美国有线新闻 CNN 索马里首都遭遇史上最严重炸弹袭击

 

Somalia is a nation that extends out between the Gulf¹ of Aden and the Indian Ocean. It's just a little smaller than Texas. And for years, Somalia has been considered a failed state because of tremendous problems brought on by war, natural disasters, famine and terrorism.

Al Shabaab is the name of an Islamic militant² group that's been fighting the Somali government for more than 10 years. Al Shabaab no longer controls the capital, Mogadishu, but it's been responsible for a number of deadly car bomb attacks in the city. That's why it's the main suspect in an assault that happened over the weekend.

Two car bombs we?nt off near a popular hotel in the heart of Mogadishu. The initial blast killed at least 300 people, making it Somalia's deadliest attack in years. Hundreds of others were hospitalized and more than 30 of them were too badly injured to be treated in Somalia. They had to be airlifted to Turkey for medical care.

Somalia's president blamed al Shabaab for what he called a heinous³ act, though the terrorist group didn't initially⁴ say it was responsible. It usually does.

Some Somalis have turned out to publicly demonstrate against the group. The nation is observing three days of mourning for the victims.

1 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

2 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。

3 heinous   

adj.可憎的，十恶不赦的

参考例句：

• They admitted to the most heinous crimes.他们承认了极其恶劣的罪行。
• I do not want to meet that heinous person.我不想见那个十恶不赦的人。

4 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。