VOA常速英语2017--美国强势回应化学气体袭击——战斧导弹轰炸阿萨德空军基地（在线收听）

Two days after Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against his own people in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun, the United States struck the airfield from which the April 4 chemical attack was launched. On the orders of President Donald Trump, Tomahawk missiles were fired on Al-Shayrat Air Base from U.S. Navy ships in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea targeting aircraft, fuel storage, air defense systems, and ammunition.

阿萨德(Bashar al-Assad)在叙利亚北部小镇汗舍孔镇(Khan Sheikhun)对其子民使用化学武器的2天后，美国攻击了4月4日化学武器袭击事件发动地所在的机场。在总统特朗普的多道总统令下，美国海军舰队从地中海东部向谢拉特空军基地(shayrat air base)发射了多枚战斧导弹(Tomahawk missile)，目标是该基地的飞机、燃料库、防空系统、军火。

Assad's gas attack on Khan Sheikhoun killed scores of men, women, and children. As President Trump said in announcing the retaliatory U.S. strike, “It was a slow and brutal death for so many. Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack. No child of God should ever suffer such horror.”

阿萨德对汗舍孔镇(Khan Sheikhun)的化学气体袭击造成数十名男女死亡，其中不乏儿童。特朗普在宣布美国此次报复性袭击时表示，“这次化学气体袭击对于很多叙利亚人来说是一种慢性的致命死亡过程。在这次惨无人道的袭击中，甚至连天使般的婴儿都被残忍杀害。上帝是无法忍受这种暴行的。”

President Trump said the U.S response was “in the vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons.” He called on “all civilized nations to join the United States to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, as well as to end terrorism of all kinds.”

特朗普总统表示，美方的这种回应方式是“为了美国重要的国家安全利益而做，是为了阻止致命化学武器的传播和使用。”特朗普还呼吁“所有文明国家加入美国，结束叙利亚的屠宰和血腥，阻止各种形式的恐怖主义。”

Speaking to reporters, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson noted that in 2013 Syria agreed to surrender all of its chemical weapons under the supervision of the Russian government, which committed to act as the guarantor that no chemical weapons would remain in Syria. “Clearly, Russia has failed in its responsibility to deliver on that commitment,” Mr. Tillerson said.

在面向记者讲话时，国务卿蒂勒森(Rex Tillerson)强调，早在2013年，叙利亚就同意在俄罗斯政府的监督下上交所有化学武器，而俄方政府也承诺担任监督方，保证叙利亚不再保留任何化学武器。“显然，俄罗斯没有尽到自己的责任，没有实现自己的承诺，”蒂勒森表示。

Secretary Tillerson emphasized that the lack of response by the international community after Assad's repeated uses of chemical weapons had the effect of allowing Assad to normalize their use: “It is important that some action be taken on behalf of the international community to make clear that the use of chemical weapons continues to be a violation of international norms.”

蒂勒森还强调，在阿萨德反复使用化学武器后，国际社会的反馈之声依然匮乏，这会让阿萨德将化学武器的使用常规化。“很重要的一点是：必须以国际社会的名义采取一些行动，让阿萨德政权明白使用化学武器依然是违背国际准则的。”

Secretary Tillerson also noted that given the chaotic circumstances that exist on the ground in Syria, the presence of chemical weapons presents another threat: that they may fall into the hands of terrorists.

蒂勒森还表示，考虑到叙利亚目前混沌不堪的局势，化学武器的存在会构成另一种威胁：化学武器可能会落入恐怖分子之手。

“There are a number of elements that...called for this action,” Mr. Tillerson said. “And in carrying this out, we coordinated very carefully with our international partners...The response from our allies in Europe as well as in the region in the Middle East has been overwhelmingly supportive.”

“有很多因素让美国做出这样的行动，”蒂勒森说。“而在实施此次行动的过程中，我们与多位国际伙伴审慎配合……我们在欧洲和中东地区的盟友给予了强烈的支持响应。”