more and more like the final fall of

越來越走向滅亡的

Aleppo. The regime of Bashar al-Assad,

阿勒坡。被巴夏爾 阿薩德，

Russia, Iran, and they're affiliated

俄國，伊朗和他們的成員統治的

militia are the ones responsible for

民兵組織就是主要導致

what the UN called a complete meltdown

聯合國所稱泯滅人性的兇手

of humanity. The battle for Aleppo is over

阿勒坡戰役已經結束

"Are you truly incapable of shame is

「你真的不能勝任可恥這個詞

there literally nothing that can shame you?"

因為沒有其他的東西可以讓你感到可恥？」

Aleppo has fallen. The city, formerly

阿勒坡已經滅亡。這城市，曾經為

the most populous place in Syria, was the

人口最多的敘利亞城市，

site of a major battle between Bashar al

是巴夏爾 阿薩德政府和反叛軍

Assad government and rebel forces.

的主要戰場

The rebels control the eastern half of the

反叛軍掌控了東半部的阿勒坡城

city and Assad the West.

而西半部由阿薩德掌控

The story of Syria's Civil War is a

敘利亞內戰是

story of flip-flops. Early on it looked

這戰爭的觸發點。早先看來

like the Assad regime was finished,

以為阿薩德政權已經結束

intervention by Iran and support by

因伊朗政府干預和俄國支持下

Russia help prop them up. Then the rebels

撐起政局。而反叛軍

backed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar and

也受到沙烏地阿拉伯，卡達和

several other sides turned the tides and

一些其他的國家的擺動

this happened a number of different

發生無數次不同組織的

times inside the conflict.

內戰

September 2015 was a turning point in the Syrian

2015年九月是敘利亞內戰的轉折點

civil war. That's when Russia intervened

這是俄國第一次

directly for the first time.

直接干預

Russian airstrikes began pounding rebels

俄國開始不斷的空襲反抗軍

under the cover of hitting ISIS. Russian

也就是間接攻擊伊斯蘭國(ISIS)。俄國

airstrikes played a decisive role in

空襲扮演了決定性的角色

allowing Assad to encircle Aleppo. The

讓阿薩德得以包圍阿勒坡。

bombardment made it very difficult for

這些轟炸讓反抗軍很難

rebels to operate freely allowing Assad

讓阿薩德輕易的

to move towards Aleppo and eventually

朝著阿勒坡前進導致最終

encircle the city.

包圍整座城市

A siege is a military tactic where forces on one side

圍攻是一個軍事戰術使得一方

surround the other side, including any

包圍另一方，包括所有的

civilians trapped in there and deny

市民陷入困境並禁止

supplies from entering the city. There is

供給品進入城市。

a grim logic to imposing a siege on Aleppo.

這次的阿勒坡圍攻是用一個很殘忍的方法

If you deny the rebels' food and medicine

如果你拒絕反抗軍的食物和藥品

eventually they lose the physical and

最終你會失去生理和

mental capability to fight. Assad's vicious

精神能力去對抗。阿薩德殘暴的

siege worked as intended. The rebels

圍攻如他計畫的成功了。反抗軍

collapsed allowing Assad forces with

瓦解讓阿薩德軍隊有著

Iranian and Russian backing to stream

伊朗及俄國的支持

into eastern Aleppo. Almost immediately

得以占領阿勒坡東部。幾乎是立即

reports of massacres started filtering

被報導大屠殺開始並濾除

out of civilians being killed on the

即將被殺害市民

streets of women committing suicide to

如婦女自殺是為了

avoid being raped by Assad's forces.

避免被阿薩德軍隊強姦

It's hard to know how many were killed in

實在很難知道多少人被殺害在

this initial purge. We do know

這第一波清掃名單。我們只知道

shortly after the siege was broken an

在圍攻瓦解的短時間裡

evacuation agreement was struck allowing

撤離協議協商破裂

again an unknown number of civilians to

讓無數的市民再度

escape into other territory mostly to

撤離到另一個領地

the city of Idlib, still in rebel hands.

幾乎被反抗軍掌控的城市，伊德利卜

The United States had the military power

美國有著軍事力量

to break the siege of Aleppo and prevent

去破解阿勒坡的圍攻和阻止

the city from falling but doing so would

這個城市瓦解但這樣做會導致

have been extremely dangerous.

非常危險的局面

For one thing the United States would

第一件事情美國可能會做的是

have needed to have coordinated with

需要和反抗軍在地面做協調

rebels on the ground, some of whom were

有些是激進份子

extremists. For another it would mean

另一個問題是

that American planes would have been

美機可能會

flying in hostile airspace with Russian

與俄機在空中強碰頭

planes. If the United States were to

如果美方和

engage Russian planes that would mean a

俄機有所交集，這將代表

direct exchange of fire between two

兩國軍事核武的直接交鋒

nuclear-armed powers a risk that very

這風險

few in Washington were willing to take.

是白宮最不想要去承擔的

Third,

第三，

even if the US had temporarily broken

就算美國暫時的瓦解

the siege of Aleppo and prevented it from

阿勒坡的圍攻和防止它

falling it would have required a

瓦解，這需要一個

tremendous an open-ended commitment to

巨大且開放式的承諾

prevent Assad from simply reimposing the

防止阿薩德輕易的再

siege after Americans left. Whether or

包圍阿勒坡，在美軍撤離後。

not you think an American intervention

不論你覺得美國的干預

would have been worth the risks

會是值得的風險

there's no way to save Aleppo now. The

但現在已經沒有其他方法可以拯救阿勒坡

city has fallen and Assad's troops have

這城市已經瓦解而阿薩德軍隊

gone and committed untold atrocities

已經撤離並犯下無法言喻的殘暴行徑

with who knows how many more left to go.

誰知道還有多少人要離開呢

The rebels have been dealt a devastating

反抗軍已經被重重擊敗

blow one it's not clear they can

也不清楚他們是否

recover from. This victory for Assad

還可恢復。阿薩德的勝利

has been achieved with the support of

是成就於兩個

two major international powers Russia

主要國際力量的支持--俄國

and Iran and it has involved atrocities

和伊朗，而它的殘暴行徑

that are supposed to be prevented under international law. They fought

應該要被國際法阻止

horrifically and they won that's the

這場勝仗的過程極為可怕

lesson of Aleppo.

這是阿勒坡給我們的教訓