Britain Raises Terror Alert to Critical — the Highest Level
VOA News
Last Updated: May 23, 2017 8:17 PM (source)
Britain Raises Terror Alert to Critical — the Highest Level
英國提升恐怖攻擊警戒至最高的「危急」等級（編按：英國已於5月27日將恐怖攻擊警戒從「危急」等級調降至「嚴重」等級）
Last Updated: May 23, 2017 8:17 PM
VOA News
Britain has raised its terrorism alert to critical -- the highest level -- and soldiers are being deployed to assist armed police, Prime Minister Theresa May announced Tuesday.
May addressed the country one day after a suicide bomber blew himself up at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, killing 22 people and wounding nearly 60. She said members of the military will be deployed along with police at what she called "big events," including football (soccer) matches and concerts.
The prime minister said the national terror threat level is being raised from severe to critical, which means another attack is expected "imminently."
She said it is possible a "wider group of individuals" may have been responsible for Monday's Manchester bombing -- something British police are urgently trying to determine.
Police have identified the suicide bomber as 22-year-old Salman Abedi, but have given no other information about him.
Islamic State is claiming it was behind the attack, but neither British nor U.S. intelligence have confirmed that.
Police raided a residential area of Manchester Tuesday and carried out a controlled explosion at a house in Fallowfield, a racially mixed suburb.
They also arrested a 23-year-old man elsewhere in Manchester, but have not given any information about how he may have been involved in the blast.
The bomber blew himself up in a hall just outside the arena, where American pop star Grande had just ended her show.
May said the bomber deliberately chose the "time and place to cause maximum carnage and to kill and injure indiscriminately."
Video shows the joy in the audience turning to confusion and then to panic and a scramble to get out of the building as the realization of what just happened spread.
Witnesses say they saw blood covered bodies on the floor while others, badly wounded, staggered toward the exits.
Many of the victims were young girls who idolize Grande. The youngest was just 8 years old.
The scene outside the concert hall was just as chaotic, with traffic snarled and parents rushing to the scene. Some mothers and fathers were still looking for their children on Tuesday.
Grande wrote on Twitter that she is "Broken. From the bottom of my heart, I am so, so sorry. I don't have words."
Britain's Queen Elizabeth held a moment of silence at a garden party at Buckingham Palace. French President Emmauel Macron signed a condolence book at the British embassy in Paris. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the attack only strengthens Germany's resolve to work with the British.
The U.N. Security Council also condemned the bombing.
President Donald Trump, visiting Bethlehem in the West Bank, called those responsible for the blast "evil losers in life."
"I won't call them monsters because they would like that term; they would think that's a great name," Trump said. "I will call them from now on losers, because that's what they are."
He added, "We cannot stand a moment longer for the slaughter of innocent people."
May said she does not want the British people to feel "unduly alarmed," but she appealed to them to cooperate with police and other security services.
