阿勒颇的孩子们在社交媒体上讲述战争的恐怖

Children of Aleppo Recount Horrors of War on Social Media 阿勒颇的孩子们在社交媒体上讲述战争的恐怖

LONDON — 

For weeks, eastern Aleppo has been under siege by Syrian government forces and their Russian backers, who have warned civilians¹ to leave the city before an expected push to retake it from rebel forces. Amid the bombs, sniper fire and mortars², a quarter million people still live among the ruins of the ancient city, including thousands of children. Their existence appears increasingly precarious³.

For months, day and night, the bombs have fallen all around Bana al-Abed’s house in East Aleppo. But mobile phone networks still work, allowing her to communicate the horrors of life in the city.

“I am afraid of the bombing. I want peace,” said Bana, speaking to VOA via Skype.

Seven-year-old Bana is becoming a star of social media. With the help of her mother Fatemah, she set up a Twitter account and reports on life in the besieged⁴ city from a child’s perspective.

Also speaking via Skype, Fatemah describes Aleppo as a living hell.

"There is always bombing. Especially at night," she said. "When the night starts it is a horrible time for us, and for the kids. They do not take enough time to sleep. And in the day they live like a prisoner. Now they use heavy bombs. Even basements are not safe.”

Fatemah and her husband have considered fleeing the city with their three children. Syrian government forces, backed by Russia, said last week they had set up safe corridors for civilians to escape the siege. But Fatemah says it is a trap.

“They open corridors, as the whole world knows. But it is like a trick. It is not the truth. In the first cease-fire, there were snipers,” she said.

The charity Doctors Without Borders says at least 136 children in Aleppo have been killed and 468 wounded by airstrikes since late September.

Hospitals are desperately⁵ overcrowded and short of staff and medicines.

Abu Almoutassen, an emergency pediatric nurse, says they recently had a child in the hospital who needed surgery, but they could not find a surgeon in the whole of besieged Aleppo, and the child died.

Malnutrition⁶ rates are soaring. Children are dying not only from the bombs, but also from malnutrition and disease. Fatemah says the siege overwhelmingly targets civilians.

“Almost all of them are kids. And women. And old men. They want to be here and live in peace,” she said.

Peace seems a long way off. For Aleppo’s children, the daily fight for survival is getting harder.

1 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。

2 mortars   

n.迫击炮( mortar的名词复数 )；砂浆；房产；研钵

参考例句：

• They could not move their heavy mortars over the swampy ground. 他们无法把重型迫击炮移过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Where the hell are his mortars? 他有迫击炮吗？ 来自教父部分

3 precarious   

adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的

参考例句：

• Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
• He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家，他过得是朝不保夕的生活。

4 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。

5 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

6 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。