As Pakistan tries to cope with the worst flooding in its history, the country has seen several major suicide bomb attacks in the past few days against minority Shi'ites. The two major attacks, one in Lahore and the other in Quetta, killed more than 100 people and wounded hundreds of others.
在巴基斯坦努力应对有史以来最为严重的洪灾时，这几天来，这个国家发生了针对少数宗教派系什叶派的几起严重的自杀爆炸事件。这两次重大爆炸袭击一次发生在拉合尔，另一起在奎达，杀害了一百多人，并造成几百人受伤。
Pakistani authorities are on high alert across the country as new sectarian violence threatens to strain the government as it addresses the country's flood crisis.
巴基斯坦全国各地当局都处于高度戒备状态，因为教派暴力活动给应付洪灾危机的政府雪上加霜的打击。
Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters Saturday in Islamabad that militants want to fan the flames of sectarianism in an effort to destabilize the government, especially after a series of military offensives targeted their strongholds in northwestern Pakistan.
巴基斯坦内政部长马利克星期六在伊斯兰堡对记者说，激进分子想要燃起宗派主义烈火，妄图动摇巴基斯坦政府，尤其是因为之前政府军曾给予在巴基斯坦西北部的激进集团巢穴一系列军事打击。
He also noted that Punjabi militant groups, such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and others, such as al-Qaida and the Tehrik-e-Taliban, are one and the same.
他说，在旁遮普省的激进集团，例如虔诚军、基地组织和巴基斯坦塔利班运动之类，都是一丘之貉。
The Tehrik-e-Taliban, Pakistan's homegrown Taliban movement, claimed responsibility for this month's two biggest bomb attacks, one in Lahore and the other in Quetta. The violence ended a lull in attacks since massive flooding began in late July.
巴基斯坦塔利班运动已出面为这个月在拉合尔与奎达的两次大爆炸袭击承担责任。这两次暴力行动中止了从7月下旬开始的严重洪灾所带来的暴力暂停状态。
The government has faced widespread criticism by opposition groups and flood victims for its response to the disaster that so far has affected about 20 million people across the country.
巴基斯坦政府已面临反对派团体和洪水灾民的广泛批评，他们指责政府迄今为止对这次洪灾的反应不力，以至造成全国有两千万人受灾。
Analyst Ishtiaq Ahmad with Islamabad's Quaid-e-Azam University says he believes the militants are striking at long-held sectarian prejudices to antagonize and destabilize the government as it struggles to deal with the massive flood disaster.
在伊斯兰堡古艾德-阿赞姆大学的分析人士艾哈迈德说，他认为那些激进分子正在利用久已存在的宗派主义偏见来制造对立局面，以扰乱正奋力应付大洪灾的巴基斯坦政府。
"This is a God given opportunity for them to really exploit whatever fissures are existing in Pakistani society revolving around particularly sectarian differences of the past over three decades," said Ahmad.
艾哈迈德说：“对他们说来，这是天赐良机，他们要充分利用巴基斯坦社会中所存在的任何裂痕，尤其是要围绕过去三十多年来的宗派分歧大作文章。”
He is quick to note that sectarian violence predates all other types of terrorism in Pakistan, making it an effective and easy tool for present day extremists to exploit.
他敏锐地指出，宗派暴力是巴基斯坦所有其它种类恐怖主义的先导，使得它成为现今极端分子利用的得心应手的工具。
Since the flooding began, the Pakistani military has used its resources to help distribute aid and reach those affected.
自从洪灾开始以来，巴基斯坦军方一直在利用自身的资源来帮助把救援物资运送给灾民。
Speaking to American soldiers while visiting southern Afghanistan, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he expects the flooding to affect the Pakistani military's ongoing efforts against militants.
美国国防部长盖茨在访问阿富汗南部对美国军人讲话时说，他预计这次洪灾会影响巴基斯坦军方一向打击激进分子的努力。
He said the current situation could delay any new offensives against militants who use safe havens in Pakistan's tribal regions, such as North Waziristan, to strike against coalition and Afghan forces.
他说，目前形势可能会推迟针对激进分子的新攻势，这些激进分子窝藏在如北瓦济里斯坦之类的巴基斯坦部落地区，以对联军和阿富汗部队发动袭击。
"Unfortunately, the flooding in Pakistan is probably going to delay any operations by the Pakistani army in North Waziristan for some period of time," said Gates. "But I think the solution here is ISAF [International Security Assistance Force], Afghan and Pakistani cooperation to take care of these targets."
盖茨说：“不幸的是，巴基斯坦的洪灾很可能会把巴基斯坦军队在北瓦济里斯坦的行动推迟一段时间。但是我认为眼下的解决办法是国际安全援助部队与巴基斯坦和阿富汗合作，来对付这些打击目标。”
The former security chief for Pakistan's tribal areas, retired Brigadier-General Mahmood Shah, says he agrees that the military will most likely hold on unilaterally expanding its operations against militants.
巴基斯坦部落地区的前安全主管、退伍准将马哈茂德.沙阿告诉美国之音说，他也认为巴基斯坦军方很可能将单方暂缓扩大针对激进分子的行动。
He says the militants based in northwestern Pakistan probably escaped the worst of the flooding by seeking refuge in the isolated, high mountain areas. Meanwhile, he says the flooding greatly affected the military's mobility and forced it to reassign helicopters from surveillance on the militants to flood rescue and relief efforts.
他说，盘踞在巴基斯坦西北部的激进分子很可能已经逃到高山内的偏僻地点，以躲避严重洪灾。他说，洪灾同时也大大影响军方的能动性，并迫使军方把侦察激进分子动向的直升飞机转用来救援洪灾。
He says the military must revert back to concentrating on fighting militancy.
他说，军方必须把重点重新置于同激进分子作斗争方面。
"The army must not get mired deeply into what they are doing in terms of [the] collection of things for the flood relief and rehabilitation process, which must be I think taken on by the civilian administration," said Shaw.
沙阿说：“巴基斯坦军队不应该深陷目前的事务中，即收集并运送洪灾救援物资和灾后复元工作，我认为这些事务必须由政府文职部门来承担。”
The spokesman for the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Pakistan, Maurizio Giuliano, says aid agencies are working hard with the government to help victims across the country.
联合国的巴基斯坦人道事务协调办公室发言人朱利亚诺说，救援机构正努力配合巴基斯坦政府帮助全国各地的灾民。
He also says they are paying close attention to the increase in violence.
他还说，他们密切注意暴力抬头的趋向。
"There are security concerns and precautions. However so far, our operations have not been hampered by any specific incident," said Guiliano.
朱利亚诺说：“人们关心安全问题也保持谨慎。但是到目前为止，我们的救援行动还没有受到任何特定事件的阻碍。”
The flooding has devastated millions of families all over the country, including areas known as militant strongholds.
这次洪灾摧毁了全国各地几百万户人家，其中包括已知的激进分子据点地区的居民。 |