VOA常速英语2017--美国呼吁国际社会就叙利亚问题向俄罗斯施压

Barrel bombs, missile strikes and mortar¹ shells have reduced much of Aleppo to rubble². Amid the twisted wreckage³ live an estimated 250,000 people at constant risk of annihilation as the bombs continue to fall.

桶爆弹、导弹轰炸、迫击炮弹已让阿勒波沦为一片废墟。在这惨不忍睹的废墟至上还有大约25万人处于炸弹的持续攻击之下，随时面临死亡的危险。

Western powers have accused Russia of war crimes for dropping bunker-busting and incendiary bombs on civilian⁴ areas — a charge Moscow has denied — despite the evidence on the ground. France has called for the International Criminal Court to investigate.

西方国家指责俄罗斯向民用区投放掩体摧毁炸弹以及燃烧弹的战争犯罪行为——俄罗斯否认该项指控——虽然证据确凿。法国已向国际刑事法院呼吁对此进行调查。

'Pariah⁵ nation'

‘民不聊生’

In an emergency parliamentary debate Tuesday, Britain's Foreign Minister said Russia was becoming "a pariah nation."

在周二的紧急议会辩论中，英国外长表示，俄罗斯正在变为“一个民不聊生的国家。”

"And if President Putin's strategy is to restore the greatness and the glory of Russia, then I believe he risks seeing his ambition turned to ashes in the face of international contempt for what is happening in Syria."

“而如果普京总统的战略是要恢复俄罗斯的伟大与光荣的话，那么我认为在国际社会蔑视俄方所造成的叙利亚当前形势面前，普京的雄心抱负都有化为灰烬的风险。”

Lawmakers repeatedly called for Britain to help enforce a no-fly zone to protect civilians⁶.

立法者反复呼吁英国协助禁飞区的成立，以保护叙利亚百姓。

"The helicopters that are dropping barrel bombs could easily be brought down by rockets based in Turkey, in Lebanon or indeed from our own Type 45s warships⁷ in the Mediterranean⁸."

“投放桶爆弹的直升机可以被土耳其、黎巴嫩以及我们自己部署在地中海地区45s型军舰发射的火箭弹击落。”

Aleppo

关于阿勒波

No-fly zone

禁飞区

A no-fly zone was pushed by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry last month following an attack on a U.N. aid convoy⁹. More hawkish¹⁰ voices are calling for Britain to back the idea.

自上个月联合国救援队遭到袭击以来，美国国务卿克里就在推动禁飞区的设立。而且越来越多的鹰派在呼吁英国支持设立禁飞区的想法。

"Come out and publicly say, 'America, we will stand with you on this if you intend to do it. And we will support it, indeed, with an application of our military force.' They (Russia) will not risk a confrontation¹¹ once there's a firm military presence to actually fight against, and you will end up with a much better chance of a negotiated solution."

“走出来，公开表态说‘美国，如果你想这样做，我们会支持你。而且我们还会动用我方军力来支持这件事。’他们（俄罗斯）不会冒着跟坚实军力硬碰硬的风险，这样我们就有更大的机会赢得更优的协商方案。”

But British Prime Minister Theresa May has stopped short of supporting any military action to enforce a no-fly zone against the Syrian government or Russian forces, saying, "It is for the international community to continue to put more pressure on Russia."

但英国首相特蕾莎已表示不支持针对叙利亚政府或俄罗斯军方而设立禁飞区的军事行动，她表示，“这时候需要国际社会继续向俄罗斯施加更多的压力。”

As relations between Moscow and the West continue to sour, Russian President Vladimir Putin canceled a visit to Paris that was scheduled for next week.

随着俄罗斯与西方国家的关系不断恶化，俄罗斯总统普京取消了原定下周前往巴黎的出访。

1 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

2 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

3 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

4 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

5 pariah   

n.被社会抛弃者

参考例句：

• Shortly Tom came upon the juvenile pariah of the village.不一会儿，汤姆碰上了村里的少年弃儿。
• His landlady had treated him like a dangerous criminal,a pariah.房东太太对待他就像对待危险的罪犯、对待社会弃儿一样。

6 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。

7 warships   

军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只

参考例句：

• The enemy warships were disengaged from the battle after suffering heavy casualties. 在遭受惨重伤亡后，敌舰退出了海战。
• The government fitted out warships and sailors for them. 政府给他们配备了战舰和水手。

8 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

9 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。

10 hawkish   

adj. 鹰派的, 强硬派的

参考例句：

• My staff's advice that first day was amazingly hawkish. 在第一天，我的僚属们的意见是令人吃惊的鹰派意见。
• Antiwar groups fear Barack Obama may create hawkish Cabinet. 反战团体担心巴拉克·奥巴马可以创建强硬派内阁。

11 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。