【2月7日】看軍聞學英語

■刀客

原文：

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, more than 26,000 Australian uniformed personnel were sent to Afghanistan to fight alongside US and allied forces against the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and other Islamist groups.

Australian combat troops officially left the country in 2013, but since then a series of often-brutal accounts have emerged about the conduct of elite special forces units. They range from reports of troops killing a six-year-old child in a house raid to a prisoner being shot dead to save space in a helicopter.

The revelations are also a serious blow to the prestige of the country's military, which is widely revered by Australians. Its historic campaigns have played a crucial role in fostering the country's identity, independent of colonial power Britain.

中譯：

自2001年9月11日美國恐攻事件後，超過2萬6000名澳洲官兵被派赴阿富汗，與美國及聯軍連袂對抗塔利班、蓋達及其他伊斯蘭極端組織。

澳洲戰鬥部隊於2013年正式撤離阿富汗，惟自那時起，有關精銳特戰部隊層出不窮的常態性殘暴行徑，一一浮出檯面；從部隊突襲民宅殺害1名6歲小孩，以至於為騰出直升機空間而射殺俘虜等報導，其範疇不一而足。

廣受其人民敬重的澳洲軍方，亦因上情所揭露的真相，重創其威望。該軍所參與的歷史性戰役，對於獨立出英國殖民強權、形塑澳洲的國家認同，扮演至關重要的角色。

－關鍵軍語－

※revelation:

A surprising and previously unknown fact.

例句：

Australia's scandal-plagued armed forces were dealing another round of embarrassing revelations over misconduct.

受醜聞困擾的澳洲軍方，尚在處理另一波因不當行為而遭披露的窘況。