VOA标准英语2013--Mixed Views in Iraq on 10th Anniversary of US-Led Invasion

 

Mixed Views in Iraq on 10th Anniversary of US-Led Invasion

It's early morning in central Baghdad's Bataween district. Out-of-work laborers¹ huddle² on the street hoping to pick up a day's wages.

Abed Khaled is a house painter. He's been coming here for 10 years. He said he works a few days a month. It earns him about $35 a day.

“Everybody is suffering. There are no jobs. When an employer comes by everyone rushes him, competing to get hired. The income is very little. It's bad and every day seems to get worse,” said Khaled.

Baghdad's streets are choked with vehicles as workers head to their jobs. Tight security slows traffic even more. Most residents say life is hard. Only a few seem to have benefited from the conflict that took more than 100,000 lives, and continues to do so today in reduced numbers.

In a central market a few kilometers away, Najila Ali Saba shops for her nine children and 21 grandchildren. She said bombs are a major worry.

“Life is difficult because of the security situation, the terrorists. Most of the terrorists are not Iraqis. They are coming from foreign countries,” said Saba.

Ten years ago, U.S.-led forces launched the air strikes and subsequent ground invasion that brought an end to the regime of President Saddam Hussein. But most Iraqis say the system that replaced him has not fulfilled their hopes for freedom or democracy.

They are especially angry at their politicians. They accuse them of widespread corruption³ and of stoking ethnic⁴ and sectarian tensions to further their careers.

Hadi Jallo Mare⁵, who leads Baghdad's Center for Political Analysis, said, “There are deep divisions among the Iraqis. Some Kurds and Shiites reject Saddam Hussein. But some Sunnis would prefer him because they believe the current political situation deprives them of their rights.”

In the well-to-do Mansour district, people come out in the evening to shop. Osama Rasheed said business at his clothing store is good some days. But it drops off after a bombing because people are afraid to leave home.

"Security is better than two, three or four years ago, but we hope it will improve even more,” said Rasheed.

Some residents of this still vibrant⁶ city despair of ever seeing a return to normal life. Others remain hopeful. Many say they are living day-to-day. 

1 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

2 huddle   

vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人

参考例句：

• They like living in a huddle.他们喜欢杂居在一起。
• The cold wind made the boy huddle inside his coat.寒风使这个男孩卷缩在他的外衣里。

3 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

4 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。

5 mare   

n.母马，母驴

参考例句：

• The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。
• The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。

6 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。