阿萨德核心集团成员遭炸弹袭击身亡

Three top military and security leaders in the Syrian regime, including President Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law and his defense minister, were killed in a bombing in Damascus on Wednesday, in the biggest blow to the country's rulers since the start of the uprising 17 months ago.

叙利亚政府的三名军事和安全部门领导人周三在大马士革的炸弹袭击中丧生，其中包括叙利亚总统阿萨德(Bashar al-Assad)的姐夫和国防部长，这是该国自17个月前爆发国内冲突以来当权者受到的最沉重打击。

The attack, which and appeared to have been more a targeted assassination than an Islamist militant-style bombing, was executed by insiders collaborating with the opposition, according to rebel leaders. That account raises questions about the cohesiveness of the military and security forces and their ability to continue buttressing a regime already hit by crippling sanctions and important defections in recent weeks.

这次袭击似乎更像是一场有针对性的暗杀行动，而不是伊斯兰武装分子发动的炸弹袭击。反对派领导人表示，这是叙利亚政府内部人士与反对派的里应外合之作。这种说法不禁令人质疑叙利亚军方和安全部队的凝聚力以及其继续支撑叙利亚政权的能力。该政权近几周已经受到严厉制裁和重要人物变节的打击。

After the attack the U.S. said Mr. Assad's regime was losing control of the country and introduced new sanctions intended to accelerate the Syrian president's exit. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said it was critical for the international community bring 'maximum pressure' on Mr. Assad to step down.

袭击发生后，美国说阿萨德政权正在失去对叙利亚的控制，并且推出了旨在加速阿萨德下台的新制裁措施。美国国防部长帕内塔(Leon Panetta)说，国际社会应给阿萨德施加最大限度的压力，以迫使其下台，这一点至关重要。

Just hours after the attack in Damascus, there were signs that both the regime and rebels were gearing up for a significant escalation in the conflict that risks plunging the country into civil war, drawing in regional players and triggering a refugee and humanitarian crisis with far-reaching repercussions. Several civilian and military regime officials vowed after the attack to do everything possible to snuff out the armed insurrection. Fighting raged for a fourth day in several Damascus neighborhoods, with residents fleeing districts in the capital's northeast that have been the setting of pitched street battles involving helicopter gunships starting this week.

大马士革的袭击发生仅几小时后，就有迹象表明叙利亚政府和反对派均在为冲突的明显升级做准备，这不仅可能会让叙利亚陷入内战，而且会招来中东地区的其他势力参与叙利亚国内的争端，并引发影响深远的难民和人道主义危机。袭击发生后，叙利亚政府几位文武官员誓言将尽一切努力消灭国内的武装反叛。大马士革几个社区连续第四天战火肆虐，民众纷纷逃离大马士革东北部城区。这些城区本周开始出现激烈巷战，武装直升机也参与了战斗。

'This cowardly terrorist act will not dissuade the men of our armed forces from continuing their sacred duties to pursue the remnants of the terrorist criminal gangs and cut off the arm that extends to harm the security of the nation and the people,' said Gen. Fahed Jassim al-Freij, who was appointed by President Assad to succeed the slain defense minister, in a televised statement.

叙利亚将领弗雷伊(Fahed Jassim al-Freij)被阿萨德任命为新的国防部长。他在电话讲话中说，这种懦弱的恐怖主义行为不会阻碍我们武装部队继续履行其神圣职责的步伐，我们要追捕那些恐怖犯罪团伙的残余分子，割断伸到叙利亚国内损害我们国家安全和民众人身安全的手臂。

Gen. Freij, a 62-year-old career army officer from the restive central province of Hama, confirmed in his statement the deaths of his predecessor, Gen. Dawoud Rajha, and of President Assad's brother-in-law Assef Shawkat. Mr. Shawkat, who also held the rank of general, was deputy defense minister and before that head of the feared military intelligence.

弗雷伊今年62岁，是一名职业军官，来自动荡不安的叙利亚中部省份哈马(Hama)。他在讲话中证实了其前任拉杰哈(Dawoud Rajha)及阿萨德的妹夫肖卡特(Assef Shawkat)已经死亡的消息。拥有将军头衔的肖卡特生前是叙利亚国防部副部长，在此之前曾是令人恐惧的军事情报部门的负责人。

The killing of Mr. Shawkat, one of the most powerful figures in Mr. Assad's security apparatus, is a major coup for the opposition, more so than the death of Gen. Rajha, a Christian, who occupied what was largely regarded as a ceremonial post. Mr. Shawkat was married to the president's only sister, Bushra, and was rumored to have survived an assassination attempt by rebels earlier this year through the poisoning of grilled meat served during a meal with his aides.

肖卡特是阿萨德安全部门最有权势的人物之一，他的死亡对反对派来说是一大胜利，意义甚至超过拉杰哈之死。拉杰哈是基督教徒，他所担任的国防部长一职基本上被视作一个象征性职位。肖卡特是阿萨德唯一的姐姐布舒拉(Bushra)的丈夫，曾有传闻说今年早些时候反对派在肖卡特与助手们用餐时给烤肉下毒，但肖卡特躲过了这次暗算。

A separate statement from the army confirmed the killings. Neither the army nor the statement read by Gen. Freij said anything about how the attack was carried out, only labeling it a terrorist act.

另一则由叙利亚军方发布的声明也证实了他们的身亡。叙利亚军方和弗雷伊的声明都没有提到发动袭击的方式，只是说这是恐怖主义行为。

State media said later that Gen. Hassan Turkmani, a former defense minister and Syria's assistant vice president, died in the hospital after being severely wounded in the attack, and that Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Ibrahim al-Sha'ar and Gen. Hisham Ekhtiyar, the national-security chief, had also been wounded but were both 'well and in stable condition.'

叙利亚国家媒体周三晚些时候说，叙利亚前国防部长、助理副总统图科曼尼(Hassan Turkmani)在袭击中受重伤，后经医院抢救无效死亡。另外，叙利亚内政部长阿尔沙尔(Ibrahim al-Sha'ar)与叙利亚国家安全局长伊科提亚(Hisham Ekhtiyar)也在袭击中受伤，但现在已没有大碍，情况稳定。

A United Nations Security Council meeting on Syria sanctions was postponed on Wednesday following a request by Syria envoy Kofi Annan.

在叙利亚问题特使安南(Kofi Annan)的请求下，联合国安理会(United Nations Security Council)推迟了原定周三召开的有关制裁叙利亚的会议。