VOA常速英语:冬季来临，摩苏尔战役攻势放缓，战事转而深入泰勒阿菲尔

More than two and a half years ago, IS militants captured this village Bashmana, saying they were “liberating” the population from the government, before destroying lives and livelihoods.
两年半多以来，伊拉克村庄贝什马纳一直被“伊斯兰国”武装分子占领，他们宣称要将人民从政府统治下“解放”出来，以免人们的生活遭到破坏，生存无以为继。

About two months ago, Iraqi forces, including Shia militias, known here as Hashd Shaabi, recaptured the village and it is now slowly coming back to life.
约两个月前，包括什叶派武装力量（亦称人民动员军）在内的伊拉克军队收复了该村庄，这里逐渐恢复往日的生机。

When Hashd Shaabi arrived, locals say, the tiny Sunni Muslim community was terrified sectarian violence would ensue. “IS militants made us afraid of Hashd Shaabi.Even the media made us afraid.But after the liberation, we saw the opposite of what we have heard. We saw the truth.”
然而，“人民动员军”驻扎之初，当地人则表示，在这个小范围的逊尼派穆斯林聚居的社区内，人们内心十分恐惧，担心宗派纷争继而会引发暴力冲突。“我们害怕‘人民动员军’也同‘伊斯兰国’武装分子那样。就连媒体报道都会让人们感到害怕。但是实现解放后，我们知道实际情况与之前的传闻截然相反。我们看清了真相。”

And soldiers say Hashd Shaabi has captured at least 80 villages from IS, but the most difficult battle lies ahead.As the winter weather sets in, both sides have slowed down, but Islamic State militants continue to launch attacks.Despite the setbacks, Hashd Shaabi leaders say they are preparing to go into the city of Tal Afar,a strategic IS stronghold lying between Mosul and the Syrian border.
士兵们表示，虽然“人民动员军”收复了此前“伊斯兰国”占领的80多个村庄，但苦战还在前头。随着冬季到来，交战双方均放缓攻势，但“伊斯兰国”武装分子仍在不断发动袭击。尽管战事受挫，“人民动员军”领袖称，他们准备深入到泰勒阿菲尔，该地位于摩苏尔和叙利亚边境之间，是“伊斯兰国”重要的战略据点。

“We must liberate Mosul and Tal Afar soon, but the goal for Iraqi forces is not to just liberate the place from IS militants.The goal is to free the people from IS militants and bring the area back to life again. Right now, there are many civilians in Tal Afar.”And civilians, he says, are the greatest challenge for Iraqi forces as more ordinary people are forced to retreat to protect militants who, soldiers say, would often rather die than surrender.
“我们必须尽早解放摩苏尔和泰勒阿菲尔，但我们军队的目的绝对不止于收复‘伊斯兰国’武装分子所占领的地盘。而在于将平民从武装分子手中解放出来，并使这些地区重现生机。此刻，仍有很多平民被困在泰勒阿菲尔。”他表示，对于伊拉克军队来说，在战争过程中，保护众多平民的安全是最大的挑战，这是因为，在撤退过程中，武装分子越来越多地利用平民做“人体盾牌”，而据士兵们称，这些平民往往宁死不屈。

Heather Murdock, VOA News, Nineveh Province, Iraq.
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