2007年VOA标准英语-Hezbollah, Allies Block Roads Across Lebanon

By Edward Yeranian
Beirut
23 January 2007

Much of Lebanon remains¹ paralyzed, Tuesday, as supporters of the pro-Syrian Hezbollah group block Lebanon's coastal² highway and main thoroughfares in Beirut and other cities. From Beirut, Edward Yeranian reports this is all a bid to impose a general strike on the rest of the population.

Lebanese Army troops fired back at demonstrators attacking them with stones in the normally busy Mazraa commercial district, here in Beirut.

Opposition3 members throw tire inside burning car on airport highway in Beirut, 23 Jan. 2007" hspace="2" src="http://www.wwenglish.com/up/2007/01/16318/2.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Opposition members throw tire inside burning car on airport highway in Beirut, 23 Jan. 2007

Both the army and police clashed with supporters of the Hezbollah guerrilla group and its allies in other Beirut neighborhoods as demonstrators blocked key avenues and intersections⁴ with burning tires and debris⁵.

Thick clouds of black smoke also poured into the air, as an army bulldozer tried to reopen Lebanon's main coastal highway, north of the city.

Casualties were reported in the northern port city of Tripoli after government supporters exchanged gunfire with strikers.

A crowd of mostly young demonstrators began blocking the road to Beirut Airport, erecting⁶ a barrier of burning tires, early in the morning, and playing soccer on the highway, as army troops and police watched without intervening.

A top opposition leader and Hezbollah ally, General Michel Aoun, accuses the government and its supporters of attacking and injuring some demonstrators.

"Demonstrators were attacked in northern Lebanon, around the port city of Byblos, and in the town of Jounieh, by gangs allied⁷ to the government," he said.

Hezbollah's al-Manar TV is continues to broadcast non-stop images of demonstrators burning tires, amid accusations⁸ the government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora is not performing its duties to the people.

In Beirut's city center, several rows of army troops, surrounded by barbed wire, mount vigil in front of the prime minister's office, as protesters block traffic along a nearby bridge.

Al-Arabiya TV reports Prime Minister Fuad Siniora remains holed up inside the old refurbished Ottoman fortress⁹ that serves as his headquarters, keeping a close tab of the situation.

Mr. Siniora had been expected to leave Beirut, early Tuesday, to attend an international donor's conference in Paris to help relieve some of Lebanon's $41 billion.

Lebanese Minister of Youth and Sport Ahmed Fatfat - a key supporter of the prime minister - complains demonstrators are trying to impose their strike on what he calls "an unwilling¹⁰ population."

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

3 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。

4 intersections   

n.横断( intersection的名词复数 )；交叉；交叉点；交集

参考例句：

• Traffic lights have been placed at all major intersections. 所有重要的交叉路口都安装了交通信号灯。
• Intersections are of the greatest importance in highway design. 在道路设计中，交叉口占有最重要的地位。 来自辞典例句

5 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。

6 erecting   

v.使直立，竖起( erect的现在分词 )；建立

参考例句：

• Nations can restrict their foreign trade by erecting barriers to exports as well as imports. 象设置进口壁垒那样，各国可以通过设置出口壁垒来限制对外贸易。 来自辞典例句
• Could you tell me the specific lift-slab procedure for erecting buildings? 能否告之用升板法安装楼房的具体程序？ 来自互联网

7 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

8 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

9 fortress   

n.堡垒，防御工事

参考例句：

• They made an attempt on a fortress.他们试图夺取这一要塞。
• The soldier scaled the wall of the fortress by turret.士兵通过塔车攀登上了要塞的城墙。

10 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。