VOA常速英语:Liberation of Raqqa Begins(翻译)

On June 6th, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and their Syrian Arab Coalition partners launched an all-out assault on the ISIS-occupied Syrian city of Raqqa.
6月6日，美国支持的叙利亚民主力量及其叙利亚阿拉伯联盟伙伴，对被伊斯兰国占领的叙利亚城市拉卡发动全面进攻。
The importance of Raqqa cannot be overstated.ISIS captured the city in 2013, and a year later declared Raqqa to be its capital in Syria. The assault on the city begins just as Iraqi forces, with support from the U.S.-led, anti-ISIS combined joint task force, make the final push of a six-month long campaign to clear the last ISIS forces out of Mosul, the group’s Iraqi capital.The loss of either city would be a hard blow to the terrorists.Now they are faced with the probability of losing both.
拉卡的重要性不言而喻。伊斯兰国在2013年占领了该城市，一年后宣布拉卡成为其在叙利亚的“首都”。在这场进攻打响的同时，伊拉克部队也在美国支持下，联合反伊斯兰国特遣部队，对伊斯兰国在伊拉克的“首都”摩苏尔发起最后一击，这场打击伊斯兰国的运动持续了六个月，誓将最后一支伊斯兰国势力从摩苏尔清除。任何一个城市的失守都将对恐怖分子造成沉重打击。而现在他们面临着同时失去这两座城市的危险。
Indeed, the Syrian Democratic Forces and the U.S.-led anti-ISIS combined joint task force have been preparing the ground for the assault on Raqqa for many months, ensuring the best possible conditions for the attacking forces.With the support of countless bombing raids by the joint task force,the Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian Arab Coalition have seized control of the terrain north of the Euphrates River and the strategically important town of Tabqa.In the meantime, in anticipation of the attack on Raqqa, the anti-ISIS combined joined task force
事实上，叙利亚民主力量和美国领导的反伊斯兰国联合特遣部队为进攻拉卡，几个月来一直在做准备，以确保进攻的最佳时机。在联合特遣部队的无数次轰炸支持下，叙利亚民主力量和阿拉伯联盟已经掌握了幼发拉底河北部和战略重镇塔布卡的地形条件。与此同时，为了支援拉卡的进攻行动，反伊斯兰国联合特遣部队
has been conducting air raids on ISIS targets within and around the town. On the day before the assault began, 24 air strikes hit over a dozen groups of fighters, destroying equipment, booby traps such as houses rigged with explosives, and a weapons storage facility.
一直在对塔布卡镇内外的伊斯兰国目标进行空袭。在总攻开始的前一天，共实施了24次空袭，击中了伊斯兰国的十几批战斗机，摧毁了大量装备和诱杀装置，包括装有炸药的房屋以及武器储存设施。
The fight for Raqqa will be long and difficult, and it will not be the last.But the offensive will deliver a decisive blow to the idea of ISIS as a physical caliphate, said commander of the U.S.-led coalition battling ISIS, General Steve Townsend.
收复拉卡仍然任重道远，需要多次作战。但这次进攻将对伊斯兰国的实际控制区造成致命打击，美国领导的反伊斯兰国联盟指挥官，史蒂夫·汤森将军如是说。
“The International Coalition and our partner forces are steadily dismantling the physical caliphate of ISIS. Once ISIS is defeated in both Mosul and Raqqa, there will still be a lot of hard fighting ahead,but this Coalition is strong and committed to the complete annihilation of ISIS in both Iraq and Syria.”
“国际联盟和合作伙伴的军队正在稳步地摧毁伊斯兰国的实际控制区。一旦伊斯兰国在摩苏尔和拉卡被击退，仍然会有很多艰苦的战斗，但我们的联盟是强大的，终将彻底消灭伊斯兰国在伊拉克和叙利亚的势力。”