VOA标准英语2009年-41 Killed in Blast Near Pakistan's Swat Va

By Sean Maroney
Islamabad
12 October 2009

 
Pakistani security personnel, volunteers help victims injured in suicide bomb blast arriving at hospital in Peshawar, 12 Oct 2009
Pakistani police say a suicide bombing near the country's troubled Swat Valley has killed 41 people. Monday's attack is Pakistan's fourth act of terrorism in eight days, killing¹ a total of more than 100 people.  It also comes as the Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility for Saturday's assault on the country's heavily guarded army headquarters in Rawalpindi. 

Police say the attacker targeted a military convoy², setting off a huge blast in a crowded market square in Shangla district.

Earlier, the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for a 22-hour siege on the country's army headquarters that ended Sunday.

Army spokesman, Major General Athar Abbas, says security forces were able to intercept³ a phone conversation of Pakistani Taliban deputy leader, Wali-ur-Rehman.

Abbas says the call was evidence the group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan had planned the assault from South Waziristan with the intention of taking hostages in order to free captured militants⁵.

"This organization is responsible for more than 80 percent of all the attacks, suicide attacks and acts of terrorism, in our country," Abbas said. "There will be [an] operation in this area.  But it is now a matter of military judgment⁶ (of) what is the appropriate time."

Last Monday, a suicide bomber⁷ struck a heavily guarded U.N. aid agency in Islamabad, killing five people. On Friday, a suspected militant⁴ exploded a car bomb in the middle of a busy market in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing more than 50 people.

The Pakistani military has been proposing an operation in South Waziristan for the past several months. Tens of thousands of civilians⁸ have fled the area.

The former security chief of Pakistan's tribal⁹ regions, Mahmood Shah, tells VOA the recent attacks, including Saturday's audacious assault, show the militants are united and may want to antagonize the international community.

"The message by [the] attack on the GHQ [Pakistan's army headquarters] is possibly that the army is protecting (the country's] nuclear assets, and therefore, if the GHQ can be attacked, how can [the army] protect the nuclear assets?" Shah asked.

But Pakistani authorities and top U.S. officials have dismissed suggestions that Pakistan's nuclear installations are threatened by the country's growing insurgency¹⁰.

1 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。

2 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

3 intercept   

vt.拦截，截住，截击

参考例句：

• His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。
• Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。

4 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。

5 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

6 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

7 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

8 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。

9 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

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