VOA常速英语2017--打击叙利亚IS取得新进展

In Iraq and Syria, U.S.-led coalition¹ forces are making progress in the fight against ISIL, including in two crucial areas: killing² its leaders, and taking back territory.

美国领导的联军军力在打击伊拉克和叙利亚的IS方面取得了进展，包括2个关键领域：剿灭其多名领导人、收复领土。

The U.S Defense³ Department announced this month that a Syria-based Islamic State leader, Mahmud al-Isawi died in a coalition airstrike in Raqqa on December 31. Al-Isawi was a long-standing ISIL member who controlled the flow of instructions and finances between ISIL-held areas and ISIL leaders, and provided support to propaganda and intelligence outlets⁴. Al-Isawi was also known to have facilitated trans-regional travel with other ISIL external operations coordinators and had a close relationship with Abd al-Basit al-Iraqi, the emir of ISIL's Middle East attack network, who was killed in a coalition airstrike on November 2, 2016.

美国国防部本月宣布，叙利亚当地一名名为马哈茂德(Mahmud al-Isawi)的IS领导人在联军12月31日于拉卡市发动的空袭中死亡。马哈茂德进入IS由来已久，他掌管着IS控制地区与IS领导人之间指示的发布和财务信息的流动，并为IS的宣传点和情报点提供支持。此外，马哈茂德还曾协助IS外部行动协调员进行跨地区活动，并与IS中东恐怖袭击网络的策划头目Abd al-Basit al-Iraqi过从甚密，后者已于2016年11月2日的联军空袭中死亡。

Al-Isawi's death brought the number of significant ISIL leaders killed last year to 16. These losses, as the Defense Department said, have degraded ISIL's trans-regional attack and facilitation network, and are forcing ISIL fighters to increase their focus on internal security.

马哈茂德是过去一年中第16名被剿灭的重要IS领导人。这些领导人的损失，如美国国防部所说，降低了IS跨区域袭击和促进恐袭网络运转的能力，并迫使IS分子将更多的经历分散到内部安全上。

In a press briefing from Baghdad, U.S. Airforce Colonel John Dorrian, Spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, also noted⁵ the progress being made in liberating⁶ territory from the terrorists.

在巴格达举行的新闻发布会上，美国空军上校多里安(John Dorrian)作为“内在决心”(Operation Inherent Resolve)行动的发言人也提到了从恐怖分子手中解放领土所取得的进展。

In Syria, he said, the Syrian Democratic Forces are continuing their advance to isolate⁷ Raqqa:

他说，叙利亚的叙利亚民主力量(SDF, Syrian Democratic Forces)正继续进军，以隔离拉卡市。

“Since this current phase began on December 9th, the SDF have liberated⁹ more than 500 square miles of Syrian land, home to tens of thousands of people who have been brutalized by ISIL's rule.”

“自12月9日开展现阶段以来，叙利亚民主力量已经解放了500多平方英里的叙利亚领土，而此前这片领土上成千上万的人民都曾在IS的统治下遭受虐待。”

In Iraq, Colonel Dorrian noted, Iraqi security forces, with the help of coalition airstrikes and advisers¹¹ are making progress in their operation to liberate⁸ Mosul:

上校约翰在伊拉克说，伊拉克的安保部队在联军空袭以及顾问的合力帮助下，在解放摩苏尔的行动中取得了进展。

“The city is completely surrounded and the enemy doesn't have the ability to resupply or reinforce their fighters.”

“摩苏尔现在已经被全城包围，敌方无法补给资源和加强军力的能力。”

Colonel Dorrian said as difficult and dangerous as the fight for Mosul is and will be, “Time is not on the enemy's side, it's on the side of the Iraqi security forces and they are going to retake Mosul.”

上校约翰说，虽然摩苏尔之战无论从目前来看还是以后来看都会十分艰辛危险，但“敌方耗不起时间，而伊拉克安保部队有的是时间，他们一定能收复摩苏尔。”

ISIL is a brutal¹⁰ and determined¹² enemy. But the U.S.-led coalition and the local fighters it supports will keep intensifying¹³ the pressure until Syria and Iraq are free from ISIL's gruesome grip.

IS是一个手段残忍、执迷不悟的敌人。但美国领导的联军及其支持的叙利亚当地的战士们将会加大施压，直到叙利亚和伊拉克脱离IS的可怕统治。

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 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。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 liberating   

解放，释放( liberate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Revolution means liberating the productive forces. 革命就是为了解放生产力。
• They had already taken on their shoulders the burden of reforming society and liberating mankind. 甚至在这些集会聚谈中，他们就已经夸大地把改革社会、解放人群的责任放在自己的肩头了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

7 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

8 liberate   

v.解放，使获得自由，释出，放出；vt.解放，使获自由

参考例句：

• They did their best to liberate slaves.他们尽最大能力去解放奴隶。
• This will liberate him from economic worry.这将消除他经济上的忧虑。

9 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

10 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

11 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

12 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

13 intensifying   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的现在分词 )；增辉

参考例句：

• The allies are intensifying their air campaign. 联军部队正加大他们的空战强度。 来自辞典例句
• The rest of the European powers were in a state of intensifying congestion. 其余的欧洲强国则处于越来越拥挤的状态。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史