PBS高端访谈:在残酷的袭击之外,ISIS竟然还在帮助平民?

 　　HARI SREENIVASAN: This week, ISIS fighters have launched attacks across the Middle East. Just yesterday, ISIS claimed responsibility for exploding a car bomb outside the Italian Consulate¹ in Cairo, killing² one person.

　　Also, a Syrian human rights group is reporting that militants³ launched two new offensives in Northern Syria Thursday, detonating large bombs in the border town of Kobani.

　　All of this violence comes during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. While ISIS is killing civilians⁴, it's also helping⁵ civilians at the same time.

　　Associated Press reporter Bassem Mroue joins me now with more of this mix of brutality⁷ and charity, joins me via Skype from Beirut.

　　So, one of the things that we're all aware of during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan is the emphasis on charity. How is ISIS doing this?

　　BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press: Well, ISIS is trying to win the hearts of people who live under its control.

　　There are millions of people who live in areas that are under control ISIS in Syria and Iraq. And during the holy month of Ramadan, they take care of the poor by either giving them money they collect from the rich or by giving them food baskets that include rice, sugar, cooking oil.

　　This has been the case since they declared an Islamic caliphate last year. But, still, although they do this, they have carried out some of their most brutal⁶ acts during Ramadan. They released a video showing them killing 16 people whom they accused of being spies. And, basically, they put some of them in a cage, and then they lowered them into a swimming pool until they drowned.

　　They set explosives around — like white explosives around the neck of some people, alleging⁸ they are spies, and they blew their heads off. So, they are doing this. They try to scare the people. And also they try to tell them that, like, we are your protectors, we protect you from the Iraqi and Syrian government forces. We protect you from other militants. This has been the case.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN: So, in this time, there's also the practice of fasting. And you're reporting that they are even enforcing that people observe the fast.

　　BASSEM MROUE: That's correct. I mean, during Ramadan observance, Muslims abstain⁹ from food and water from sunrise until sunset. But if you are caught — if someone is caught in areas under the Islamic State rule eating during the day, they're severely¹⁰ punished.

　　And the punishment could be from being put in a cage inside a public place such as a market for several hours day or even for more than a day, even though, like, it's very clear in Islam that people who are old or who are sick can — cannot fast if they want.

　　But that's not what ISIS, what the Islamic State group is doing. They're punishing anyone, even older people, sick people. They just detain anyone whom they find eating.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN: So, how has this changed the atmosphere? I mean, Ramadan is usually a fairly festive¹¹ time. People break their fast by joining with other families and friends in the evenings.

　　BASSEM MROUE: That's correct. In Iraq or Syria, before the Islamic State group took over wide areas of these two countries, people usually, like, they have a big meal, a fast-breaking meal after sunset. And then, like around 10:00, 11:00 p.m., they all go out. They take walks. They sit in coffee shops, they drink coffee, they smoke water pipe, they play backgammon.

　　Smoking is totally prohibited and also games. It's surprising. Like, you go to any Muslim country in the Middle East, and restaurants are usually filled with people, families, children breaking their meal. This is prohibited. So, the atmosphere is, in a way, depressing and miserable¹².

　　HARI SREENIVASAN: So, is all of this an attempt to show the people inside this region that they have the ability to control or govern?

　　BASSEM MROUE: That's what they're trying to say. And they're trying to show that are — I mean, they implement¹³ a very sick interpretation¹⁴ of Islam. And, for them, they claim this is the only right interpretation, that's the only right path, and all what the others are doing is wrong. If you're against that, they simply kill — kill whoever says that. I mean, they don't tolerate any kind of criticism or opposition¹⁵.

　　For them, they are the right, and all the others are wrong.

　　HARI SREENIVASAN: All right, Associated Press reporter Bassem Mroue joining us via Skype from Beirut, thanks very much.

1 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。

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 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。

4 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。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 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。

7 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

8 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

9 abstain   

v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免

参考例句：

• His doctor ordered him to abstain from beer and wine.他的医生嘱咐他戒酒。
• Three Conservative MPs abstained in the vote.三位保守党下院议员投了弃权票。

10 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

11 festive   

adj.欢宴的，节日的

参考例句：

• It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood.当时是圣诞节，每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
• We all wore festive costumes to the ball.我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。

12 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

13 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

14 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

15 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。