VOA标准英语2018--普天同庆摩苏尔解放一周年

One Year Ago, Mosul was Liberated¹

One year ago July 10, the city of Mosul, ISIS's self-declared capital in Iraq, was liberated from ISIS by Iraqi Security Forces.

The loss of its capital in Iraq cannot be overstated. The group's capture of the city on June 10th, 2014, was a major propaganda coup² for the terrorists and a blow to Iraq's security and stability. In early July, ISIS leader Abu Bakr Baghdadi, declared a caliphate from the grand Mosque³ of al-Nuri in Mosul's old city.

For three years, the terrorists brutalized the population, burned books and destroyed the city's cherished antiquities⁵.

In late 2016, Iraqi forces began a campaign to re-take Mosul. But as they were slowly pushed out of the city, the terrorists became ever more brutal⁴. According to Amnesty International, ISIS rounded up thousands of civilians⁶ for use as human shields. They killed hundreds of civilians who attempted to flee and hanged their bodies in public areas.

When Iraqi forces finally evicted⁷ ISIS from Mosul on July 10, 2017, the city lay in ruins. Over 500 buildings had been destroyed, including the al-Nouri Mosque. Nonetheless, the liberation of Mosul was a severe loss to ISIS. Not only did it represent a tremendous blow to the terrorists' prestige and the illusion of invulnerability ISIS cultivated, the city was its last strategic stronghold in Iraq, and its loss was the beginning of the end for their ambitions in Iraq.

In the 12 months since the last ISIS fighter fled Mosul, much has changed. ISIS losses continued to mount, and today, having lost all its territory in Iraq, the terrorist group is fighting for its last footholds in Syria.

In Mosul, the second part of freeing the city from the stain of ISIS—demining, rebuilding and restoration of services--is well on the way. Under Iraqi leadership, the United Sates and Global Coalition⁸ partners are working closely with the UN to stabilize⁹ Mosul.Hundreds of thousands of its citizens are returning to homes they once fled. Children are going back to school and markets are once again opening for business.

Mosul will never be the same. Nonetheless, as it has done for over 2500 years, it will survive.

1 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

2 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

3 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

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 antiquities   

n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯

参考例句：

• There is rest and healing in the contemplation of antiquities. 欣赏古物有休息和疗养之功。 来自辞典例句
• Bertha developed a fine enthusiasm for the antiquities of London. 伯沙对伦敦的古迹产生了很大的热情。 来自辞典例句

6 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。

7 evicted   

v.（依法从房屋里或土地上）驱逐，赶出( evict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。
• They had evicted their tenants for non-payment of rent. 他们赶走了未交房租的房客。

8 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

9 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。