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An explosion ripped apart a bus carrying school children in rural Sri Lanka and authorities say it appears to have been a Tamil Tiger attack. The blast killed at least 23 people and injured nearly 70 others.

斯里兰卡农村地区一辆载有学龄儿童的大轿车被一枚炸弹炸毁，当局说，这似乎是泰米尔猛虎组织发动的攻击。爆炸炸死至少23人，炸伤接近70人。

A bomb or land mine planted on the side of a rural road is believed to have caused the explosion Wednesday morning in a remote town in southeastern Sri Lanka.

斯里兰卡东南部一个偏远城镇星期三上午发生的爆炸据信是由一枚埋设在一个乡间道路旁的炸弹或者地雷造成的。当时这辆巴士载有数十名学校儿童，很多儿童都被炸死或者炸伤。

The bus was carrying scores of school children, many of whom were killed or injured.

当时这辆巴士载有数十名学校儿童，很多儿童都被炸死或者炸伤。

The blast came just hours after the official end of a truce¹ between the government and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, known as the Tamil Tigers.

爆炸发生前仅仅几个小时，斯里兰卡政府和反政府武装泰米尔伊拉姆猛虎解放组织之间的停火刚刚正式结束。

Lakshman Hulugalle, director-general of the government's Media Center for National Security, says the rebels have targeted civilians⁴ in government-held areas after being routed by the military in their northern stronghold.

斯里兰卡政府国家安全新闻中心秘书长胡鲁杰尔说，反政府武装在北方根据地被政府军击溃后，又在政府控制地区攻击平民。

"Terrorists when they can't face the (military) forces and when they have had heavy defeats in the northern area, this is to make uncertainty⁵ in the southern part of Sri Lanka, including the capital," he said.

胡鲁杰尔说：“当恐怖分子无法面对政府军，并在北方地区遭受严重挫败后，就试图在包括首都在内的斯里兰卡南方地区制造不安定。”

While Sri Lanka's military has begun a new offensive in an effort to crush the rebellion, the Tamil Tigers appear ready to continue suicide attacks and other bombings against government and civilian³ targets.

斯里兰卡政府军发动新攻势、试图镇压叛乱之际，泰米尔猛虎组织似乎准备对政府和平民目标继续实行自杀攻击和其它炸弹攻击。

Spokesman Hulugalle in the capital says there is no way the government can fully⁶ protect people from terrorist attacks.

"When there is guerrilla warfare⁷ going on and this is not face to face (combat) they can make use of these tactics, especially when they have suiciders (suicide bombers). When they make use of various areas, no country, no leader can give assurances or a guarantee on a thing like this," he said.

A cease-fire brokered⁸ by Norway in 2002 began collapsing⁹ two years ago. Since the government told Norwegian officials two weeks ago that it would end the peace pact¹⁰, the military reports more than 300 people have been killed on the front lines in the north.

一项由挪威在2002年调解的停火协议两年前开始瓦解。自从斯里兰卡政府两星期前对挪威官员表示将终止停火协定以来，军方报告说，又有300多人在北方前线被打死。

The LTTE is fighting for a homeland in northeastern Sri Lanka for the nation's ethnic¹¹ Tamil minority. About 70,000 people have died in the conflict since 1983.

泰米尔伊拉姆猛虎解放组织正为斯里兰卡泰米尔少数民族在斯里兰卡东北部建立自己的国家而战斗。1983年以来，大约7万多人在冲突中已经死亡。

Japanese envoy¹² Yasushi Akashi, a key figure throughout the years of peace negotiations¹³, warns of "dire² humanitarian¹⁴ consequences" with the end of the cease-fire.

Akashi says Japan might halt its aid to Sri Lanka if the government does not do something to reduce the fighting.