Allies Advance As Warplanes Hit Baghdad

　　战机轰炸巴格达，联军挺进

　　Aiming for Saddam Hussein 's seat of power, U.S.-led warplanes and helicopters attacked Republican Guard units defending Baghdad on Monday while ground troops advanced to within 50 miles of the Iraqi capital. President Bush put a billion price tag on a down payment for the war.

　　为了推翻萨达姆政权，以美国为首的战机和直升飞机于星期一向保卫巴格达的共和国卫队发起进攻，美国地面部队离伊拉克首府只有50英里。布什总统在这场战争上下了750亿美元的赌注。

　　The helicopter assault marked the first known engagement between forces in central Iraq, and many of the American craft were hit by Iraqi groundfire. One went down behind enemy lines - the cause was unknown - and the Pentagon said the two-person crew had been taken prisoner.

　　直升飞机的进攻标志着第一次伊拉克中央部队与美国战机的交火，其中有多架美国战机被伊地面部队击落。一架飞机在伊作战线后方跌落--事故原因未知--五角大楼表示有两名飞行员被俘虏。

　　Five dayssintosOperation Iraqi Freedom, resistance prevented American and British forces from securing the southern cities of Basra and An Nasiriyah and thwarted efforts to extinguish burning oil wells.

　　伊拉克自由行动已经进行至第5天，从南部的巴士拉和纳斯地耶，美英联军都遭受到了强烈抵抗。伊拉克故意将油井点燃(阻止了美英联军的进程)。

　　"These things are never easy," conceded British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the day his country suffered its first combat casualty of the war. "There will be some difficult times ahead but (the war) is going to plan despite the tragedies."

　　在英国发生首次战斗机伤亡后，首相布莱尔承认："事情进展不是一帆风顺，前面有很多困难，但是尽管如此，战争还是要进行下去。"

　　Saddam sought to rally his own country in a televised appearance. "Be patient, brothers, because God's victory will be ours soon," he said, appearing in full military garb and seeming more composed than in a taped appearance broadcast last week.

　　萨达姆在发表电视讲话以鼓舞士气："耐心点，兄弟们，因为上帝之战是属于我们的。"穿着军装的萨达姆比上周表现更加镇静。

　　Iraqis set up mortar positions south of the city and piled sandbags around government buildings and other strategic locations, in evident anticipation of a battle to come.

　　伊拉克在南部布置了敢死队，环绕政府大楼和其他战略设施周围也堆积了沙袋，很显然对即将来临的交火有了准备。

　　"Coalition forces are closing in on Baghdad," Maj. Gen. Stanley told reporters at the Pentagon.

　　Gen-Stanley少校在五角大楼告诉记者说："联军武力已经靠近巴格达。"

　　Defense officials at the Pentagon said the Apaches encountered heavy groundfire during their assault on the Medina armored division. One official said many Apaches were hit by fire.

　　五角大楼的国防官员表示，美国人在与麦地那装甲师交火的时候遭遇到猛烈反击。一名官员称多名美国人被击毙。