PBS高端访谈:伊拉克人在对抗ISIS过程中展现出了顽强的精神

 　　ALISON STEWART, PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND ANCHOR: The U.S. ambassador to Iraq is Douglas Silliman, a career foreign service officer who has worked on and off in Iraq since 2011, has previously¹ served as U.S. ambassador to Kuwait, and has held other posts in Turkey and Jordan.

　　Ambassador Silliman joins me now from Baghdad to discuss the ongoing² U.S. presence and role in Iraq and the fight against ISIS, sometimes referred to as ISIL and Daesh.

　　Ambassador, as someone who has worked over that region over a prolonged period of time, I'd like to get your perspective. Is Iraq more or less stable than it was in 2011?

　　DOUGLAS SILLIMAN, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: Alison, thank you very much for having me today.

　　I — my returned three months ago, was very pleased to see the feeling the civility in Iraq compared to what I felt in previous tours here. Especially, I've seen a development in the professionalism of the Iraqi military and security forces that I think has contributed to this. But probably, the most important is a very strong spirit among all Iraqis in the fight against Daesh.

　　STEWART: Ambassador, upon taking the post. You said that the United States is and would be working with Prime Minister Abadi to help and this is a quote, "meet the needs to the liberation of the city of Mosul."

　　What are those needs and how involved is Mr. Abadi?

　　SILLIMAN: Well, Prime Minister Abadi has been very much involved in the planning for the military assault on Mosul. He's also been very involved in the planning for the humanitarian³ assistance for those people who have been pushed out of Mosul because of the timing⁴, and also taking care of the needs of those who are left inside the city.

　　The United States has also played a significant role in both humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced, but we have also worked very closely as the leader of the international coalition⁵ against Daesh, to provide advice and assistance to the Iraqi military, airstrikes in coordination⁶ with the Iraqi military, and a significant amount of training for Iraqi security forces.

　　STEWART: Should ISIS be expunged⁷ from Mosul, what is being done to scaffold the Iraqi government and institution so that it can hold and maintain Mosul?

　　SILLIMAN: Actually, Alison, that's a good question. There is a lot that is being done.

　　First of all, in coordination with the United Nations and specifically the U.N. development program, the United States and other international partners have been working with the government of Iraq to do what we're calling stabilization⁸, making sure that people go into the ground after areas are liberated¹⁰ from Daesh, reconnecting the electricity, making sure that the water works, cleaning up the debris¹¹ of war where it exists and getting the basic infrastructure¹² of life going again. Neighborhood health clinics, schools for children and small loans for businesspeople who want to get their shops open again.

　　This is in Iraq a relatively¹³ tested model. We have used this as the Iraqi military has liberated the cities of Ramadi, Fallujah, Baiji and Tikrit in the past. And the United Nations, the United States, and especially the Iraqi government have improved each time that they liberate⁹ a city and work on repairing the services.

　　Mosul is a challenge because it's the largest city that will have to be liberated and rehabilitated¹⁴, but we have a lot of experience and the international community has put together a very good team and has been very generous, including the United States in these efforts.

　　STEWART: So, the rehabilitation¹⁵ of those other cities you mentioned, they're a model for what you hope will happen in Mosul?

　　SILLIMAN: Well, the rehabilitation for the other cities has really been a laboratory for the way to do this in the best way possible. Each city has had a different experience with Daesh and with war. So, the stabilization and rehabilitation of each city has been slightly different. For example, in the city of Tikrit, more than 95 percent of the civilian¹⁶ population has returned to their homes, schools are opened, university has reopened, and shops and traffic seemed very close to normal.

　　In cities like Ramadi where there was more destruction, a significant part of the population has returned, but there is still areas of the city that literally¹⁷ have to be rebuilt. And that will take sometime for both the government and the individual homeowners, who have to go back and rebuild their lives after the war.

　　伊拉克人在对抗ISIS过程中展现出了顽强的精神

　　STEWART: The Kurdish fighters, the Peshmerga, has been crucial in this fight for Mosul, but some of its leaders have expressed an aspiration¹⁸ for independence and that's obviously complex given all the players. What's the U.S. position on Kurdish independence?

