After 6 years The conflict is divided between four sides, each side with foreign backers

歷時六年，這場衝突大致被劃為四個陣營，每個陣營背後各有外國勢力的支持

and those foreign backers don't even agree with each other on who they are fighting for and who they are fighting against.

而這些外國勢力對於為誰而戰、為何而戰，彼此沒有任何共識

And now, Syria’s use of chemical weapons has provoked President Donald Trump to directly attack Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.

如今，敘利亞使用化學武器促使川普直接攻擊敘利亞總統阿薩德

This is a major development because up until now the US has only been focused on fighting ISIS.

這是個關鍵的進展，因為直到目前為止美國僅專注於攻擊 ISIS

To understand the criss-crossing interventions and battle lines in Syria today, and how it got this way,

要理解敘利亞至今錯綜複雜的勢力糾葛與戰事

it helps to go back to the beginning of the conflict and watch to see how it unfolded.

必須追溯於內戰的開始以及認識這一切是如何發展的

The first shots in the war were fired, in March 2011, by Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad against peaceful Arab Spring demonstrators.

這場內戰的導火線始於 2011 年 3 月，敘利亞獨裁者阿薩德攻擊阿拉伯之春的鎮壓

In July the protesters start shooting back,

同年 7 月，示威者開始反擊

and some Syrian troops even defect from the Syrian army to join them.

而一些敘利亞政府軍甚至叛變加入了抗議

They call themselves the Free Syrian Army and the uprising becomes a civil war.

他們自稱「敘利亞自由軍」，而這場暴動演變成了一場內戰

Extremists from around the region and the world start traveling to Syria to join the rebels.

來自敘利亞以及世界各地的極端份子紛紛加入了反抗軍陣營

Now Assad actually encourages this by releasing jihadist prisoners to tinge the rebellion with extremism

而阿薩德其實鼓吹此事，他釋放了獄中的聖戰士加入反抗軍，使反抗軍陣營變得更為複雜

and make it harder for foreign backers to support them.

讓外國勢力難以給予反抗軍支持

In January 2012, al-Qaeda forms a new branch in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra.

2012 年 1 月，蓋達組織在敘利亞有了新的分支－努斯拉陣線

Also around that time, Syrian Kurdish groups, who had long sought autonomy take up arms and

同時，期盼擁有自治權的敘利亞庫德族群武裝起來

informally secede from Assad's rule in the north.

並脫離了阿薩德在北方的統治

That summer is when Syria becomes a proxy war.

那年夏天，敘利亞內戰變成了一場代理人戰爭

Iran, Assad's most important ally, intervenes on his behalf.

阿薩德最重要的盟友伊朗，為其利益介入此戰事

By the end of 2012, Iran is sending daily cargo flights and has hundreds of officers on the ground.

2012 年底，伊朗每天都會空運物資，在敘利亞境內也有數百個地面部隊

At the same time, the oil-rich Arab states in the Persian Gulf begin sending money and weapons to the rebels, mainly to counter Iran’s influence.

同時，波斯灣上的阿拉伯石油國為了抗衡伊朗勢力，開始運送資金和武器給反抗軍

Iran steps up its influence in turn in mid-2012 when Hezbollah, a Lebanese militia backed by Iran,

伊朗於 2012 年中期開始發揮其影響力，因真主黨（一個伊朗支持的黎巴嫩武裝份子）

invades to fight along Assad.

入侵敘利亞與阿薩德並肩作戰

In turn the Gulf states respond, Saudi Arabia really stepping up this time, to send more money and weapons to the rebels,

另一方面，波斯灣各國也有所回應，沙烏地阿拉伯開始行動，運送更多資金和武器給反抗軍

this time through Jordan who also opposes Assad.

這一次反對阿薩德政權的約旦也加入戰局

By 2013, the middle east is divided between mostly Sunni powers generally supporting the rebels

2013 年為止，中東主要分裂為支持反抗軍的遜尼派

and Shias generally supporting Assad.

和支持阿薩德的什葉派

That April, the Obama administration, horrified by Assad's atrocities and the mounting death tolls,

該年 4 月，被阿薩德暴政與數字持續上升的死亡人數所震驚的歐巴馬政府，

signs a secret order authorizing the CIA to train and equip Syrian rebels.

簽署了一項秘密命令，允許中央情報局訓練並武裝敘利亞反抗軍

But the program stalls.

但是此計畫被終止

At the same time, The US quietly urges Arab Gulf states to stop funding extremists,

同時，美國默默地勸說波斯灣各國停止援助聖戰份子

but their requests basically go ignored.

但他們的請求被忽視

In August the Assad regime uses chemical weapons against civilians, provoking condemnation around the world.

同年 8 月，阿薩德政權對平民使用化武，引發國際譴責

Obama: "Men, women, children lying in

歐巴馬：「男人、女人、小孩屍體被排列在地上，

rows – killed by poison gas..."

皆因吸入毒氣而死⋯⋯

It is in the national security interests of the United States to respond to the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons through a targeted military strike."

因著美國對國際安全的重視，美國對阿薩德政權使用化學武器必須作出回應。」

Russia proposed on Monday that Syria surrender control over its chemical weapons to the International

俄羅斯於星期一提議敘利亞向國際交出其化學武器

Community for its eventual dismantling, to avoid a US military strike.

以避免其最終瓦解的可能和美軍的攻擊

The US ends up backing down, but the whole thing establishes Syria as

美國逐漸收手，但整個事件促使敘利亞成為一個

a great-powers dispute, with Russia backing Assad and the US opposing them.

