VOA标准英语2013--专家预测叙利亚战争可能升级

 

Experts Predict Syria Fighting May Escalate 专家预测叙利亚战争可能升级

LONDON — While the world’s diplomats¹ work in New York to hammer out an agreement on the disposal of Syria’s chemical weapons, and United Nations investigators² head back into Syria, experts say fighting in the more than two-year-long civil war may well become more intense.

Syria could be losing all or most of its chemical weapons, which gave it a significant advantage over rebel forces.  Experts say that could lead to intensified³ attacks from both sides.

Retired⁴ British Brigadier Ben Barry, now at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, says with the loss of its chemical weapons, the Syrian government is likely to make more extensive use of its other military assets.

“That has reduced an element of the regime’s military advantage.  But of course the regime still has lots of heavy firepower, including tanks, mortars⁵, artillery⁶ and ground-launched rockets, which is a much more important part of its capability,” Barry explained. 

According to experts at the Institute, last month's chemical weapons attack and the lack of a Western military response has left the rebels feeling disappointed and abandoned.  They say that will likely move the rebels to take a more aggressive approach on the battlefield.  Emile Hokayem, a senior fellow at the institute’s Middle East Center, predicts a significant spike⁷ in violence.

“Actually, I think that in coming months, in fact, the fighting is going to increase massively, and we will probably see even more massacres⁸, just because there is a sense right now that there is no outside help coming, so it’s a free-for-all,” Hokayem said.

And that would make it more difficult for United Nations inspectors⁹ to find and destroy or transport Syria’s chemical weapons.  Still, if Russia restrains Syrian government forces and the West convinces the rebels not to interfere¹⁰ with the inspectors, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon thinks the plan could work.

"Both sides who have influence on government forces and opposition¹¹ forces could influence political pressure or whatever. I think that can be done. Yes," admitted Ban.

That will be tested this week, as a team of inspectors arrives in Syria.  And experts are not convinced that cooperation will be a priority for neither the government nor the rebels. 

1 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 retired   

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。

5 mortars   

n.迫击炮( mortar的名词复数 )；砂浆；房产；研钵

参考例句：

• They could not move their heavy mortars over the swampy ground. 他们无法把重型迫击炮移过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Where the hell are his mortars? 他有迫击炮吗？ 来自教父部分

6 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

7 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

8 massacres   

大屠杀( massacre的名词复数 )； 惨败

参考例句：

• The time is past for guns and killings and massacres. 动不动就用枪、动不动就杀、大规模屠杀的时代已经过去了。 来自教父部分
• Numberless recent massacres were still vivid in their recollection. 近来那些不可胜数的屠杀，在他们的头脑中记忆犹新。

9 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

11 opposition   

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。