原文阅读：埃及民主之死
TheillusionthatEgypt’smilitary-backedinterimgovernmentwaswillingandabletotakethecountrytoinclusiveelectionsafterlastmonth’santi-IslamistcoupvanishedamidthecarnageonCairo’sstreetsonWednesday.Withchaosspreadingacrossthecountry,themilitaryhasdeclaredastateofemergency.Asthearmytightensitsgripandthedeathtollmounts,sotoodoesthethreatofcivilwar.
ViolencewasinevitableoncethesecurityforcesmovedinontheIslamistprotesterswhohaveoccupiedpublicsquaresinCairotocallforthereleaseofformerPresidentMohamedMorsi.Allsidessharetheblame.Islamistshaverefusedeveryofferofnegotiation,demandingasapreconditionthereleaseandreinstatementofthedeeplyunpopularMrMorsi.Worse,attheheightoftheviolence,theycalledformoreprotesterstojointhepitchedbattlesinsteadofappealingforcalm.
Themilitary,whichbroughtdownademocraticallyelectedgovernmentlastmonthandnowpullsthestringsofanominallycivilianexecutive,hasignitedIslamistfuryfurtherbytryingtocrushtheMuslimBrotherhood.Hundredsofleadershavebeenroundedupandjailed,whileMrMorsiisbeingheldontrumped-upcharges.UntiltheresignationonWednesdayeveningofMohamedElBaradei,secularistsinthegovernmenthavestoodbyasstateforcesweredeployedagainstciviliansinweeksofclashesthathavelefthundredsdead.
Internationaleffortstobringthewarringcampstothebargainingtablehavefailed.DiplomaticmissionsbytheUSandEUcouldnotpreventthebloodshedonWednesday.Yetmorethandiplomacyisneededtooveetheintransigenceofthosewhobelievetheonlypathtovictoryisthedestructionoftheother.Washingtonhassofarrefusedtosuspendthe$1.3bninaidtoEgypt’smilitary.Thisshouldnowbedoneuntiltheviolenceishaltedandallpartiesagreetotalks.ThereleaseofMrMorsihastobeonthetable.
ButpressurealsohastobeexertedontheMuslimBrotherhood.TurkeyorQatararebestplacedtointervenewithEgypt’sIslamists.RecepTayyipErdogan,Turkey’sprimeminister,condemnedtheearliermilitarycoup,butthisshouldnotruleouthimactingasanintermediaryinconcertwithotherparties.Qatarcouldalsoplayausefulrole.ThenewemirmaybewaryofforeignentanglementsbutheandtherestoftheworldshouldbeevenmorewaryoftheconsequencesfortheregionofadescentintosectariananarchyinEgypt.
学习指南：
1.Wordoftheday
coup:asudden,illegalandoftenviolent,changeofgovernment政变
e.g1：Heseizedpowerinamilitarycoupin1997.
例1：他在1997年的军事政变中夺取了政权。
e.g2：Shelostherpositioninaboardroomcoup(=asuddenchangeofpoweramongseniormanagersinapany).
例2：她在董事会的人事突变中失去了职位。
2.Phraseoftheday
pitchedbattles：afiercebattlefoughtinclosebatbetweentroopsinpredeterminedpositionsatachosentimeandplace激战
3.Sentenceoftheday
ThenewemirmaybewaryofforeignentanglementsbutheandtherestoftheworldshouldbeevenmorewaryoftheconsequencesfortheregionofadescentintosectariananarchyinEgypt.
卡塔尔新任埃米尔或许对卷入外国事务感到担心，但他以及国际社会的其他人士更应该担心的是，埃及若陷入宗派敌对的无政府状态，会给该地区带来的种种后果。
注解：tangle的意思是“(线、毛发等的)缠结的一团，乱团，乱糟糟的一堆”，en是一个使动的前缀，entangle就是使……纠缠在一起意思。你可以说出几个类似的动词吗?
4.Culturalpointoftheday
MuslimBrotherhood：穆斯林兄弟会是一个有近百年历史的伊斯兰复新运动宗教组织，最近因为埃及内战而常常见诸报端。其他有名的伊斯兰组织还有哈马斯(HAMAS，即IslamicResistanceMovement，伊斯兰抵抗运动)、基地组织(Al-Qaida)、东突厥斯坦伊斯兰运动(EasternTurkistanIslamicMovement,ETIM)等。
5.Translationoftheday
Asthearmytightensitsgripandthedeathtollmounts,sotoodoesthethreatofcivilwar.
在军方收紧控制、死亡人数不断上升之际，内战的威胁也在迫近。
注解：deathtoll的意思是死亡人数，时政新闻中说到死亡人数，几乎用的都是这个词，另外有一个表示伤亡人数的高频词是thenumberofcasualties。
e.g:ClintonsaidtheObamaadministrationdeeplyregretstheciviliancasualties.
例句：国务卿克林顿说，奥巴马政府对平民伤亡深表遗憾。
（本文来自互联网，不代表一点资讯的观点和立场）
