美国国家公共电台 NPR--Quake aid to Syria highlights complications of getting help to a place mired in war

Quake aid to Syria highlights complications of getting help to a place mired¹ in war

Transcript²

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks to Joshua Landis of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma about the physical and political hurdles³ for delivering earthquake relief to Syria.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

In the two weeks since an earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria, rescue workers and international aid have poured into southern Turkey. But in the quake zone in northern Syria, already ravaged⁴ by war, the humanitarian⁵ response took days. The U.N. called it a failure. Survivors⁶ pleaded for help.

JOSHUA LANDIS: Many of the roads were destroyed and had giant fissures⁷ in them or cracks. The airport in Antakya was not open, and the aid that was being sent into Turkey was used by the Turks. So nothing really dribbled⁸ down into the opposition⁹ region because it was hard to get in there. And Assad, of course, is at war with these rebel militias¹¹ supported by Turkey. So he, of course, didn't want to let materials go into there from his side.

MART?NEZ: That's Joshua Landis of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. He says the response highlights the complications of getting aid to a place mired in war where no one entity¹² is in total control.

LANDIS: Syria today is divided into three different sections ruled by different people. Assad rules about 65% of the country, and he rules the major cities - Damascus, Aleppo. The United States rules a big hunk with their proxy¹³ militia¹⁰, largely led by Kurds in the northeast. And the northwest, where the earthquake hit the hardest, is ruled by a bunch of different opposition militias that are supported by Turkey.

MART?NEZ: Our co-host Leila Fadel spoke¹⁴ with Landis about the challenges of delivering aid to Syria without empowering a government that tortures and kills the opposition.

LANDIS: Assad wants to use the earthquake and the outpouring of both Arab support, which has been tremendous, as well as international support in order to re-legitimize himself, get himself back into the Arab League. He's been completely ostracized¹⁵, and Syrian government has been isolated¹⁶ and to, in a sense, try to put the civil war behind him and become a non-pariah, if you will.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Is it working?

LANDIS: It is. It is working. Saudi Arabia has sent many planeloads of help. And this is very important because the Saudis had been very strict observers of this boycott¹⁷. Sisi, the head of Egypt...

FADEL: Yeah.

LANDIS: ...Called Assad for the first time and gave his condolences. Many other governments have been responding as well - Arab governments. They're using this occasion to try to reestablish some kind of relation, break this boycott, because they understand that the civil war is over. Assad has survived, and they have no choice but to try to establish some new kind of relationship with the Syrian government.

FADEL: And there's even that added layer of complication because some of these opposition groups, if they're not allies with the U.S., may be considered terrorists.

LANDIS: Absolutely.

FADEL: And then that would - if you give to the wrong group...

LANDIS: The major ruler in this rebel area is Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, and he was a sidekick of caliph Baghdadi, the head of ISIS. And later, he became his own separate guy with Nusra, the al-Qaida wing in Syria. And he has evolved over time and now is pro-Turkish, sort of, and has promised that he will not engage in any international terrorism. But still, he is designated as a terrorist by the United States and Turkey, and it makes it very difficult to give aid legitimately¹⁸ to him and his government.

FADEL: Now, there are growing calls to lift sanctions entirely¹⁹ so that money and aid can get in. Because even before the earthquake, both in government areas and opposition areas, people were starving because of the inability to have accounts. People didn't get electricity, things like that. But there's also a very loud voice on the other side saying, yeah, if you lift sanctions, you're only benefiting this very brutal²⁰ government that conducted a war that killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians. And with the temporary relief, you can't trust that this president won't then just empower himself.

LANDIS: Well, there is some truth in that. You know, any kind of opening to Syria creates opportunity, creates jobs, creates money. And all of that will - undoubtedly²¹, some of it will get to the president and to the people around him and the government. That's undeniable. On the other hand, much of that money is getting to the people who need it most. For example, my wife, a Syrian, Latakia - their family is terrified. Their house has been just shaking.

FADEL: The aftershocks.

LANDIS: Shaking constantly, their apartment building. And they've been living in their car for the last several days.

FADEL: Wow.

LANDIS: We've been able to send money through Western Union. There is a virtuous²² cycle of diplomacy²³ that's going on because the White House announced they were going to lift sanctions temporarily for six months. Then Western Union, which was the only way to get money in, said it would no longer charge 15% of every dollar that goes into Syria, and it would allow you to send it for free. So that money is now getting to the people who need it most. It's not going to the government.

FADEL: But then does Assad just get to get away with everything that he's done? I guess my bigger question is, you know, I think the earthquake brought Syria back into the world's conscience. Does this reopen the conversation on what to do about Syria instead of ignoring it?

LANDIS: It does. It does. And, you know, the problem with the last 15 years is that Assad was not turned out of the government. And in many ways, this was a dilemma²⁴ that the West couldn't solve. The West wanted to turn him out. But once they saw what the opposition was, that ISIS and al-Qaida had grown to be the dominant²⁵ force in the opposition, they got spooked by their own policy of funding these opposition groups. And they stopped funding them, and that left Assad in power. They don't like it. They put terrible sanctions on, but they've left him in power. And that has been - you know, that - nobody knows what to do in this situation. They don't know how to change the government, and they've given up trying. And in that sense, sanctions are their last option. But they're not a good option. It is time for the international community to figure out a new way of dealing²⁶ with the region and allowing Syrian people to rebuild their lives.

FADEL: Joshua Landis, the director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, thank you so much.

LANDIS: It's a pleasure. Thank you.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

1 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

4 ravaged   

毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家
• The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

6 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

7 fissures   

n.狭长裂缝或裂隙( fissure的名词复数 )；裂伤；分歧；分裂v.裂开( fissure的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Rising molten rock flows out on the ocean floor and caps the fissures, trapping the water. 上升熔岩流到海底并堵住了裂隙，结果把海水封在里面。 来自辞典例句
• The French have held two colloquia and an international symposium on rock fissures. 法国已经开了两次岩石裂缝方面的报告会和一个国际会议。 来自辞典例句

8 dribbled   

v.流口水( dribble的过去式和过去分词 )；（使液体）滴下或作细流；运球，带球

参考例句：

• Melted wax dribbled down the side of the candle. 熔化了的蜡一滴滴从蜡烛边上流下。
• He dribbled past the fullback and scored a goal. 他越过对方后卫，趁势把球踢入球门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

10 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

11 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

12 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

13 proxy   

n.代理权，代表权；（对代理人的）委托书；代理人

参考例句：

• You may appoint a proxy to vote for you.你可以委托他人代你投票。
• We enclose a form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting.我们附上委任年度大会代表的表格。

14 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

15 ostracized   

v.放逐( ostracize的过去式和过去分词 )；流放；摈弃；排斥

参考例句：

• He was ostracized by his colleagues for refusing to support the strike. 他因拒绝支持罢工而受到同事的排斥。
• The family were ostracized by the neighborhood. 邻居们都不理睬那一家人。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

16 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

17 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

18 legitimately   

ad.合法地；正当地，合理地

参考例句：

• The radio is legitimately owned by the company. 该电台为这家公司所合法拥有。
• She looked for nothing save what might come legitimately and without the appearance of special favour. 她要的并不是男人们的额外恩赐，而是合法正当地得到的工作。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

19 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

20 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。

21 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

22 virtuous   

adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的

参考例句：

• She was such a virtuous woman that everybody respected her.她是个有道德的女性，人人都尊敬她。
• My uncle is always proud of having a virtuous wife.叔叔一直为娶到一位贤德的妻子而骄傲。

23 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

24 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

25 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

26 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。