VOA常速英语:ISIL Under Pressure(翻译)

In Iraq and Syria, U.S.-led coalition forces are making progress in the fight against ISIL,including in two crucial areas: killing its leaders, and taking back territory.
由美国领导的联军在打击伊拉克和叙利亚伊斯兰国的斗争中取得了进展，包括两个关键方面：剿灭其领导人，收复领土。

The U.S Defense Department announced this month that a Syria-based Islamic State leader, Mahmud al-Isawi died in a coalition airstrike in Raqqa on December 31.Al-Isawi was a long-standing ISIL member who controlled the flow of instructions and finances between ISIL-held areas and ISIL leaders,and provided support to propaganda and intelligence outlets. Al-Isawi was also known to have facilitated trans-regional travel with other ISIL external operations coordinators and had a close relationship with Abd al-Basit al-Iraqi, the emir of ISIL’s Middle East attack network, who was killed in a coalition airstrike on November 2, 2016.
美国国防部本月宣布，叙利亚伊斯兰国一名头目Mahmud al-Isawi于12月31日在拉卡的联军空袭中死亡。al-Isawi是伊斯兰国的老成员，在伊斯兰国占领区和领导人中掌握着指挥权以及财政的流动，并向宣传和情报机构提供支持。此外，al-Isawi还曾协助其他伊斯兰国境外行动协调员进行跨地区活动，并与伊斯兰国中东恐怖袭击网络的策划头目Abd al-Basit al-Iraqi有密切关系，后者于2016年11月2日在联军空袭中丧生。

Al-Isawi’s death brought the number of significant ISIL leaders killed last year to 16.These losses, as the Defense Department said, have degraded ISIL’s trans-regional attack and facilitation network, and are forcing ISIL fighters to increase their focus on internal security.
al-Isawi是过去一年中被剿灭的第16个伊斯兰国重要领导人。这些领导人的损失，正如美国国防部所说，降低了伊斯兰国跨区域袭击和恐袭网络运转的能力，并迫使IS分子将更多的精力分散到内部安全上。

In a press briefing from Baghdad, U.S. Airforce Colonel John Dorrian, Spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve,also noted the progress being made in liberating territory from the terrorists.
在巴格达举行的新闻发布会上，美国空军上校约翰·多利安作为“内在决心”行动的发言人，也提到了从恐怖分子手中解放领土所取得的进展。

In Syria, he said, the Syrian Democratic Forces are continuing their advance to isolate Raqqa:
他说，叙利亚的“叙利亚民主力量”正在继续努力隔离拉卡。

“Since this current phase began on December 9th, the SDF have liberated more than 500 square miles of Syrian land, home to tens of thousands of people who have been brutalized by ISIL’s rule.”
“自12月9日开始现阶段行动以来，叙利亚民主力量已经解放了超过500平方英里的叙利亚领土，而此前这片领土上成千上万的人民都曾在伊斯兰国的统治下遭受虐待。”

In Iraq, Colonel Dorrian noted, Iraqi security forces, with the help of coalition airstrikes and advisers are making progress in their operation to liberate Mosul:
在伊拉克，多利安上校指出，伊拉克安全部队在联军空袭和顾问的帮助下，在解放摩苏尔的行动中取得进展：

“The city is completely surrounded and the enemy doesn’t have the ability to resupply or reinforce their fighters.”
“摩苏尔已被完全包围，敌方无法补给资源和加强军力。”

Colonel Dorrian said as difficult and dangerous as the fight for Mosul is and will be, “Time is not on the enemy’s side, it’s on the side of the Iraqi security forces and they are going to retake Mosul.”
多里安上校说，虽然摩苏尔之战无论从目前还是以后来看都会十分艰险，但是，“敌方耗不起时间，而伊拉克安全部队有的是时间，他们一定能收复摩苏尔。”

ISIL is a brutal and determined enemy.But the U.S.-led coalition and the local fighters it supports will keep intensifying the pressure until Syria and Iraq are free from ISIL’s gruesome grip.
伊斯兰国是一个手段残酷，执迷不悟的敌人。但美国领导的联军及其支持的地方战士将继续施加压力，直到叙利亚和伊拉克摆脱伊斯兰国的可怕统治。