VOA标准英语2009年-Israeli Troops Invade Gaza, Fighting Continues

Fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants¹ has been reported from several areas in Gaza after Israel launched a ground offensive into the Palestinian territory Saturday evening. Israel says 30 of its troops have been wounded, two seriously and it claims to have killed or wounded dozens of Hamas militants. Gaza officials put the Palestinian death toll² from the week-long Israeli operations at around 500.
　

Smoke rises during an Israeli army operation in the Gaza Strip as seen from the Israel side of the border with Gaza, Sunday, 04 Jan. 2009

Israeli soldiers crossed the border under cover of darkness Saturday night and fanned out across areas of the northern Gaza Strip.

Troops and tanks are reported to have moved into positions, including around Gaza City. Tanks are reported dug in at some former Israeli settlements in Gaza and the military action is reported to have effectively cut the Gaza Strip in two between north and south.

Israel used its infantry³, tanks, artillery⁴, war planes and navy to hit more than 40 targets just overnight.

Speaking before an Israeli cabinet meeting Sunday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the decision to launch the ground offensive was made Friday.
　

Israeli soldiers evacuate5 a soldier, injured during an Israeli army operation in Gaza, into a hospital in Beer Sheva, southern Israel, early Sunday, 04 Jan. 2009

Mr. Olmert said the decision was not made lightly and only after months of waiting and after hopes for calm were dashed.

Mr. Olmert vowed⁶ that the government did everything before deciding on this operation. "It was unavoidable," he said.

Israel has said all along it had no choice but to launch military action after talks with Hamas on extending a cease-fire broke down in December and militants stepped up rocket fire against southern Israel.

Israel initially⁷ launched air strikes just over a week ago, pounding targets it said were linked to Hamas and its infrastructure⁸ in Gaza.

But, Hamas has remained defiant⁹, warning that it would turn Gaza into a graveyard¹⁰ for the Israelis.
　

Palestinian medics carry a child injured in Israeli shelling into Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, 04 Jan. 2009

Casualties are reported on both sides, including Israeli soldiers, Hamas fighters and Palestinian civilians¹¹, including children.

According to tallies¹² by medical officials in Gaza the Palestinian death toll from Israeli military operations is now around 500.

1 militants   

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。

2 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

3 infantry   

n.[总称]步兵(部队)

参考例句：

• The infantry were equipped with flame throwers.步兵都装备有喷火器。
• We have less infantry than the enemy.我们的步兵比敌人少。

4 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。

5 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

6 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

7 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

8 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

9 defiant   

adj.无礼的，挑战的

参考例句：

• With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。
• He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。

10 graveyard   

n.坟场

参考例句：

• All the town was drifting toward the graveyard.全镇的人都象流水似地向那坟场涌过去。
• Living next to a graveyard would give me the creeps.居住在墓地旁边会使我毛骨悚然。

11 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。

12 tallies   

n.账( tally的名词复数 )；符合；（计数的）签；标签v.计算，清点( tally的第三人称单数 )；加标签（或标记）于；（使）符合；（使）吻合

参考例句：

• Cash on hand tallies with the figure in the accounts. 现款跟账上的数目没有出入。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He tallies his own marks. 他把自己的得分记了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》