VOA标准英语2009年-UN Agency Suspends Aid Deliveries in Gaza Becau

The U.N. relief agency has suspended operations in Gaza because of the danger posed by Israeli military action. The decision was made as Israel pressed its air and ground offensive amid a rising civilian¹ death toll² and international efforts to halt the violence.
　

Palestinians gather to receive flour at a United Nations food distribution center in Gaza City, 08 Jan 2009

A local U.N. driver was killed as he was loading humanitarian³ supplies onto trucks at a border crossing. In another incident a clearly marked U.N. convoy⁴ in Beit Hanoun came under fire in what U.N. officials described as deliberate targeting.

Two days ago Israeli forces fired on several U.N. run schools in Gaza, in one instance killing⁵ more than 30 people.

U.N. spokesman, Christopher Gunness said the organization had no choice but to suspend operations in Gaza.

"And, they are suspended until the Israeli army can guarantee the safety and security of our personnel, of our convoys⁶ and of our installations," he said.

Israel also came in for heavy criticism from the International Red Cross and stands accused of hampering⁷ ambulance access to civilians⁸.

ICRC Deputy Director for Operations, Dominique Stillhart described an instance of ICRC and Palestinian Red Crescent Society workers having to wait four days to reach a group of bombed houses.

"We reached it and finally found in one house four children still alive next to their dead mothers, in another house 15 survivors⁹, many of them wounded and yet in another house more corpses¹⁰ that we finally managed to evacuate," said Stillhart.
　

Fire and smoke are seen from Israeli military bombing in Gaza City, 08 Jan 2009

Israel's military offensive is nearing the end of its second week amid daily air, ground and naval¹¹ bombardments against what Israel says are Hamas related targets.

The aim, Israel says is to stop Hamas rocket fire into Israel and in the longer-term keep Hamas from being able to rearm.

Hamas has continued to fire rockets into southern Israel. And at least three rockets were fired from southern Lebanon into northern Israel, raising initial fears that Lebanon's Shiite militant¹² group Hezbollah may be trying to open up a second front of fighting.

But, Hezbollah says it had nothing to do with the attack and the general view now is that it was an isolated¹³ incident, likely the work of a splinter Palestinian group in Lebanon.

1 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。

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 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。

4 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 convoys   

n.（有护航的）船队( convoy的名词复数 )；车队；护航（队）；护送队

参考例句：

• Truck convoys often stop over for lunch here. 车队经常在这里停下来吃午饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A UN official said aid programs will be suspended until there's adequate protection for relief convoys. 一名联合国官员说将会暂停援助项目，直到援助车队能够得到充分的保护为止。 来自辞典例句

7 hampering   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• So fraud on cows and development aid is seriously hampering growth. 因此在牛问题上和发展补助上的诈骗严重阻碍了发展。
• Short-termism, carbon-trading, disputing the science-are hampering the implementation of direct economically-led objectives. 短效主义，出售二氧化碳，进行科学辩论，这些都不利于实现以经济为主导的直接目标。

8 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。

9 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

10 corpses   

n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The living soldiers put corpses together and burned them. 活着的战士把尸体放在一起烧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Overhead, grayish-white clouds covered the sky, piling up heavily like decaying corpses. 天上罩满了灰白的薄云，同腐烂的尸体似的沉沉的盖在那里。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

11 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

12 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

13 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。