VOA标准英语2009年-More Than 50 Killed in Attacks in Iraq

A series of bombings in Iraq, Thursday, have left at least 50 people dead and over 100 wounded. Two suicide bombings in the town of Tal Afar, near the Syrian border, and a bombing in Baghdad's Sadr City, come just over a week after U.S. troops pulled out of Iraqi towns and cities.
　
Iraqi security forces secure the site of a bomb concealed¹ in a bicycle parked at a market in Baghdad, 09 Jul 2009

It was a bloody² day in Iraq, Thursday, recalling some of the worst bombings of recent years, with dozens of casualties in in explosions in Baghdad and the northwestern border town of Tal Afar.

Witnesses say two suicide bombers⁴ blew themselves up, minutes apart, in the northwestern town of Tal Afar, near the Syrian border. The second explosion appeared to target civilians⁵ who had gathered to help victims of the first bombing.

Tal Afar is home to a large population of ethnic⁶ Turkmens, whose relations with Iraq's sunni Arabs, in both neighboring Kirkuk and Mosul, have been strained in recent years.

Police say a man working for Iraqi security forces, responsible for interrogating⁷ suspects of terrorist attacks, was the target.
　
Police and civilians stand at the scene of a car bombing near Mosul, northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, 09 Jul 2009

A heavy-set man, spattered with blood, explained that he had just "married off his son," when events abruptly⁸ took a turn for the worse.

He says that he and others were at the wedding party, when a suicide bomber³ blew himself up among the guests.

Meanwhile, there was a bombing in a vegetable market in Baghdad's mainly Shi'ite district of Sadr City, with dozens of casualties.

Yet another explosion, this time a roadside bombing, went off in Baghdad's Karrada district, apparently⁹ aimed at the convoy¹⁰ of Iraq's central bank governor. The governor was unhurt, by the blast.

All three top Iraqi government security spokesman indicated, last week, that they thought the Iraqi government now had security matters "under control."

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki urged Iraqi citizens, recently, to cooperate with the country's security forces to put a stop to terror attacks. Efforts at reconciliation¹¹ between Iraq's rival Shi'ite and Sunni factions¹² have continued since local elections last January.

Member of parliament Hanin Qudwa told journalists that he thought that those who were behind the recent explosions were trying to affect the political process.

He says that those who are behind the explosions, either on behalf of foreign parties or local parties, are undoubtedly¹³ trying to influence the political process, and probably the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The recent rash of bombings comes close to ten days after U.S. troops withdrew from Iraqi cities and towns, according to a security pact¹⁴ signed last November with the Iraqi government.

Meanwhile Iranian state media say U.S. forces in Iraq have released five Iranian diplomats¹⁵ who were detained in 2007 on suspicion of helping¹⁶ Shi'ite Iraqi militants¹⁷. U.S. forces had detained the diplomats in the northern town of Irbil.

1 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

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 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。

4 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

7 interrogating   

n.询问技术v.询问( interrogate的现在分词 )；审问；（在计算机或其他机器上）查询

参考例句：

• She was no longer interrogating but lecturing. 她已经不是在审问而是在教训人了。 来自辞典例句
• His face remained blank, interrogating, slightly helpless. 他的面部仍然没有表情，只带有询问的意思，还有点无可奈何。 来自辞典例句

8 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

9 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。

10 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。

11 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

12 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

13 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

14 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。

15 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

17 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。