精心策划的复杂袭击；2010年向美国多个住址邮寄的含有爆炸物的包裹未遂。

The group also is connected to attacks on the United States that include the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and the attempted underwear bombing aboard Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas in 2009.

基地组织还与美国遭受的多次其他攻击有关，如2013年波士顿马拉松赛的爆炸事件、2009年西北航空253号班机圣诞节当天的爆炸未遂事件有关。

“The United States and our partner nations remain committed to eradicating¹⁴ the threats posed by violent extremism and destroying militant safe havens,” Captain Davis emphasized. “We will take measures to combat terrorism, ensuring the safety and security of the U.S. citizens and those targeted by terrorists.”

“美国及其盟国将始终致力于根除暴力极端主义所带来的威胁，并摧毁激进分子避风港，”戴维斯强调。“我们将采取措施打击恐怖主义，确保美国公民和恐怖分子锁定目标的安全。”

1 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。

2 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。

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

4 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

5 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

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 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

8 horrifying   

a.令人震惊的，使人毛骨悚然的

参考例句：

• He went to great pains to show how horrifying the war was. 他极力指出战争是多么的恐怖。
• The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate. 战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。

9 callous   

adj.无情的，冷淡的，硬结的，起老茧的

参考例句：

• He is callous about the safety of his workers.他对他工人的安全毫不关心。
• She was selfish,arrogant and often callous.她自私傲慢，而且往往冷酷无情。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 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！

12 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

13 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。

14 eradicating   

摧毁，完全根除( eradicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Objective: To study the acute and chronic toxicity of Ten-flavor-acne eradicating-capsule. 目的：探讨复方中药合剂十味平痤胶囊的急性及慢性毒性。
• We are on the verge of eradicating polio in the world. 我们已在世界消除小儿？痹症的边缘了。