　　SILLIMAN: Well, Alison, what I've been most surprised and please by in the military operation in Mosul has been the very high degree of cooperation and coordination between the Iraqi army and the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters. I think there was reticence¹⁹ on both sides to cooperate at the beginning, but with a little bit of American assistance, they have put together a very good joint²⁰ battle plan for Mosul, and each side has been working very honestly and openly in coordinating²¹ with the other on the actual operations themselves.

　　Now, as for — I mean, the political leadership, this cooperation has also sparked goodwill²² and cooperation between Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi and Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani. They have had more conversations than usual and Barzani has come down to visit Abadi in Baghdad, something he has not done much in the past. And Prime Minister Abadi has visited President Barzani in Erbil.

　　So, I'm optimistic that both the on-the-ground military coordination and the political level goodwill and cooperation will provide us with a good pathway forward following the Mosul campaign.

　　STEWART: Now, sir, you work in the Green Zone, which is a normally a secure and safe area. But it was breached²³ earlier this year and I know late last month, there was a security warning issued for Americans, especially mentioning potential kidnappings of people who work for NGOs. What are your safety concerns for Americans in Iraq currently?

　　SILLIMAN: Alison, it is still a moderately dangerous place in Iraq. There are parts of the country that are pretty safe. But there are still many members of Daesh who are able to escape the areas where they have been isolated²⁴ by the Iraqi military and conduct some conducts.

　　If you look at the progress that the Iraqi army and the Iraqi police have made over the past six months, you will see particularly for the large cities like Baghdad, the number attacks, armed attacks or bombing attacks has dropped significantly as security has tightened²⁵. And, frankly²⁶, as the intelligence and cooperation networks with the international coalition and between Iraqi police and security agencies have improved.

　　So, it is still a dangerous place and we still caution Americans to be very sure of your security arrangements before you come to Iraq. But we see in general that the security situation is improving and we hope that once Daesh is pushed out of Iraq, the security environment will improve even more.

　　STEWART: And, Mr. Ambassador, what do you believe is the biggest challenge for the incoming administration, the Trump²⁷ administration?

　　SILLIMAN: I think that the biggest challenge for the administration will be trying to decide how much — what the next step will be in the American relationship with Iraq. I know that Prime Minister Abadi this week called President-elect Trump and he says that he had had a very good conversation with President-elect Trump. So, I'm optimistic that this relationship will continue to be a solid one under the new administration.

　　STEWART: Ambassador Silliman, thank you so much for your time today.

　　SILLIMAN: Alison, thank you very much.

1 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

2 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

3 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

4 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

5 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。

6 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

7 expunged   

v.擦掉( expunge的过去式和过去分词 )；除去；删去；消除

参考例句：

• Details of his criminal activities were expunged from the file. 他犯罪活动的详细情况已从档案中删去。
• His name is expunged from the list. 他的名字从名单中被除掉了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

9 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。

10 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。

11 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

12 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

13 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

14 rehabilitated   

改造（罪犯等）( rehabilitate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使恢复正常生活； 使恢复原状； 修复

参考例句：

• He has been rehabilitated in public esteem. 公众已恢复对他的敬重。
• Young persons need to be, wherever possible, rehabilitated rather than punished. 未成年人需要受到尽可能的矫正而不是惩罚。

15 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

16 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。

17 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

18 aspiration   

n.志向，志趣抱负；渴望；(语)送气音；吸出

参考例句：

• Man's aspiration should be as lofty as the stars.人的志气应当象天上的星星那么高。
• Young Addison had a strong aspiration to be an inventor.年幼的爱迪生渴望成为一名发明家。

19 reticence   

n.沉默，含蓄

参考例句：

• He breaks out of his normal reticence and tells me the whole story.他打破了平时一贯沈默寡言的习惯，把事情原原本本都告诉了我。
• He always displays a certain reticence in discussing personal matters.他在谈论个人问题时总显得有些保留。

20 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。

21 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

22 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

23 breached   

攻破( breach的现在分词 )； 破坏，违反

参考例句：

• These commitments have already been breached. 这些承诺已遭背弃。
• Our tanks have breached the enemy defences. 我方坦克车突破了敌人的防线。

24 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

25 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

26 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

27 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。