VOA标准英语2009-Pakistan: Up to 500,000 May Flee Taliban-Held Sw

Security forces have been battling with Taliban fighters for more than a week in the northwest Malakand division, but troops have largely avoided entering the militant¹ stronghold in Swat Valley.
　
Local residents board the bus as they flee the troubled Mingora town, 05 May 2009

But residents of the main city Mingora began leaving Tuesday when officials lifted a curfew in some places to allow civilians² to relocate.

One resident who left with his family told VOA that militants³ completely control the town, have taken up fighting positions in large buildings and placed landmines⁴ along key routes. He said the Taliban did not prevent people from leaving during the suspended curfew.

"We are leaving our homes from Mingora. Some people going to Mardan, some are going to Peshawar. The government gave us only three or four hours, so that is why the people of Mingora are leaving Mingora," he said.

The information minister for the North-West Frontier province predicted as many as 500,000 people may flee the Swat Valley. He said the government is preparing temporary camps to house those who have nowhere else to go.

Pakistan's army has not said if it is planning an assault on Swat, which would be the final blow for a much criticized peace deal with the Swat Taliban. Provincial⁵ officials had reached a deal with the militants that allowed the establishment of Islamic courts in parts of the northwest in exchange for the disarming⁶ of the militants, something they did not do.

But even staunch defenders⁷ of the agreement have in recent days harshly criticized the Taliban for failing to hold up their end of the bargain.

Bashir Bilour is a senior member of the Awami National Party, which played a key role in setting up the deal. He defended the recent military action by citing a long list of grievances⁸.

"After we discussed implementing⁹ Sharia, the other side smashed our schools, slaughtered¹⁰ our men and hanged our people. They stopped girls from attending school and women from going to the market," he said.
　
Pakistani soldiers fire heavy artillery¹¹ towards Taliban hideouts in Lower Dir, 28 Apr 2009

Since last week, Pakistan's army said it killed more than 100 militants and secured three districts that earlier had been controlled by the Taliban. Fighting continues in some of those places, but overall, the military said its operations have gone smoothly¹².

In Swat, there is concern among residents who have already been through two previous military operations that failed to dislodge the militants. The resident of Mingora who spoke¹³ to VOA said people are opposed to the Taliban, but are equally wary¹⁴ of military operations that have killed civilians in the past.

"People want operation against the militancy¹⁵, but not against the innocent people. This is the big problem for us, the Swati people, also for Buner," he said.

He said residents worry the military's attempts to dislodge the Taliban could fail once again.

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 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。

3 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。

4 landmines   

潜在的冲突； 地雷，投伞水雷( landmine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The treaty bans the use production and trade of landmines. 该条约规定，禁止使用地雷相关产品及贸易。
• One of the weapon's of special concern was landmines. 在引起人们特别关注的武器中就有地雷。

5 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。

6 disarming   

adj.消除敌意的，使人消气的v.裁军( disarm的现在分词 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• He flashed her a disarming smile. 他朝她笑了一下，让她消消气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We will agree to disarming troops and leaving their weapons at military positions. 我们将同意解除军队的武装并把武器留在军事阵地。 来自辞典例句

7 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

10 slaughtered   

v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The invading army slaughtered a lot of people. 侵略军杀了许多人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Hundreds of innocent civilians were cruelly slaughtered. 数百名无辜平民遭残杀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 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。

12 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

13 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

14 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

15 militancy   

n.warlike behavior or tendency

参考例句：

• Full of militancy and revolutionary ardour, the people of all nationalities in the country are working hard for the realization of the four modernizations. 全国各族人民意气风发， 斗志昂扬，为实现四个现代化而奋战。
• The seniority system is another factor that leads to union militancy. 排资论辈制度也是导致工会好斗争的另一因素。