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叙利亚战争无结束迹象

时间:2015-09-22 14:48:36

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(单词翻译)

No End in Sight to the War in Syria 叙利亚战争无结束迹象

U.S. officials said this week that the United States is moving forward with an international agreement with Iran. The agreement would release Iran from trade restrictions1 while it agrees not to develop nuclear weapons. Congressional Republicans strongly oppose the agreement, but have failed to pass a resolution to reject it.

On Tuesday, Senate Republicans failed to get the 60 votes they needed for a bill “disapproving” the deal. The vote was 56 to 42. The week before, the bill also failed to get the necessary votes.

World powers and Iran announced the deal in July. They agreed to ease international economic sanctions against Iran. In exchange, Iran promised to limit its nuclear activities.

After the announcement, some observers said they hoped the United States, Russia and Iran would turn their attention to negotiating an end to the civil war in Syria.

Instead, Russia and Iran restated their support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government. That support seems to prolong the four-year-long war. An estimated 240,000 people have died in the fighting so far.

Most sides involved in Syria recognize the importance of defeating the terrorist forces of the Islamic State. But experts say an offensive against the militants2 is unlikely as long as the civil war continues.

Last month, the United Nations Security Council expressed support for renewed peace efforts in Syria. It was the first time in two years that the council’s 15 members agreed on a political statement about the conflict.

The plan calls for the creation of a new government in Syria.

European nations are especially interested in ending the war. Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees have fled to Europe. Migrants and refugees from other countries also have joined that flow, and tensions are strained along various borders.   

Last weekend, Germany’s foreign minister reportedly pushed “for a new diplomatic initiative” in talks with Russia’s foreign minister. The German official said he is worried about “the increasing amount of human suffering” and needs of refugees who are seeking asylum4 in Germany and other countries.

Retired5 Marine6 General John Allen is the U.S. representative to the coalition7 fighting the Islamic State. He said the refugee crisis cannot be ended unless the war in Syria ends.

General Allen told the BBC that “this instability has been created by Bashar al-Assad and that regime. He ultimately chose to make war on his own people. That ultimately created the crisis that we face today.” He added that President Assad “had to go.”

The general suggested the war will not end with military action. In his words, “the conflict has got to be solved at a political level and a global level.” But a political settlement has been elusive8. It would require agreement among the Assad government, many different rebel groups and the countries that support them.

Iran has given Syria thousands of fighters, as well as billions of dollars’ worth of weapons, fuel and loans. Last week, Iran said it does not agree that Mr. Assad should give up power. The rebel groups, however, agree that he should.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said “those who set conditions about the Syrian president should be blamed for the continued war.” A day after he spoke9, Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, said he is willing to talk with other countries, including Saudi Arabia, about ways to end the war in Syria.

But he said there could be no debate about the future of President Assad until there is peace in Syria. The rebels believe peace will not come to Syria until Mr. Assad is no longer president. Others worry about who would replace Mr. Assad and if the country would be made stable.

Russia is also a strong supporter of the president. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called the demand for Mr. Assad to be removed “unrealistic and counterproductive.”

In the past few weeks, Russia has strengthened its support for the Syrian government. It has sent Russian military “advisors” to Syria, and increased weapons to the Assad government. It is providing intelligence information and other aid. This has reduced the possibility of a diplomatic end to the war.

Staffan de Mistura is a U.N. diplomat3. He has been travelling throughout the Middle East and Europe, meeting with officials to try to end the war in Syria. Earlier, he tried to negotiate cease-fires in parts of the country to gain trust among the fighting groups. But U.S. officials told VOA that his efforts failed.

Syrian rebel leaders warn that the longer the war goes on, the more refugees will flee the country. Bassam Abdullah is with the Syrian Coalition, a Western-supported opposition10 group. He says people are fleeing Syria because they fear the war will not end soon.

Words In the News

sanctions – n. an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country or by not allowing economic aid for that country (usually plural)

instability – n. the quality or state of being unstable11; the state of being likely to change

regime – n. a form of government

ultimately – adv. at the end of a process or period of time


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1 restrictions 81e12dac658cfd4c590486dd6f7523cf     
约束( restriction的名词复数 ); 管制; 制约因素; 带限制性的条件(或规则)
参考例句:
  • I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
  • a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制
2 militants 3fa50c1e4338320d8495907fdc5bdbaf     
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。
3 diplomat Pu0xk     
n.外交官,外交家;能交际的人,圆滑的人
参考例句:
  • The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话,紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
  • He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。
4 asylum DobyD     
n.避难所,庇护所,避难
参考例句:
  • The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
  • Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。
5 retired Njhzyv     
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的
参考例句:
  • The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
  • Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。
6 marine 77Izo     
adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵
参考例句:
  • Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时,他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
7 coalition pWlyi     
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。
8 elusive d8vyH     
adj.难以表达(捉摸)的;令人困惑的;逃避的
参考例句:
  • Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
  • Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。
9 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
10 opposition eIUxU     
n.反对,敌对
参考例句:
  • The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
  • The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。
11 unstable Ijgwa     
adj.不稳定的,易变的
参考例句:
  • This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实,装不了这么多书。
  • The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

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