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Syrian-Kurdish refugees under ISIS

 

武裝組織伊斯蘭國 (ISIS) 大力擴張，敍利亞邊境戰火不斷，區內庫爾德人頓成難民。逃難的生活是怎樣的？記者優美的文筆又如何捕捉難民惶然的心情？

 

(摘自 New York Times)

Headline: Amid  a Maze of Alliances, Syrian Kurds Find a Thorny Refuge at the Border

 

amid 身處…之間

(preposition 介詞)

 

例子：It was hard to hear amid all the cheering.

 

maze 迷宮

(noun 名詞)

 

例子： The kids got lost in the maze of corn fields.

 

thorny 棘手的，麻煩的

(noun 名詞)

 

例子：The Middle East has been in a thorny situation with the west for a long time now.

 

refuge 避難（所）；庇護（所）；慰藉

(noun 名詞)

 

例子：Many civilians are seeking refuge from war torn Syria.

 

庫爾德難民倉惶出走，但接壤的土耳其並未伸出援手：

SURUC, Turkey — Turkish tanks dot the hills here, guarding against Islamic State militants advancing just across the Syrian border. Lines of police officers fan out across fields, brandishing shields to stem the flow of Syrian Kurds fleeing the militants.

 

dot　分佈，分散

(verb 動詞)

 

brandish 威脅（或興奮）地揮舞

(verb 動詞)

 

例子：The soldiers brandished knives to control the prisoners.

 

stem 堵住，止住（出血等）

(verb 動詞)

 

例子：The nurse wrapped a tight bandage around his wound to stem the flow of blood.

 

即使僥倖逃到土耳其的庫爾德人，前路依然茫茫。New York Times 的記者寫得深刻：

Refugees who make it to Turkey sit on dry, loose earth, unsure where to find shelter as a hot wind whips grit into their faces.

 

whip　刮過；（使）快速行動／移動

(verb 動詞)

 

grit　砂；沙礫；沙粒

(noun 名詞)

 

►　To grit one’s teeth （常指因憤怒而）咬牙切齒，磨牙

(idiom 慣用語)

 

例子：He gritted his teeth at night. 他晚上會磨牙。

 

 

Crystal’s Slang Time!

 

American military slang　美國軍事用語速覽：

 

Band-Aid 膠布 (醫生) – A Vietnam-era term for a medic

Fart Sack 屁袋 (空軍睡袋) – Refers to either a sleeping bag or an airman's flight suit

Latrine Queen 廁所女皇 (空軍見習生) – Air Force specific term for a trainee in basic who is in charge of the team responsible for cleaning bathrooms

 

   
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