VOA慢速英語(yǔ):US Senate Committee Approves Use of Force in Syria

From VOA Learning English, this is In The News.

這里是美國(guó)之音慢速英語(yǔ)新聞報(bào)道。

This week, a United States Senate committee voted in support of a possible American military strike against Syria. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a proposed resolution by a vote of 10 to seven. The resolution gives President Barack Obama power to take military action against Syria because the United States says the Syrian government used chemical weapons against civilians. The resolution calls for limited U.S. action lasting no more than 90 days. It does not permit the use of American ground troops in Syria.

本周，美國(guó)參議院一個(gè)委員會(huì)投票支持美國(guó)對(duì)敘利亞進(jìn)行可能的軍事打擊。美國(guó)參議院外交關(guān)系委員會(huì)以10：7的票數(shù)批準(zhǔn)了這項(xiàng)擬議的決議。該決議賦予了奧巴馬總統(tǒng)對(duì)敘利亞采取軍事行動(dòng)的權(quán)力，因?yàn)槊绹?guó)稱(chēng)敘利亞政府對(duì)平民使用化學(xué)武器。該決議要求美國(guó)采取為期不超過(guò)90天的有限軍事行動(dòng)，且不允許在敘利亞使用美國(guó)地面部隊(duì)。

The resolution now goes to the full Senate. The House of Representatives must also vote on it.

該決議現(xiàn)在提交到了參議院進(jìn)行全體表決。眾議院也將對(duì)此投票。

The Senate committee vote came less than a week after United Nations chemical weapons inspectors left Syria. U.N. officials sent the inspection team to investigate an attack that took place 10 days earlier. American officials say more than 1,400 people were killed in the attack, near Damascus.

該參議院委員會(huì)表決是在聯(lián)合國(guó)化學(xué)武器核查人員離開(kāi)敘利亞不到一周的時(shí)間內(nèi)。聯(lián)合國(guó)官員派出核查小組調(diào)查十天前發(fā)生的一起襲擊。美國(guó)官員表示，在大馬士革附近發(fā)生的這起襲擊造成了1400多人死亡。

The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denies using chemical weapons. It says Syrian rebels used them against government soldiers.

敘利亞阿薩德政府否認(rèn)使用化學(xué)武器。它表示是敘利亞反對(duì)派使用化學(xué)武器打擊政府軍。

Last Saturday, President Obama spoke to Americans and the world about Syria. He said U.S. intelligence is clear that “well over 1,000 people” were killed -- gassed to death by their own government. He denounced what he called the worst chemical weapons attack of the 21st century.

上周六，奧巴馬總統(tǒng)向美國(guó)和世界人民談及敘利亞。他表示，美國(guó)情報(bào)部門(mén)明確指出“遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過(guò)1000人死亡”--他們是被政府釋放的毒氣毒死的。他譴責(zé)了這起他所謂的21世紀(jì)最嚴(yán)重的化學(xué)武器襲擊事件。

President Obama and some leading lawmakers have expressed strong support for military strikes against Syria. But a recent study found that 59 percent of Americans questioned oppose the idea.

奧巴馬總統(tǒng)和一些主要國(guó)會(huì)議員強(qiáng)烈支持對(duì)敘利亞展開(kāi)軍事打擊。但最近的一項(xiàng)調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，59%被調(diào)查的美國(guó)人反對(duì)這一想法。

Christopher Hill is a former U.S. ambassador to Iraq and a former special representative to Kosovo. He supports limited military action against Syria. He says the world needs to send a strong signal that anyone who uses chemical weapons will be punished.

克里斯托弗·希爾(Christopher Hill)是前任美國(guó)駐伊拉克大使和前任科索沃特別代表。他支持對(duì)敘利亞采取有限的軍事行動(dòng)。他說(shuō)，世界需要發(fā)出一個(gè)強(qiáng)烈信號(hào)，任何人使用化學(xué)武器都將受到懲罰。

“But the problem is we don’t have an overall way forward on Syria. People are out there fighting in Syria, either on Assad’s forces or against Assad, because they have no idea what the future of the country is going to hold and therefore they feel that in order to safeguard their future, they need to fight.”

希爾先生說(shuō)，“但問(wèn)題是我們?cè)跀⒗麃唵?wèn)題上沒(méi)有全面解決途徑。人們?cè)跀⒗麃唺^戰(zhàn)，不論是政府軍還是反政府軍。因?yàn)樗麄儾恢罃⒗麃喌奈磥?lái)如何，所以他們覺(jué)得，為了保障他們的未來(lái)就得打仗。”

Retired U.S. Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni agrees with Mr. Hill. General Zinni headed “Operation Desert Fox,” a series of strikes against Iraq in 1998. He says American military action will strengthen rebel forces allied with al-Qaida.

退役美國(guó)海軍陸戰(zhàn)隊(duì)將軍安東尼·津尼(Anthony Zinni)贊同希爾先生的意見(jiàn)。津尼將軍領(lǐng)導(dǎo)了1998年打擊伊拉克的一系列戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)--“沙漠之狐行動(dòng)”。他表示，美國(guó)的軍事行動(dòng)將加強(qiáng)與基地組織結(jié)盟的叛軍的力量。

“Any strikes on Assad weaken him. When you weaken him, you strengthen the opposition. Those extremists are also part of the opposition.”

津尼將軍說(shuō)：“任何對(duì)阿薩德的打擊都會(huì)削弱他的實(shí)力。而當(dāng)你削弱阿薩德的實(shí)力，就加強(qiáng)了反對(duì)派的實(shí)力。那些極端分子也是反對(duì)派的一部分。”

Some experts say a U.S. military strike might incite the Shi’ite militant group Hezbollah to attack Western targets or Israel. Others say the Syrian military might use more chemical weapons against rebels and civilians.

一些專(zhuān)家說(shuō)，美國(guó)的軍事打擊可能會(huì)煽動(dòng)什葉派激進(jìn)組織真主黨攻擊西方目標(biāo)或以色列。另一些人說(shuō)，敘利亞軍隊(duì)可能會(huì)使用化學(xué)武器對(duì)付反政府武裝和平民。

General Zinni says the situation is like a theatrical production.

津尼將軍說(shuō)現(xiàn)狀就像是一出戲劇作品。

“Once Assad goes -- when, and if -- this could even be a greater mess than it is now. I mean, this civil war isn’t over because it will have an ‘Act Two’ to it.”

津尼將軍說(shuō)，“一旦阿薩德下臺(tái)，可能會(huì)比現(xiàn)在更為混亂。我的意思是說(shuō)，這場(chǎng)內(nèi)戰(zhàn)并未結(jié)束，因?yàn)檫€有第二場(chǎng)。”

The former general says that “act” could see Syrian opposition groups fighting each other after President Assad is gone.

津尼將軍說(shuō)的第二場(chǎng)可以看作是敘利亞各反對(duì)派在阿薩德倒臺(tái)后互相爭(zhēng)斗。