VOA常速英语2017--攻克摩苏尔之战异常艰辛

 

The Iraqi army, backed by helicopters, advanced on western Mosul and pushed into the area around the al-Nuri mosque¹.

伊拉克军队在直升机的支持下，进军到了摩苏尔西部，并推进到了努尔大清真寺(al-Nuri Mosque)。

Taking the mosque where Islamic State leader gave a much publicized sermon in July of 2014 is a symbolic² victory for the government. But retaking the Old City of Mosul is riddled³ with challenges.

收复这间寺庙对于伊拉克政府来说是巨大的成功，因为这里是IS领导人2014年7月进行公开布道之地。不过，重新收复摩苏尔老城依然挑战重重。

It is one of the toughest areas, and in fact it is difficult, chaotic⁴ and very tight, but our forces managed to get out of their vehicles and enter the Old City.

这里是最难攻克的地区之一，这里真的非常困难，混乱不堪，条件匮乏，但我们的军队还是克服困难，亲身实地地攻入摩苏尔城内。

Militants⁵ are believed to be using suicide bombers⁶ to block the advance of government troops. Military officials say fighting in the densely⁷ populated Old City is extremely difficult.

据称，IS分子试图用自杀式爆炸者来阻挡政府军的攻入。军方相关人士表示，摩苏尔人口稠密，让战斗变得极为困难。

"The challenges are, firstly, how to avoid hitting civilians⁸ because they are using them as human shields. And secondly⁹, the area is difficult because it is in an ancient neighborhood and we use less heavy weapons.

“挑战首先就是怎样避免伤到平民，因为IS用平民当肉盾。其二是，攻克这个地区很困难，因为这是古老的城区，所以我们要尽量少用重型武器。”

Civilians are streaming out of western Mosul with meager¹⁰ possessions and people wounded by landmines¹¹ or booby traps.

很多平民从摩苏尔西部一涌而出，只带了少量物品，但还是有很多人被地雷和陷阱所伤。

There are bodies lying on the ground; they were killed by booby traps under the car at this corner. They passed and stepped on the wire. There are 15 dead bodies; they've started to rot. We wanted to take them, but the militants didn't let us. They shot at us.

遍地都是尸体，他们被这个角车辆下面设置的陷阱所杀。他们经过的时候踩到了电线上。这里有15具尸体，已经开始腐烂。我们想安置他们的尸体，但受到了IS分子的阻挠。IS分子对我们开枪。

The Iraqi government launched a massive U.S.-backed operation in October to retake Mosul from Islamic State. About 250,000 people have been displaced from the area since that battle began.

去年10月，伊拉克政府在美军行动的支持下开展了大规模行动以收复摩苏尔。自从那场战争开展以来，这个地区已有25万人流离失所。

The situation is terrible. Islamic State militants have destroyed us. There is no food. There is no bread. There is nothing.

现在的形势糟糕。IS分子也让我们损失惨重。我们现在没有食物。什么都没有。

But those who have escaped feel lucky. More than a half-million civilians remain trapped by the militants in the Old City of Mosul.

虽然逃出去的人感到十分幸运，但摩苏尔城内还是有50多万人深困于IS分子的水深火热之中。

1 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

2 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

3 riddled   

adj.布满的；充斥的；泛滥的v.解谜，出谜题(riddle的过去分词形式)

参考例句：

• The beams are riddled with woodworm. 这些木梁被蛀虫蛀得都是洞。
• The bodies of the hostages were found riddled with bullets. 在人质的尸体上发现了很多弹孔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

5 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

6 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 densely   

ad.密集地；浓厚地

参考例句：

• A grove of trees shadowed the house densely. 树丛把这幢房子遮蔽得很密实。
• We passed through miles of densely wooded country. 我们穿过好几英里茂密的林地。

8 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。

9 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

10 meager   

adj.缺乏的，不足的，瘦的

参考例句：

• He could not support his family on his meager salary.他靠微薄的工资无法养家。
• The two men and the woman grouped about the fire and began their meager meal.两个男人同一个女人围着火，开始吃起少得可怜的午饭。

11 landmines   

潜在的冲突； 地雷，投伞水雷( landmine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The treaty bans the use production and trade of landmines. 该条约规定，禁止使用地雷相关产品及贸易。
• One of the weapon's of special concern was landmines. 在引起人们特别关注的武器中就有地雷。