She ended her address to the nation Tuesday night with the traditional appeal to Britons to carry on and stand defiant.
"The spirit of Manchester and the spirit of Britain is far mightier than the sick plots of depraved terrorists. That is why the terrorists will never win, and we will prevail."
英國首相德蕾莎‧梅伊(Theresa May)於週二（編按：新聞時間為2017年5月23日）宣布，英國將恐怖攻擊警戒提升至最高的「危急」等級，士兵正被調配、部署(deploy)以協助武裝警察(armed police)。（編按：英國已於5月27日重新將恐怖攻擊警戒從「危急(critical)」等級調降到「嚴重(severe)」等級。）
自殺炸彈客(suicide bomber)在美國流行歌手雅瑞安娜‧格蘭德(Ariana Grande)於曼徹斯特(Manchester)舉行的音樂會上引爆炸彈(blow . . . up)，導致22人身亡，近60人受傷。英國首相梅伊在事發後一天對國民發表談話，表示軍方將與警方配合，將部署在足球比賽與音樂會等的「重大場合」。
梅伊表示，全國受恐怖攻擊威脅的級別從「嚴重(severe)」提高到「危急(critical)」，這表示可能還有另外的恐怖攻擊事件「即將發生(imminently)」。
她說，週一（編按：新聞時間為2017年5月22日）的曼徹斯特爆炸事件的主導者背後可能還有「更大的網絡」，對此英國警方目前也正急於確認。
警方已經確認自殺炸彈客為二十二歲的薩勒曼‧阿貝迪(Salman Abedi)，但尚未提供其他關於此人的訊息。
伊斯蘭國(Islamic State)自稱為此恐怖攻擊事件背後的主謀，但未被英國或美國的情報(intelligence)證實。
警方在週二突擊(raid)了曼徹斯特一處住宅區(residential area)，並在多族群混居的郊區法洛菲爾德區(Fallowfield)的一間屋內執行(carry out)了一爆裂物的引爆。
警方也在曼徹斯特逮捕了一名二十三歲男子，但尚未提供任何關於他如何涉入此爆炸案(blast)的訊息。
炸彈客於美國流行歌手格蘭德剛結束表演時，在音樂會館場外的大廳走廊上引爆了身上的炸彈。
梅伊表示，炸彈客蓄意(deliberately)選擇「會引起最大規模殺害(carnage)的時間和地點，肆意地(indiscriminately)對人群傷害」。
錄影的影片顯示，觀眾原本歡欣的氣氛轉變成了混亂與隨之而來的恐慌。群眾們漸漸意識到發生了爆炸事件後，爭先恐後地要(scramble to . . .)離開案發現場的建築物。
目擊者表示，他們看到地板上躺著沾滿血液的屍體，而有一些身受重傷的人則朝著出口步履蹣跚地走去(stagger)。
爆炸案的許多受害者都是把格蘭德當作偶像(idolize)的年輕女孩，而其中最小的年僅8歲。
在音樂廳外交通大打結，有許多心急的父母趕到了現場，也陷入一陣混亂的局面。直到週二仍有一些父母在尋找他們的小孩。
格蘭德在Twitter上留言表示：「心碎了。我打從心底感到非常抱歉，說不出其他的話了。」
英國伊麗莎白女王(Queen Elizabeth)在白金漢宮的一個花園餐會上進行了靜默儀式(hold a moment of silence)。法國總統埃瑪紐耶爾‧馬克宏(Emmauel Macron)在英國駐巴黎大使館簽署了一份慰問書(condolence book)。德國總理安格拉‧梅克爾(Angela Merkel)則表示，這次的恐怖攻擊事件只會更加深德國與英國合作的決心(resolve)。
聯合國安全理事會(U.N. Security Council)也同聲譴責(condemn)此次的爆炸事件。
美國總統唐納‧川普(Donald Trump)正在訪問約旦河西岸地區(West Bank)的伯利恆(Bethlehem)，他稱這些涉入爆炸案的人是「邪惡的人生失敗者」。
川普說：「我不會稱他們為冷血怪物，因為他們喜歡這個稱呼，他們會認為這名稱很棒。從現在起，我會叫他們失敗者，因為他們就是如此。」
他補充說：「我們一分一秒都不能忍受再有無辜的民眾受到殺害(slaughter)。」
英國首相梅伊表示，她不想讓英國人民感到「過度地(unduly)驚恐(alarmed)」，但她也向大眾呼籲(appeal to . . .)，請大家與警方及其他安全部門配合。
她於週二晚間在對全國談話結束時，保持一貫傳統，籲請英國人民堅定地繼續向前(carry on)，不畏懼、不屈服(defiant)。
「曼徹斯特的精神和英國的精神遠遠強過這些墮落的(depraved)恐怖分子的變態計謀(plot)，這也就是為什麼恐怖分子將永遠無法得逞，而我們終能獲得勝利(prevail)。」
Language Notes
deploy [dɪ`plɔɪ] (v) 部署；調動
*注意重音在第二音節
imminently [`ɪmənəntlɪ] (adv) 臨近地，即將發生地
*imminent [`ɪmənənt] (a)（危險等）逼近的；即將發生的
intelligence (n) 情報
*本字另一常見的意思為「智力，智慧」
raid (v) 突襲；突擊
blast (n) 爆炸，爆破
carnage [`karnɪdʒ] (n) （尤指戰爭中的）大屠殺，殘殺
indiscriminately [ɪndɪ`skrɪmənətlɪ] (adv) 無差別地；任意地
*indiscriminate [ɪndɪ`skrɪmənət] (a) 不加區別的，無差別的
scramble [`skræmbḷ] (v) 爭搶；慌亂而倉促行動
stagger [`stægɚ] (v) 搖搖晃晃，蹣跚而行
condolence [kon`doləns] (n) 弔唁；慰問
*本字有一常見的片語 "offer (one's) condolences"「表示（某人的）哀悼、慰問」
resolve [rɪ`zɑlv] (n) 決心；堅定的信念
appeal [ə`pil] (v)（尤指向公眾）呼籲，籲請
* appeal to . . . (v phr) 向. . . . . .呼籲；籲請. . . . . .
defiant [dɪ`faɪənt] (a) 不屈服的；對抗的
prevail [prɪ`vel] (v) 戰勝；占優勢，占上風
*注意重音在第二音節；本字亦常指「流行，盛行；普遍」
Check your vocabulary!
Fill in the blanks with a word or phrase from the list above. Make necessary changes. After you finish, highlight the blanks to reveal the hidden answers.
The police are appealing to the public for any information about the missing girl.
Dignitaries from all over the world came to offer their condolences.
Police officers from the organized crime division have raided businesses in central London.
The protesters blocking the entrance to the offices remained defiant this morning.
People are scrambling to buy property before prices rise even further.
編譯：簡嘉呈
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