2006年VOA标准英语-Thousands Reported Fleeing Sri Lankan Fighting

By Patricia Nunan
New Delhi
04 August 2006

Aid workers say thousands of people are fleeing a town in eastern Sri Lanka where fighting between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels has raged for more than a week. The fighting goes on as a senior peace envoy¹ arrived in Sri Lanka in an effort to save a ceasefire that some observers say exists in name only.

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Staff from the International Committee of the Red Cross, or I.C.R.C., say they have reports that more than 25,000 people are trying to escape fighting around the eastern town of Muttur.
 

Medical staffers assist a mortar² shell wounded civilian³ onto a bed after he was brought to the base hospital in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, Friday, Aug. 4, 2006   
  
The town, near the city of Trincomalee, is usually held by Sri Lankan government forces, which are fighting Tamil Tiger guerrillas. Civilians⁴ reportedly are fleeing by foot through the surrounding jungle.

I.C.R.C. spokesman Vignati Davide says the government has indicated it is willing to open a "humanitarian⁵ corridor" that would allow aid workers to reach civilians stuck in Muttur. But they have no word yet from the Tamil Tiger rebels.

"In principle we got this green light, but without the green light from the other side, it means from the Tigers, we don't risk for the moment to send our staff," said Davide.

It is the 10th day of fighting around Muttur in the eastern district of Trincomalee - a traditional flashpoint for hostilities⁶. The government launched air strikes on the area last week, when the rebels refused to open an irrigation channel, blocking water to government-held land.

Since then, the two sides have exchanged artillery⁷ and mortar fire. Local officials say the Tamil Tigers have held positions within Muttur, prompting civilians to leave their homes for the relative safety of churches and schools.

Davide says the I.C.R.C. estimates at least 125 injured people are stuck in Muttur, some of them hurt when one of the buildings where civilians took shelter was hit by artillery fire. He says local medical personnel would likely be overwhelmed by the number of injured.

"There is a local doctor from the Muttur hospital, and we succeeded in bringing him some medicaments [medicine]," he said. "So the doctor is working and trying to take care of the injured, but it's clear the number is so huge that we don't know exactly how he could work over the past 24 hours."

Senior Norwegian envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer arrived in the capital, Colombo, Friday in an effort to stop the situation from degenerating⁸ into all-out war. Norway brokered⁹ a 2002 cease-fire agreement between the government and the rebels, which both sides say they remain committed to.

The fighting is the worst violence since the cease-fire was signed. Analysts¹⁰ say both sides have been guilty of cease-fire violations¹¹ since the beginning of this year, leading to the deaths of an estimated 850 people.

More than 60,000 died during 20 years of fighting between the government, which is predominantly ethnic¹² Sinhalese, and the rebels, who demanded independence for areas in the north and east of the country dominated by the Tamil minority.

1 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

3 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。

4 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。

5 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。

6 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

7 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。

8 degenerating   

衰退，堕落，退化( degenerate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denied that some young people today were degenerating. 他否认现在某些青年在堕落。
• Young people of today are not degenerating. 今天的青年并没有在变坏。

9 brokered   

adj.由权力经纪人安排（或控制）的v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的过去式和过去分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• a peace plan brokered by the UN 由联合国出面协商的和平计划
• Your husband brokered the deal to go in, transfrer the assets and get our man out. 你丈夫后来插了一脚，把生意都抢了过去，我们的人也被挤了出来。 来自电影对白

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

11 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

12 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。