VOA标准英语2011--Libyan Rebels Move on Gadhafi's Hometown

Libyan opposition¹ forces are fighting for control of Sirte, the hometown of their avowed² enemy, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. The rebels have taken swift advantage of a U.N.-backed military campaign that is now under NATO command.
Government forces have retreated from towns east of Sirte, allowing the rebels to sweep along the northern coastal³ highway. They are now believed to be encountering some resistance from loyalist troops on the outskirts⁴ of the town. Rebel forces have claimed they were in control of Sirte, but witnesses in the town report no signs of their presence.
A resident of Ras Lanouf, which was retaken by the rebels Sunday, says rebel forces have been seizing weapons as they move westward⁵.
Oil worker Tarik el Maresh says the fact that the rebels were able to capture the weapons is proof of their strength as they move on to Sirte.
In Sirte, residents said they heard blasts from what they assumed were the coalition⁶ air campaign early Monday.
Those U.N.-backed strikes appear to have been crucial in allowing the rebels to reverse their fortunes, bringing them from the brink⁷ of collapse⁸ to once again on the offensive.
In Tripoli late Sunday, government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim decried⁹ the campaign.
"Clearly the west, NATO, is taking sides in this civil conflict," Ibrahim said. "It is illegal, hasn't been allowed or permitted by the Security Council resolution and it's immoral¹⁰."
Libyan state television Monday showed video of civilians¹¹ said to have been wounded in the coalition strikes in Sabha, about 200 kilometers south of Tripoli. The report could not be independently confirmed.
NATO, which declares it is neutral in the conflict, has now assumed full control of the mission, both the enforcement of a no-fly zone as well as extra measures meant to protect civilians. In the ten days since the campaign has been under way, that has included strikes on Ghadafi forces.
While others have joined in the questioning of the mission, in particular those parts that go beyond the no-fly zone, there appears to still be support in the region even though the targets remain pro-Gadhafi positions.
Political analyst¹² Ziad Akl, of the Ahram Strategic Center in Cairo, says there are suspicions of Western military action in yet another Arab country, but this campaign will likely not carry with it any taint¹³ to the rebels.
"Despite the presence of opposing voices - no, the intervention¹⁴ does not limit the legitimacy¹⁵ of the rebels, because the majority of the participants, and the majority of those witnessing the events in Libya seem very much pro-western intervention," said Akl.
Not least of all it seems, because it appears very effective. Akl notes that the campaign has worked in two ways.
"It threatened the security of safe places that al-Gadhafi forces need to retreat now to guard," Akl added. "And it also is a materialization of the process of regrouping and restructuring that the opposition forces witnessed through the last week."
The question now is whether that momentum¹⁶ can continue into the larger cities in the west, where loyalist forces are expected to dig in against the poorly equipped and loosely organized rebels.

1 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。

2 avowed   

adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• An aide avowed that the President had known nothing of the deals. 一位助理声明，总统对这些交易一无所知。
• The party's avowed aim was to struggle against capitalist exploitation. 该党公开宣称的宗旨是与资本主义剥削斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

5 westward   

n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西

参考例句：

• We live on the westward slope of the hill.我们住在这座山的西山坡。
• Explore westward or wherever.向西或到什么别的地方去勘探。

6 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

7 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

8 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

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。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

9 decried   

v.公开反对，谴责( decry的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The measures were decried as useless. 这些措施受到指责，说是不起作用。
• The old poet decried the mediocrity of today's writing. 老诗人抨击了现代文体的平庸无奇。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。

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 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

13 taint   

n.污点；感染；腐坏；v.使感染；污染

参考例句：

• Everything possible should be done to free them from the economic taint.应尽可能把他们从经济的腐蚀中解脱出来。
• Moral taint has spread among young people.道德的败坏在年轻人之间蔓延。

14 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

15 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

16 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。