VOA标准英语2012--Syrian Army Defectors Tell of Atrocities

Syrian Army Defectors Tell of Atrocities¹

In an amateur video posted online, demonstrators march through the Syrian city of Deraa, protesting against President Bashar al-Assad. It was at a similar protest last year that Hassan, a 21-year-old Syrian soldier, says he was ordered to shoot at unarmed civilians³.

“They came out to demonstrate and we killed them. We were forced to kill them," he said. "After the protesters fled, we went into the shops and broke the windows and then we destroyed the water tanks. We went inside the mosques⁴ and destroyed them, too.”

And those soldiers who refused to follow orders? Hassan says they were simply executed.

“I saw how they killed them. They shot them dead. They put them against a wall, blindfolded⁵ them and then shot them. I saw this with my own eyes,” he said.

In another refugee camp near the city of Dohuk, Abdullah, a former tank driver, tells of his role in the bombardment of Homs.

“We were in a group of tanks outside of Baba Amr and we were shelling indiscriminately," he recalled. "We weren’t shooting at selected targets; we were shooting indiscriminately. The targets weren’t specified⁶ for us to be either civilian², opposition⁷, or Free Syrian Army. Nothing was specified. A lot of people were killed.”

After the bombardment, Abdullah says he witnessed the Syrian army dumping bodies into mass graves in an attempt to cover up the massacre⁸.

“There were a lot of civilians in Baba Amr being killed," he said. "There was a massacre in an olive grove⁹. We have a lot of olive trees there so we call the area Al-Zeytoon which means 'olive.' They buried a lot of people there to hide them.”

Although the men are physically¹⁰ safe now, their mental health appears affected¹¹.

“I remember these sights. Wherever I look I see them. Especially when I try to go to sleep. I remember these things," he said. "I’m tense, angry, and confused. Sometimes I can’t fall asleep for hours.”

The Syrian government tries to play down the defections. But as the violence continues, more soldiers like Hassan and Abdullah are likely to come to Iraq. Iraqi officials say at least 130 soldiers have fled Syria and they are preparing new camps to house 500 in all. 

1 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 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。

3 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。

4 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。

5 blindfolded   

v.（尤指用布）挡住（某人）的视线( blindfold的过去式 )；蒙住（某人）的眼睛；使不理解；蒙骗

参考例句：

• The hostages were tied up and blindfolded. 人质被捆绑起来并蒙上了眼睛。
• They were each blindfolded with big red handkerchiefs. 他们每个人的眼睛都被一块红色大手巾蒙住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 specified   

adj.特定的

参考例句：

• The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。

7 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。

8 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

9 grove   

n.林子，小树林，园林

参考例句：

• On top of the hill was a grove of tall trees.山顶上一片高大的树林。
• The scent of lemons filled the grove.柠檬香味充满了小树林。

10 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

11 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。