土耳其軍隊進入敘利亞打擊ISIS
Turkish forces crossed into Syria and seized an Isis-held town yesterday as Ankara launched a large-scale operation ostensibly against the jihadi group, but also to contain Syrian Kurds.
土耳其軍隊昨日越境進入敘利亞，拿下了“伊斯蘭國”(ISIS)盤踞的一個小鎮。安卡拉方面發起這場大規模行動表面上是打擊這個聖戰組織，但實際上也是爲了遏制敘利亞庫爾德人。
The military offensive, which also involved Turkish-backed Syrian rebels, was part of a sustained effort to force Isis out of Jarablus, a town that straddles the Turkey-Syria border.
土耳其支持的敘利亞反政府武裝也加入了這場軍事行動。此舉是一項持續努力的一部分，目的是把ISIS趕出土耳其-敘利亞邊境的小鎮賈拉布魯斯(Jarablus)。
But officials say the offensive was also aimed at foiling plans by US-backed Kurdish militia in Syria to extend a swath of land along Turkey’s border that it already holds.
但官員們表示，這場攻勢也是爲了挫敗敘利亞境內美國支持的庫爾德民兵組織擴大其在土耳其邊境地盤的計劃。
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, has denounced the Syrian Kurdish groups as an extension of Kurdish terrorists in Turkey.
土耳其總統雷傑普•塔伊普•埃爾多安(Recep Tayyip Erdogan)譴責敘利亞庫爾德人組織，稱他們是土耳其境內庫爾德恐怖分子的延伸。
“Turkey’s goal is to sweep Isis away from the border,” said Mevlut Cavusoglu, foreign minister. “[Syrian Kurdish militia] must move to the east of the Euphrates [river]. If they fail to do so, we will do what’s necessary.”
“土耳其的目標是把ISIS趕出邊境地區，”土耳其外長梅夫呂特•查武什奧盧(Mevlut Cavusoglu)表示。“（敘利亞庫爾德民兵組織）必須轉移到幼發拉底河以東。如果他們不這樣做，我們將採取必要行動。”
The offensive began hours before Joe Biden, US vice-president, arrived in Turkey, the most senior US official to visit the country since an attempted coup last month.
這場進攻是在美國副總統喬•拜登(Joe Biden)抵達土耳其幾小時前發起的；拜登是自土耳其上月發生未遂政變以來訪問該國的美國最高級官員。
Mr Biden’s trip was part of US efforts to reassure Ankara after the failed putsch, which Mr Erdogan blamed on Fethullah Gulen, an exiled cleric living in the US.
拜登此行是美國整體努力的一部分，目的是在未遂政變發生後讓安卡拉方面放心。埃爾多安將這場政變歸咎於居住在美國的流亡神職人員費特胡拉•居倫(Fethullah Gulen)，而居倫否認自己在政變企圖中扮演了任何角色。
Turkey’s demands for the extradition of Mr Gulen, who denies any role in the coup attempt, have strained relations between the two Nato allies.
土耳其發出的引渡居倫的請求導致兩個北約盟國之間關係緊張。
Mr Biden said the people of Turkey “have no greater friend that the people of the United States of America.”
拜登表示，土耳其人民“沒有比美利堅合衆國人民更偉大的朋友”。
The US provided air support and intelligence to the Turkish military, disappointing its Syrian Kurdish allies, who have proven to be the most effective fighting force against Isis in Syria, pushing west across the Euphrates.
美國向土耳其軍隊提供了空中支援和情報，這使美國的敘利亞庫爾德盟友失望，後者已被證明是敘利亞境內最有效的打擊ISIS的力量，目前正從幼發拉底河流域向西推進。
The offensive — probably Ankara’s largest intervention during the five-year Syrian civil war — came days after a suicide bomber killed more than 50 people in Gaziantep, near the Syrian border.
這場進攻很可能是敘利亞五年內戰期間土耳其發起的最大規模干預。就在幾天前，一名自殺炸彈襲擊者在靠近敘利亞邊境的加濟安泰普(Gaziantep)殺死了50多人。
The attack, which Turkish authorities blamed on Isis, was the latest incident highlighting the perils to Turkey’s internal security as rival militant groups in Syria attack each other inside Turkey.
土耳其當局將此次襲擊歸咎於ISIS。這是突顯土耳其國內安全形勢嚴峻的最新事件，因爲敘利亞境內敵對的武裝組織把戰線延伸至土耳其境內。
