VOA常速英语2017--拉卡市成功从IS手中收复

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, is getting desperate, said chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana White at a recent news conference.

伊拉克和叙利亚的IS(也称ISIS)已经几近绝望，美国防部首席发言人丹纳 怀特(Dana White)在最近的一次新闻发布会上如是说道。

White said thousands of ISIS fighters are surrendering to Iraqi security forces and Syrian Democratic Forces.

怀特表示，上千名IS战士向伊拉克安全部队和叙利亚民主力量缴械投降。

They are getting desperate, she said. Civilians¹ are running towards the Iraqi security forces and Syrian Democratic Forces, because they know they are the good guys.

怀特称，他们已经绝望了。平民纷纷投奔伊拉克安全部队和叙利亚民主力量，因为他们知道这些人是好人。

Coalition² forces have supported Iraqi forces as they liberated⁴ Hawija and continue to support the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, as they enter the final phase of the battle for Raqqa – the capital of ISIS' so-called caliphate. More than 6.4 million Iraqis and Syrians have been liberated from the grip of ISIS, a territory about the size of California, White said.

盟军在伊拉克部队解放哈维加镇(Hawija)期间一直向其提供支持。此外，盟军还继续支持着叙利亚民主力量(SDF)，让其得以进入收复拉卡市最后阶段的战役中（拉卡是IS自称的首都）。怀特表示，有640多万伊拉克和叙利亚人民从IS的控制之下解放出来，得以收复的领土面积有一个加州那么大。

The coalition will continue to strike ISIS wherever the group raises its head and coalition service members will track foreign fighters fleeing from the region who hope to foment⁵ terror in other parts of the globe.

盟军将继续在IS冒头之处对其进行打击，盟军将士也将追踪从该地区逃走的国外战士，让他们无望在世界的其他地方煽动恐怖氛围。

But the credit belongs to the forces on the ground in Iraq and Syria, said spokesperson White. Local forces in Iraq and Syria have fought valiantly⁶ to liberate³ cities from ISIS, she added. It is because of their efforts and their tremendous sacrifices that I can say ISIS is on the run.

发言人怀特表示，但功劳是属于伊拉克和叙利亚面临真枪实弹的军队的。她补充道，伊拉克和叙利亚当地的部队为了从IS手中解放数座城市，一直在奋勇作战。今天，我能宣布IS在逃的消息，离不开他们的努力和巨大的牺牲。

The government force in Iraq and a cohesive⁷ and deadly coalition-partner force in Syria have made the difference in the effort to turn back the terror group. In the last three years the Coalition-trained and backed Iraqi Security Forces have removed ISIS from 87 percent of territory they once held, liberating⁸ more than 6.5 million people, including Mosul this July, the largest city ISIS has held.

伊拉克的政府军以及叙利亚团结一致、视死如归的盟军在击退IS这个恐怖组织的工作中做出了巨大贡献。过去的3年里，由盟军训练兵支持的伊拉克安全部队从IS手中夺回了87%的领土，解放了650多万人，包括今年7月收复的摩苏尔，曾几何时，该市是IS手中最大的城市。

In Syria, the SDF, a force of Kurds and Arabs, are united in the fight against ISIS. After more than four months of operations, Raqqa is more than 90 percent cleared.

而叙利亚的叙利亚民主力量是一股由库尔德和阿拉伯人民组成的力量，他们团结一致抗击IS。在历时4个多月的行动后，现在，拉卡市90%多的领土也得到了清理。

In Raqqa and elsewhere across Syria, our focus remains⁹ on reducing risk to civilians, said Colonel Ryan Dillon, Combined Joint¹⁰ Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman, while continuing to pursue and defeat ISIS terrorists at every opportunity as they retreat into the remaining held areas in the Middle Euphrates River Valley.

无论是拉卡市还是叙利亚的其他地方，我们的主要目标始终都是减少百姓的危险，联合特遣部队“内在决心”行动的发言人兼上校赖安 狄龙(Ryan Dillon)如是说道，此外，我们还在继续抓住一切机会寻求捣毁IS分子，趁着他们现在撤退到幼发拉底河流域中部的其他窝巢。

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 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。

3 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。

4 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。

5 foment   

v.煽动，助长

参考例句：

• The rebels know the truth and seek to foment revolution.那些叛乱者知道真相，并且想办法来挑起革命。
• That's an attempt to foment discord.这是挑拨。

6 valiantly   

adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳

参考例句：

• He faced the enemy valiantly, shuned no difficulties and dangers and would not hesitate to lay down his life if need be. 他英勇对敌，不避艰险，赴汤蹈火在所不计。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Murcertach strove valiantly to meet the new order of things. 面对这个新事态，默克塔克英勇奋斗。 来自辞典例句

7 cohesive   

adj.有粘着力的；有结合力的；凝聚性的

参考例句：

• She sealed the parcel with cohesive tape.她用粘胶带把包裹封起来。
• The author skillfully fuses these fragments into a cohesive whole.作者将这些片断巧妙地结合成一个连贯的整体。

8 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）

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。