伊拉克政府军推进至摩苏尔大清真寺附近
时间：2018-12-08 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2017年(三月)
WASHINGTON —
The Iraqi army, backed by helicopters, advanced on western Mosul and pushed into the area around the al-Nuri mosque 1 on Sunday.
Taking the mosque where Islamic State leader gave a much publicized sermon in July of 2014 is a symbolic 2 victory for the government. But retaking the Old City of Mosul is riddled 3 with challenges.
Iraqi troops have to use extra caution to spare civilians 5 and ancient structures as they fight Islamic State in the Old City of Mosul.
The government says its forces have made new advances in western Mosul, but the militants 6, who are holed in the densely 7 populated civilian 4 areas, are putting up fierce resistance.
"It is one of the toughest areas, and in fact it is difficult, chaotic 8 and very tight, but our forces managed to get out of their vehicles and enter the Old City," Lieutenant 9 General Haidre Yusuf Abdulla, of the Iraqi Federal Police, said.
Militants are believed to be using suicide bombers 10 to block the advance of government troops. Military officials say fighting in the densely populated Old City is extremely difficult.
"The challenges are, firstly, how to avoid hitting civilians because they (IS) are using them as human shields. And secondly 11, the area is difficult because it is in an ancient neighborhood and we use less heavy weapons," Brigadier-General Abbas Al-Juburi, a commander with the Iraqi Rapid Response Division, said.
Civilians are streaming out of western Mosul with meager 12 possessions and people wounded by landmines 13 or booby traps.
"There are bodies lying on the ground; they were killed by booby traps under the car at this corner. They passed and stepped on the wire. There are 15 dead bodies; they've started to rot. We wanted to take them, but the militants didn't let us. They shot at us," Mosul resident Abu Dunia said.
The Iraqi government launched a massive U.S.-backed operation in October to retake Mosul from Islamic State. About 250,000 people have been displaced from the area since that battle began.
"The situation is terrible. Islamic State militants have destroyed us. There is no food. There is no bread. There is nothing," said a man fleeing Bab el Beit in West Mosul.
But those who have escaped feel lucky. More than a half-million civilians remain trapped by the militants in the Old City of Mosul.
- The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
- Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。
- It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
- The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。
- The beams are riddled with woodworm. 这些木梁被蛀虫蛀得都是洞。
- The bodies of the hostages were found riddled with bullets. 在人质的尸体上发现了很多弹孔。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- 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。
- 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。
- The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
- Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。
- A grove of trees shadowed the house densely. 树丛把这幢房子遮蔽得很密实。
- We passed through miles of densely wooded country. 我们穿过好几英里茂密的林地。
- Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
- The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。
- He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
- He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。
- Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
- Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。