VOA标准英语2009年-Iraq Attacks Are Escalating

In Iraq, at least 25 people have been killed in three separate attacks. The recent upsurge in violence has many Iraqis worried.
　
Khaleel Mahood mourns over his brother's body after he was killed in a suicide bombing in Kirkuk, Iraq, 21 May 2009

In the first attack of an extremely bloody² day, a suicide-bomber targeted a group of U.S.-allied Sunni Awakening³ Council militiamen in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.

One Sahwa member explains what happened.

He says that he and other members of the Awakening council were gathered at the group's headquarters, waiting to receive their salaries. As they were gathering⁴, he adds, an explosion took place.

A second explosion in Baghdad's Dora district, targeted a U.S. military foot patrol, killing⁵ at least 12 civilians⁶ and wounding another 25 near a crowded market.

Eyewitnesses⁷ say a third explosion killed at least two police officers in Baghdad's Mansour district, when a bomb exploded in a trash bin¹. Several policemen were also wounded.

Thursday's explosions come less than six weeks before U.S. troops are scheduled to withdraw from Iraqi cities and towns, in accordance with a U.S.-Iraqi military pact⁸ signed last November.

The recent upsurge in violence has many Iraqis worried a new wave of sectarian violence could befall the country just as U.S. troops are set to begin their pullback.

An extremely vicious car bombing Wednesday, targeting the Shi'ite neighborhood of Shula, left 40 people dead. A Shi'ite relative of one of the victims comments.

He says "[the bombing] is unacceptable. What do the terrorists want from us? With God's help and that of [Imam] Ali, we will prevail."

Baghdad University Professor Sa'ad al Hadithy warns the worsening security situation could overcome Iraq.

He says the past 24 hours in Baghdad were extremely bloody and there were dozens of casualties. He stresses that this is an indicator⁹ of what he calls a 'security vacuum' just as U.S. troops are beginning their gradual pullback from Iraqi cities.

Hadithy says despite assurances from the Shi'ite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Iraqi security forces are not prepared to take control from U.S. troops on June 30.

Hadithy insists that Iraqi security forces are still incapable¹⁰ of fulfilling security requirements to be able to face the numerous armed factions¹¹ without direct and effective U.S. assistance. These Iraqi forces, he stresses, which were put together chaotically¹² and without being technically¹³ proficient¹⁴ are ill-prepared to confront current dangers. He says they are incompetent¹⁵, badly armed, and physically¹⁶ unready. What is needed now, he says, is a complete review of the structure and formation of the security forces.

The latest wave of violence follows an extremely bloody month of April, when terrorists targeted predominantly Shi'ite districts in an apparent bid to stoke a new round of Sunni-Shi'ite violence.

1 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

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 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。

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

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 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。

7 eyewitnesses   

目击者( eyewitness的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The examination of all the eyewitnesses took a week. 对所有证人的质询用了一周的时间。
• Several eyewitnesses testified that they saw the officers hit Miller in the face. 几位目击证人证明他们看见那几个警官打了米勒的脸。

8 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。

9 indicator   

n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器

参考例句：

• Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
• His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。

10 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

11 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

12 chaotically   

参考例句：

• His thoughts churned chaotically in his brain like snowflakes whirling about in the north wind. 头脑里，情思弥漫纷乱像个北风飘雪片的天空。 来自汉英文学 - 围城
• In metal the atoms are arranged not chaotically but in even rows, forming a crystal lattice. 在金属里，原子并不是杂乱无章地排列而是排成平整的行列，构成一个晶格。 来自辞典例句

13 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

14 proficient   

adj.熟练的，精通的；n.能手，专家

参考例句：

• She is proficient at swimming.她精通游泳。
• I think I'm quite proficient in both written and spoken English.我认为我在英语读写方面相当熟练。

15 incompetent   

adj.无能力的，不能胜任的

参考例句：

• He is utterly incompetent at his job.他完全不能胜任他的工作。
• He is incompetent at working with his hands.他动手能力不行。

16 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。