有著俄羅斯撐腰的阿薩德政權和反對阿薩德的美國之間的權力鬥爭

Just weeks later, the first American CIA training and arms reach Syrian rebels,

幾個星期後，中央情報局第一批訓練人員和武裝抵達反抗軍陣營

the US is now a participant in the war.

美國也正式成為戰爭的一員

In February 2014, something happens that transforms the war: an al-Qaeda affiliate, based mostly

2014 年 2 月，發生了一件改變戰爭的事：一個主要位於伊拉克的蓋達附屬組織

in Iraq, breaks away from the group over internal disagreements.

因為內部意見不合而分離出來

The group calls itself the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, and it becomes al-Qaeda's enemy.

這組織自成「伊斯蘭國」或 ISIS，並與蓋達組織為敵

ISIS mostly fights not Assad, but other rebels and Kurds,

ISIS 主要攻擊的並非阿薩德，而是其他反抗軍與庫德族，

carving out a mini-state it calls its Caliphate.

劃分出了一個他們稱為「哈里發國」的勢力範圍

That summer, it marches across Iraq seizing territory, galvanizing the world against it.

那年夏天，ISIS 入侵伊拉克並佔領其土地，令全世界震怒

In September, one year after US almost bombed Assad, it begins bombing ISIS.

九月，在美國幾乎要轟炸阿薩德快一年後，美國開始轟炸 ISIS

Obama: “We're moving ahead with our campaign of airstrikes against these terrorists,

歐巴馬：「我們開始採取攻勢轟炸這些恐怖份子，

and we're prepared to take action against ISIL in Syria as well.”

而我們也準備好要對抗敘利亞的 ISIL。」

That summer, in July, the Pentagon launches its own program to train Syrian rebels — but

那年夏天，7 月，五角大夏開始了一個訓練敘利亞反抗軍的計畫，

will only train those who will fight ISIS, not Assad.

但只會訓練那些對抗 ISIS 而非阿薩德的反抗軍

The program fizzles, showing that America now opposes ISIS more than Assad, but that

這計畫失敗，顯示美國現在對抗 ISIS 之心比對抗阿薩德強烈，

there's also no like-minded Syrian proxy forces on the ground in Syria.

但同時也沒有對敘利亞立場相近的勢力存在

In August, Turkey starts bombing Kurdish groups in Iraq and in Turkey, even as these Kurdish groups are fighting ISIS in Syria,

8 月，土耳其開始轟炸在伊拉克與其境內的庫德族，即便這些庫德族在敘利亞對抗 ISIS

but Turkey doesn't bomb ISIS.

土耳其並沒有攻擊 ISIS

This gets to one of the big problems in this conflict: the US sees ISIS as its main enemy, but the US’s allies like

這成為這場衝突最大的問題之一：美國視 ISIS 為主要敵人，但美國的盟友們

Turkey and a lot of Middle Eastern states have other priorities.

像是土耳其和其他中東國家卻有各自的打算

This makes for a lot of unclear confusing alliances.

這造成諸多模糊不清的同盟關係

The next month, in September, Russia intervenes on behalf of Assad, sending a few dozen military aircraft to a long-held Russian base in the country.

下個月，9 月，俄羅斯以阿薩德名義介入，派遣好幾打軍機至其在敘利亞的軍地

Russia says it's there to bomb ISIS, but in fact, only ends up bombing anti-Assad rebels, including some backed by the US.

俄羅斯宣稱是為了要轟炸 ISIS，但事實上卻轟炸了反抗阿薩德的叛軍，包括一些有美國撐腰的反抗軍

The next year, Donald Trump wins the White House, vowing to stay out of Syria,

隔年，川普贏得選舉，誓言要和敘利亞劃清關係

and signaling that Assad should be able to stay in power.

並暗示阿薩德應該繼續坐擁權力

At the end of 2016, Assad, helped by Russian airpower and Iranian sponsored militias, retakes

2016 年底，在俄羅斯空軍和伊朗武裝份子的幫助下，

the Syrian city of Aleppo, knocking the rebels out of their last remaining urban stronghold.

重得敘利亞城市阿勒坡，把反抗軍趕出其最後僅剩的城市據點

Then, in Spring of 2017, Assad once again uses chemical weapons against his people,

2017 年春天，阿薩德再次對平民使用化學武器

killing 85, including 20 children.

造成 85 人死亡，其中有 20 名孩童

Back in the US, Trump says his attitude toward Syria and Assad has “changed very much” due to the attacks.

而在美國，川普表示他對敘利亞內戰和阿薩德的觀點因此化武攻擊「有極大的改變」

He vows to respond.

他誓言會有所回應

And within just a few days the White House launches dozens of tomahawk missiles that strike an airbase in Syria,

而在僅僅幾天的時間裡，白宮就發射了數打戰斧巡弋飛彈攻擊敘利亞的空軍基地

this is the first time the United States has directly attacked the Assad Regime.

這是美國第一次直接攻擊阿薩德政權

And this adds yet another criss-crossing complication to the already multidimensional civil war.

而這使得多方鬥爭的內戰更加錯綜複雜

So as it stands now Syria is in ruins.

敘利亞身陷斷垣殘壁

Even as Assad recaptures land, the rebellion perseveres.

即便阿薩德收復許多領土，反抗軍依然存在

And with outside countries fueling each of the groups,

加上外國勢力干涉於各方角力鬥爭，

it’s clear that there is still no end in sight.

此場內戰何時告終依然遙遙無期