2006年VOA标准英语-Hezbollah Wows To Wage Open War on Israel

By Challiss McDonough
Beirut
14 July 2006

Hassan Nasrallah    
  
The leader of the Lebanese-based militant¹ group Hezbollah has vowed² to wage open war on Israel after an apparently³ failed attempt on the group's leader. Israel's military offensive in Lebanon intensified⁴ Friday as Israeli rockets pummeled southern Lebanon and targets around Beirut.

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Hezbollah said its leader Hassan Nasrallah was unhurt after Israeli missiles blew up his home in Beirut and one of the group's offices. Israeli officials acknowledged that the strikes were aimed at killing⁵ him.

About an hour later, Nasrallah renewed his threats to Israel in a telephone speech broadcast by Hezbollah's TV station, Al-Manar.

"You wanted open war. We will have open war. Then he says, believe me, we will reach Haifa, and beyond Haifa, and beyond beyond Haifa," he said.

Hezbollah has fired scores of rockets into northern Israel since the violence began Wednesday. Two of them reached Israel's third-largest city of Haifa late Thursday, but caused no casualties. It is the furthest distance inside Israel that Hezbollah rockets have ever struck.

An Israli attack on Beirut airport   
  
The Israeli military offensive in Lebanon began after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a brazen⁶ cross-border raid. Israeli officials say they have information that the men are still alive. Israeli leaders have vowed to continue the operation until Hezbollah no longer has the capacity to attack Israel from southern Lebanon.

In his latest speech, Nasrallah exulted⁷ over an Israeli warship⁸ that he said was hit by Hezbollah artillery⁹. He claimed it was on fire and about to sink. The Israeli army later said an Israeli navy ship in Lebanese waters had been lightly damaged by a rocket, but gave few details.

Nasrallah's statement was apparently pre-recorded and given to the TV station over the telephone.

Immediately after it ended, a series of dull thuds echoed across Beirut. It was not a new round of Israeli attacks, but volleys of fireworks lighting¹⁰ up the sky from Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold. Red tracer bullets pierced the darkness as celebratory gunfire erupted.

In another neighborhood, small bands of people drove through the streets, shouting God is great, apparently celebrating the Hezbollah leader's reported escape from Israeli attempt on his life.

Outside of Hezbollah's Shiite strongholds, other residents of Lebanon seemed at times terrified, at times resolute¹¹ as Israel's attacks intensified. Many Lebanese have vowed not to leave, but some have abandoned their neighborhoods in favor of downtown hotels or areas that are thought to be less likely targets for the airstrikes.

In central Beirut, many shops have been closed, people are staying home from work, and traffic has been light. In the early evening, more explosions echoed through the mostly empty streets, sometimes preceded by sharp whistles of incoming artillery.

Small clusters of people formed around television sets in hotel lobbies, kebab shops and cafes, looking for news of the latest attacks.

The main road between Beirut and Damascus was closed early Friday after Israeli missiles rendered it impassable.

Even so, the roads to Syria remain the only way in or out of Lebanon. The Beirut airport was shut down on Thursday after the runways were hit by Israeli artillery, and they were hit again on Friday. The Israeli navy has been enforcing a blockade on Lebanese ports.

In the mountains of eastern Lebanon, hundreds of cars and buses wound their way toward the Syrian border along twisting, potholed back roads that were never designed to handle that much traffic. July is usually the height of tourist season, and thousands of seasonal¹² visitors were fleeing the violence and trying to find their way home.

1 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。

2 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

3 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

4 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 brazen   

adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.那无耻的女子冲着给她判刑的法官高声大笑。
• Some people prefer to brazen a thing out rather than admit defeat.有的人不愿承认失败，而是宁肯厚着脸皮干下去。

7 exulted   

狂喜，欢跃( exult的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The people exulted at the victory. 人们因胜利而欢腾。
• The people all over the country exulted in the success in launching a new satellite. 全国人民为成功地发射了一颗新的人造卫星而欢欣鼓舞。

8 warship   

n.军舰，战舰

参考例句：

• He is serving on a warship in the Pacific.他在太平洋海域的一艘军舰上服役。
• The warship was making towards the pier.军舰正驶向码头。

9 artillery   

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。

10 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

11 resolute   

adj.坚决的，果敢的

参考例句：

• He was resolute in carrying out his plan.他坚决地实行他的计划。
• The Egyptians offered resolute resistance to the aggressors.埃及人对侵略者作出坚决的反抗。

12 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。