VOA标准英语2009-International Appeals for LTTE Surrender, Army C

Both sides in Sri Lanka's civil war are brushing off a non-binding statement of the U.N. Security Council demanding they protect the lives of tens of thousands of civilians¹ trapped by the fighting. Medical and humanitarian² workers say shelling in the tiny combat zone continues. Sri Lankan officials say thousands of Tamils are fleeing the area by wading³ across a lagoon⁴ despite rebels shooting at the civilians.
　
Sri Lankan army soldier escorts group of ethnic⁵ Tamil civilians arrived in government-controlled area, photograph provided by Sri Lankan army, 14 May 2009

The U.N. Security Council's appeal for both sides in the civil war to respect international humanitarian law is falling on deaf ears amid an apparent ceaseless barrage⁶ of gunfire and shelling.

Civilians trapped in war zone

At stake are the lives of Tamil civilians trapped in a sandy war zone between the coast and a lagoon where the last remaining hard core rebel fighters are facing an assault from several Army divisions.
　
Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Disaster Management & Human Rights

Mahinda Samarasinghe, the disaster management and human rights minister, tells VOA News the military offensive is also a hostage rescue operation.

"The very fact that we have to move inch by inch, fight man to man, street to street and ensuring that civilians are not affected⁷ by the fighting that takes place is enough testimony⁸ to the bona fides of what we have been saying - that this is a humanitarian operation," said Samarasinghe.

U.S. President Barack Obama called the rebels' use of the civilians as human shields "deplorable" and said they should surrender.

Hundreds of civilians dead

Shelling in recent days is blamed for the deaths of hundreds of civilians, including children. But with no access by outsiders to the combat zone there is no way to definitively⁹ determine who is responsible and how many people have been killed.

In remarks Wednesday, Mr. Obama said Sri Lanka needs to act responsibly not to worsen, what he termed, "a humanitarian crisis."

"The government should stop the indiscriminate shelling that has taken hundreds of innocent lives, including several hospitals, and the government should live up to its commitment to not use heavy weapons in the conflict zone," he said.

Government denies using mortars¹⁰

Government officials here bristle¹¹ at suggestions they are using mortars in the two-square kilometer area where the civilians are trapped.

Disaster Management Minister Samarasinghe blames the perception on information disseminated¹² by the rebels and their sympathizers, including doctors, in the combat zone.

"This is a very clever propaganda ploy¹³ that they have been consistently employing internationally to cultivate the feeling that it is the Sri Lankan government forces who are in fact shelling," said Samarasinghe.

The military says it is the rebels who are using artillery¹⁴ and killing¹⁵ innocent people.

Rebels are not surrendering

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are giving no indication of surrender, although they are surrounded by Sri Lankan army and naval¹⁶ forces on the northeastern coast with superior numbers and firepower.

The military is reluctant to pause while it is on the verge¹⁷ of crushing the rebels because that might hinder attempts to capture or kill Tamil Tiger leaders.

The rebels have waged a civil war for the past quarter century for an independent Tamil homeland in the north of the island. Their tactics of suicide bombings and assassinations¹⁸ have led to the group being labeled as a terrorist organization by many countries, including the United States.

1 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。

2 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。

3 wading   

（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The man tucked up his trousers for wading. 那人卷起裤子，准备涉水。
• The children were wading in the sea. 孩子们在海水中走着。

4 lagoon   

n.泻湖，咸水湖

参考例句：

• The lagoon was pullulated with tropical fish.那个咸水湖聚满了热带鱼。
• This area isolates a restricted lagoon environment.将这一地区隔离起来使形成一个封闭的泻湖环境。

5 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。

6 barrage   

n.火力网，弹幕

参考例句：

• The attack jumped off under cover of a barrage.进攻在炮火的掩护下开始了。
• The fierce artillery barrage destroyed the most part of the city in a few minutes.猛烈的炮火几分钟内便毁灭了这座城市的大部分地区。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

9 definitively   

adv.决定性地，最后地

参考例句：

• None of the three super-states could be definitively conquered even by the other two in combination. 三个超级国家中的任何一国都不可能被任何两国的联盟所绝对打败。 来自英汉文学
• Therefore, nothing can ever be definitively proved with a photograph. 因此，没有什么可以明确了一张照片。 来自互联网

10 mortars   

n.迫击炮( mortar的名词复数 )；砂浆；房产；研钵

参考例句：

• They could not move their heavy mortars over the swampy ground. 他们无法把重型迫击炮移过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Where the hell are his mortars? 他有迫击炮吗？ 来自教父部分

11 bristle   

v.（毛发）直立，气势汹汹，发怒；n.硬毛发

参考例句：

• It has a short stumpy tail covered with bristles.它粗短的尾巴上鬃毛浓密。
• He bristled with indignation at the suggestion that he was racist.有人暗示他是个种族主义者，他对此十分恼火。

12 disseminated   

散布，传播( disseminate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。
• Berkovitz had contracted polio after ingesting a vaccine disseminated under federal supervision. 伯考维茨在接种了在联邦监督下分发的牛痘疫苗后传染上脊髓灰质炎。

13 ploy   

n.花招，手段

参考例句：

• I think this is just a government ploy to deceive the public.我认为这只是政府欺骗公众的手段。
• Christmas should be a time of excitement and wonder,not a cynical marketing ploy.圣诞节应该是兴奋和美妙的时刻，而不该是一种肆无忌惮的营销策略。

14 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。

15 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。

16 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。

17 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

18 assassinations   

n.暗杀( assassination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most anarchist assassinations were bungled because of haste or spontaneity, in his view. 在他看来，无政府主义者搞的许多刺杀都没成功就是因为匆忙和自发行动。 来自辞典例句
• Assassinations by Israelis of alleged terrorists habitually kill nearby women and children. 在以色列，自称恐怖分子的炸弹自杀者杀害靠近自己的以色列妇女和儿童。 来自互联网