voa标准英语2008-Explosions Rock Baghdad and Mosul

Terrorists stepped up their attacks inside Iraq Monday, setting off explosions in Baghdad and Mosul that killed at least 33 people. Edward Yeranian has more on the latest violence in this report from Cairo.
　

Iraqi security personnel secure the site of a twin bombing near the entrance to a police academy in Baghdad, Iraq, 01 Dec 2008

Terrorists are redoubling their efforts to shake a fragile calm, which has prevailed in Iraq in recent weeks, with multiple explosions aimed at Iraqi police and military targets. In the worst incident, two back-to-back explosions targeted Iraq's police academy.

Police sources say that both a car-bomb and a suicide attacker blew up in quick succession. Many of those killed and wounded were police officers and recruits standing¹ near the entrance of the academy on Palestine Street. Until recently the area had been closed to traffic in response to a bloody² suicide-bombing targeting the academy, two years ago.

Meanwhile, in the turbulent northern city of Mosul, a suicide car-bomber blew himself up alongside a joint³ US-Iraqi patrol.

Most of the victims were civilians⁴, but several Iraqi policemen were among the casualties.

Earlier, a roadside bombing wounded Major-General Mudhar al-Malwah, a senior defense⁵ ministry⁶ official, killing⁷ a number of his bodyguards⁸, according to Al Arabiya TV.

Just after the bombing, US army Captain Errol Davis indicated that five Iraqi civilians were also wounded in the incident:

"The General was wounded and five local national innocent people were wounded as well, and one individual unfortunately was killed," said Davis.

The bombing appears to be symbolic⁹, because al-Malwa was reportedly involved in trying to persuade former Iraqi officers from Saddam Hussein's regime to lay down their arms and end their insurgency¹⁰ against the current Iraqi government.

Defense Ministry officials say that General al-Malwa was also involved with Sunni "Awakening¹¹" groups called the "Sons of Iraq", which have joined forces with the U.S. forces to combat al Qaida.

Violence across Iraq has decreased dramatically since the Sunni "Awakening" groups took up arms against al Qaida.

Some analysts¹² have speculated that the upsurge in attacks in Iraq is a response to the recent parliamentary approval of the controversial U.S. Iraq security pact¹³, which was bitterly opposed by supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al Sadr.

Joost Hiltermann, Deputy Middle East Program Director of the International Crisis Group thinks, however, that the violence is probably more of an ongoing¹⁴ phenomenon, than a reaction to the new U.S. security pact.

"I would not necessarily link it to the accord, I think we have seen a general slight degree, a slight increase rather in violence in Baghdad and of course in Mosul we have had violence throughout and it hasn't really changed much," said Hiltermann. "So, I think in the run up to (January) provincial¹⁵ elections we will see more of that. The situation is still very fragile, military control of Baghdad and Mosul and other areas is still very tenuous¹⁶. So, it is very difficult to prevent these attacks from taking place. There is still plenty of spoilers throughout especially al-Qaida, especially some insurgents¹⁷ who never went away and again in mixed population areas like Mosul and Baghdad they have more motive¹⁸ and more permissive terrain¹⁹ to operate. So, I would suspect that you won't see a decrease of violence, but you may not see a major increase either."

The month of November did see a spike²⁰ in violence, according to a fresh Iraqi government report, which indicates that 340 Iraqis were killed across the country last month.

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

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 defense   

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。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 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。

8 bodyguards   

n.保镖，卫士，警卫员( bodyguard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Brooks came to Jim's office accompanied—like always—by his two bodyguards. 和往常一样，在两名保镖的陪同下，布鲁克斯去吉姆的办公室。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Three of his bodyguards were injured in the attack. 在这次袭击事件中，他有3名保镖受了伤。 来自辞典例句

9 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

10 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

11 awakening   

n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的

参考例句：

• the awakening of interest in the environment 对环境产生的兴趣
• People are gradually awakening to their rights. 人们正逐渐意识到自己的权利。

12 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

13 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

14 ongoing   

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。

15 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

16 tenuous   

adj.细薄的，稀薄的，空洞的

参考例句：

• He has a rather tenuous grasp of reality.他对现实认识很肤浅。
• The air ten miles above the earth is very tenuous.距离地面十公里的空气十分稀薄。

17 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

18 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

19 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

20 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。