VOA标准英语2014--救援人员指责苏丹军方轰炸医院

 

Hospital Bombing Rattles¹ Sudan Relief Workers 救援人员指责苏丹军方轰炸医院

Relief workers and human rights advocates are criticizing Sudan's military for allegedly targeting the only functioning hospital in the war-torn Nuba Mountains region.  Witnesses say government war planes carried out a two-day bombing campaign at the site this month, in an apparent bid to drive international relief workers away. 

Before explosions rocked Mother of Mercy hospital, Catholic bishop² Macram Max Gassis said there were drones. "Before the bombing, these drones came three times, rather low.  They encircled the area," he explained. "Then, after two days, the bombing started."

Hospital workers said the bombings, which caused injuries but no deaths, left staff members and patients feeling "terrorized."

"For two days, because of the bombing, they ran to their homes. Some of them are displaced. Others are on the top of the mountain," said one of the nurses,

Ratiba Ibrahim.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's government has not publicly responded to allegations that it is responsible for the bombings, but local reporters say in the government's view, the Catholic hospital has been functioning illegally.

The government has restricted the access of international relief groups to the region and accused some of them of supporting the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, a rebel group fighting against Khartoum.  

"So, they want to destroy us so they can drive us away.  This is the only thing that makes any sense.  There is nothing militarily here.  There is no military objective to destroying this place," said Dr. Tom Catena, hospital medical director.

Akshaya Kumar is a Sudan policy analyst³ with the Enough Project, a group that monitors human rights developments in Central Africa, including Sudan.

“I think we can be 100 percent certain that this facility was targeted by the government.  And, that’s because of the simple fact of the weapons that were used.  In this conflict, only one side has access to aerial bombardment capabilities⁴ and that side is the Sudanese government,” stated Kumar.

Kumar said the international community needs to make it much clearer that Sudan has crossed a red line. “Just as we are hearing a discussion about the legality of crossing international borders to provide life-saving humanitarian⁵ assistance into Syria, many think that the same is needed for Sudan, especially because of the combination of the government’s refusal to allow international aid and assistance organizations into these areas, plus its willingness to specifically attack, target and destroy those who are, nonetheless, trying to provide those services,” Kumar said.

Workers say those services include providing treatment to the 150,000 people who rely on Mother of Mercy each year.

They fear that after the bombing, some patients may be too afraid to return.

1 rattles   

（使）发出格格的响声， （使）作嘎嘎声( rattle的第三人称单数 )； 喋喋不休地说话； 迅速而嘎嘎作响地移动，堕下或走动； 使紧张，使恐惧

参考例句：

• It rattles the windowpane and sends the dog scratching to get under the bed. 它把窗玻璃震得格格作响，把狗吓得往床底下钻。
• How thin it is, and how dainty and frail; and how it rattles. 你看它够多么薄，多么精致，多么不结实；还老那么哗楞哗楞地响。

2 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

3 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

4 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。