VOA标准英语2011--Gadhafi's Killing in Libya Has Repercussions for Syria

Gadhafi's Killing¹ in Libya Has Repercussions² for Syria

 

The killing of Libya's ex-leader Moammar Gadhafi may prove a cautionary tale to autocrats³ in the region who face uprisings of their own. Those upheavals⁴ are keenly watched by Arab Spring protesters - especially in Syria.

Libyan expatriates partied well into the night outside the White House, celebrating the end to the 42-year reign⁵ of Moammar Gadhafi.

“I’m on cloud 9 right now," said one man participating in the celebration. "I’m on Cloud 9 of Cloud 9.”

"Oh my gosh, we are so happy, everyone wants to rent a plane and we all want to go back to Libya,” said a woman who was swept up in the moment.

But on the streets of Syria, there is violence at such celebrations. Activists⁶ say security forces killed at least 13 demonstrators as they cheered Libya's victory. Syrians are afraid to speak openly, but we contacted this Syrian who was there. VOA disguised the person's identity for protection and spoke⁷ via Skype.

"We feel so great - we feel like our brothers in Libya. We get more energy from his [Gadhafi's] death. We are calling for international protection and no-fly zone," said this person in Syria.

A protester uses a shoe to beat a picture of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad during a protest organized by Lebanese and Syrians living in Lebanon, in solidarity8 with Syria's anti-government protesters, in the port-city of Tripoli, northern Lebanon, October 21, 2011.

It took seven months from the first uprising to officially end autocratic rule in Libya. NATO provided air support with the United States playing only a part. The U.S. suffered no casualties and spent far less than in other recent conflicts. U.S. officials consider their $1 billion to $2 billion share a bargain, and give Libyans the credit.

“You have won your revolution,” said President Barack Obama.

Now the Obama administration is reviewing the formula, hoping to transfer it to other countries.

“This is more the prescription⁹ for how to deal with the world as we go forward than it has been in the past," said Vice¹⁰ President Joe Biden. "So, that’s an example of how the world’s beginning to work together a little better.”

The Arab Spring began in Tunisia and moved to Egypt. Now there's success in Libya.

Former White House adviser¹¹ Marc Ginsberg said, “Syrians are going to say, 'Why not us? Why, are we not as deserving as the Libyan people?' And it may in the end put more pressure on the administration to determine how and what to do about Syria."

The Syrian opposition¹² has followed the lead of Libyans and formed the Syrian National Council. So far, they have not fought back with weapons. For that, Syrians would need international help… which no country is yet offering.

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 repercussions   

n.后果，反响( repercussion的名词复数 )；余波

参考例句：

• The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry. 这家公司的垮台将会给整个行业造成间接的负面影响。
• Human acts have repercussions far beyond the frontiers of the human world. 人类行为所产生的影响远远超出人类世界的范围。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 autocrats   

n.独裁统治者( autocrat的名词复数 )；独断专行的人

参考例句：

• Still, the widespread pessimism doesn't explain the relatively high scores enjoyed by the autocrats. 不过，普遍的悲观情绪并没有解释为何独裁者得到相对较高的分数。 来自互联网

4 upheavals   

突然的巨变( upheaval的名词复数 )； 大动荡； 大变动； 胀起

参考例句：

• the latest upheavals in the education system 最近教育制度上的种种变更
• These political upheavals might well destroy the whole framework of society. 这些政治动乱很可能会破坏整个社会结构。

5 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 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。

8 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

9 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

10 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

11 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

12 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。