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VOA标准英语2009年-In Sri Lanka, Aid Agencies Say Hospital Hit by

时间:2009-02-21 03:21:59

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In Sri Lanka, aid agencies say a crowded hospital in the northern war zone has been shelled, killing1 at least nine people. The attack on the hospital comes amid growing concerns for an estimated 250,000 civilians3 caught in the fighting between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels.

The United Nations spokesman in Colombo, Gordon Weiss, said Monday that shells have hit the "largest remaining functioning hospital" in the Wanni region, where the army is on an offensive to crush Tamil Tiger rebels.

"Throughout the day Sunday there were series of artillery4 and rocket strikes quite close to the hospital and there were at least three direct hits on the hospital, the last of which was around midnight, last night, when what we think is about five shells hit the pediatric ward5 killing and wounding a number of people," Weiss said.

The hospital is inside a 300-square-kilometer area in the northeast, in which Tamil rebels have been confined following a year-long military operation. Scores of wounded people, caught in the crossfire6 between the two sides, have been heading to the medical facility in recent weeks. Aid agencies say many patients are lying on mattresses7 in corridors.

The spokesperson for the International Committee of Red Cross in Colombo, Sophie Romanens, says the Red Cross team working at the hospital paints a grim picture.

"The staff there are under acute stress," Romanens said. "They are surrounded by the sound of the ongoing8 fighting and the constant influx9 of patients. There are ambulances constantly arriving. People are also brought by wagon10, pick up trucks, tractor, any vehicles basically."

Aid agencies have expressed shock at the shelling and call it a significant breach11 of international humanitarian12 law. They say medical facilities must not be attacked, under any circumstances.

The army says it is not responsible for the shelling and blames it on the rebels.

Aid agencies say about 250,000 ethnic13 Tamil civilians trapped in the area face hunger as food supplies dwindle14. The Red Cross has urged both sides to allow safe passage for the wounded civilians.

Sri Lankan Defense15 Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse has accused some diplomats16 and several media organizations of sensationalizing civilian2 hardships and warns that they will be expelled, if they seem to favor the Tamil Tiger rebels.

The rebels have been fighting since 1983 for a separate Tamil homeland. In the last year, they have suffered huge reverses, losing most of the territory they controlled for nearly a quarter century.


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1 killing kpBziQ     
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。
2 civilian uqbzl     
adj.平民的,民用的,民众的
参考例句:
  • There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
  • He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。
3 civilians 2a8bdc87d05da507ff4534c9c974b785     
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。
4 artillery 5vmzA     
n.(军)火炮,大炮;炮兵(部队)
参考例句:
  • This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
  • The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。
5 ward LhbwY     
n.守卫,监护,病房,行政区,由监护人或法院保护的人(尤指儿童);vt.守护,躲开
参考例句:
  • The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
  • During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时,我要点根火把,抵挡蚊虫。
6 crossfire 6vSzBL     
n.被卷进争端
参考例句:
  • They say they are caught in the crossfire between the education establishment and the government.他们称自己被卷进了教育机构与政府之间的争端。
  • When two industrial giants clash,small companies can get caught in the crossfire.两大工业企业争斗之下,小公司遭受池鱼之殃。
7 mattresses 985a5c9b3722b68c7f8529dc80173637     
褥垫,床垫( mattress的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The straw mattresses are airing there. 草垫子正在那里晾着。
  • The researchers tested more than 20 mattresses of various materials. 研究人员试验了二十多个不同材料的床垫。
8 ongoing 6RvzT     
adj.进行中的,前进的
参考例句:
  • The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
  • The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。
9 influx c7lxL     
n.流入,注入
参考例句:
  • The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
  • Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施,因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。
10 wagon XhUwP     
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
参考例句:
  • We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
  • The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。
11 breach 2sgzw     
n.违反,不履行;破裂;vt.冲破,攻破
参考例句:
  • We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
  • He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。
12 humanitarian kcoxQ     
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。
13 ethnic jiAz3     
adj.人种的,种族的,异教徒的
参考例句:
  • This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏,这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
  • The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。
14 dwindle skxzI     
v.逐渐变小(或减少)
参考例句:
  • The factory's workforce has dwindled from over 4,000 to a few hundred.工厂雇员总数已经从4,000多人减少到几百人。
  • He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority.他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。
15 defense AxbxB     
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。
16 diplomats ccde388e31f0f3bd6f4704d76a1c3319     
n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 );有手腕的人,善于交际的人
参考例句:
  • These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
  • The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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