VOA常速英语2019--副总统彭斯现身伊拉克安抚库尔德盟友

This is VOA news. I'm David Byrd.

欢迎收听VOA新闻，我是大卫·伯德。

American-led forces and their Syrian Kurdish allies have carried out their biggest joint¹ operation against the Islamic State group since President Trump² ordered a pullback of U.S. forces in Syria. We get more from AP's Ben Thomas.

美国领导的军队及其叙利亚库尔德盟友实施了最大规模的联合行动，针对的是IS。最大规模是相较于特朗普总统下令将美军从叙利亚撤出后所有军事行动的规模大小而言。

The U.S.-led coalition³ says its forces along with hundreds of U.S.-allied Syrian Kurdish commandos took part in an operation in southeastern Syria Friday, capturing dozens of Islamic State militants⁴, clearing IS compounds and seizing weapons and explosives.

美国领导的联盟称其军力加上上百个与美国联盟的叙利亚库尔德突击队都参加了周五在叙利亚东南部的行动，逮捕了数十名IS激进分子，清理了IS的一些围区，还缴获了一些武器和爆炸物。

The news came on the same day Vice⁵ President Mike Pence visited Iraq in an effort to reassure⁶ Kurdish allies in the region, telling reporters President Trump's commitment to our allies here in Iraq as well as to those in the Syrian defense⁷ forces, the Kurdish forces who fought alongside us, is unchanging.

同一天，有消息传来说副总统迈克·彭斯访问了伊拉克，目的是让该地区的库尔德盟友放心。彭斯对记者说，特朗普总统对伊拉克该地区盟友、叙利亚民主力量盟友（与我们并肩作战的库尔德军队）的承诺是不会变的。

President Trump's pullback of American forces in Syria opened the door for a cross-border offensive against the Kurds last month by Turkey.

上个月，特朗普让美军撤离叙利亚的决定为土耳其的跨境袭击敞开了便利之门。

Ben Thomas, Washington.

本·托马斯从华盛顿发回报道。

Security and hospital officials said Saturday that two people were killed when Iraqi security forces fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse⁸ crowds of protesters in a third day of fierce clashes in central Baghdad.

安全领域和议员的工作人员周六称有2人死亡，因为伊拉克保安部队发射了橡胶子弹和催泪弹以驱散抗议者，这是巴格达市中心第3天发生激烈的冲突。

Two protesters were struck with rubber bullets and died instantly and more than 20 others were wounded in fighting on Rasheed Street.

2名抗议者中弹并迅速死亡，还有20多人在拉希德街上的冲突中受伤。

Sixteen people have died and more than 100 wounded in the renewed clashes.

在最新发生的冲突中，有16人死亡，100多人受伤。

At least 342 protesters have died in Iraq's massive protests, which started October 1 when thousands of Iraqis took to the streets to decry⁹ corruption¹⁰ and lack of services despite the country's oil wealth.

至少342名抗议者在伊拉克的大规模抗议中死亡，抗议始于10月1日，当时，数千名伊拉克市民走上街头，谴责腐败和服务的缺失，虽然伊拉克盛产石油。

Separately, Iraq's parliament failed to hold a session Saturday due to a lack of quorum¹¹. Lawmakers were supposed to read reform bills introduced to placate¹² protesters.

此外，伊拉克国会没能于周六举行一场会议，这是因为法定人数不足。议员们应该诠释用于安抚抗议者的改革法案。

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 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。

3 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。

4 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。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

7 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。

8 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

9 decry   

v.危难，谴责

参考例句：

• Some people will decry this,insisting that President Obama should have tried harder to gain bipartisan support.有些人会对此表示谴责，坚持说奥巴马总统原本应该更加努力获得两党的支持。
• Now you decry him as another Hitler because he is a threat to the controlling interest of oil in the middle east.现在你却因为他对中东石油控制权益构成了威胁而谴责他为另一个希特勒。

10 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

11 quorum   

n.法定人数

参考例句：

• The meeting is adjourned since there is no quorum.因为没有法定人数会议休会。
• Three members shall constitute a quorum.三名成员可组成法定人数。

12 placate   

v.抚慰，平息(愤怒)

参考例句：

• He never attempts to placate his enemy.他从不企图与敌人和解。
• Even a written apology failed to placate the indignant hostess.甚至一纸书面道歉都没能安抚这个怒气冲冲的女主人。