Missiles over Damascus
America, Britain and France strike Syria
America and its allies again try to deter Bashar al-Assad（巴沙爾阿薩德，敘利亞總統） from using chemical weapons
AMERICA, Britain and France fired a barrage of missiles at targets inside Syria on April 14th. The early-morning strikes aimed to punish the regime of Bashar al-Assad for a suspected chemical-weapons attack that killed dozens of people in the city of Douma a week earlier. More than 100 cruise missiles, launched from warplanes and gunboats, struck three Syrian facilities: a scientific research centre used to produce chemical weapons near the capital of Damascus and two military bases further north.
◆strike verb, noun
a military attack, especially by aircraft dropping bombs 軍事進攻；襲擊；(尤指)空襲：
an air strike 空襲
They decided to launch a pre-emptive strike.他們決定發動先發制人的攻擊。
◆Damascus /də'mæskəs/ n. 大馬士革(敘利亞首都)也是全世界最古老的有人持續居住城市（建城至今4000多年，而有人居時間更長達一萬年之久）。
◆the road to Damascus （源自《聖經》故事，聖保祿在前往大馬士革的路上聽到了上帝的召喚，於是皈依基督。）
an experience that results in a great change in a person's attitudes or beliefs 通往大馬士革之路；(觀點或信仰的)翻然轉變：
Spending a night in jail was his road to Damascus. 在監獄裡度過的一夜徹底改變了他的人生觀。
◆Syria /ˈsiriə/：n. 敘利亞共和國(西南亞國家)
◆ally /'ælaɪ/
noun：
(尤指戰時的)同盟國
verb：
~ (yourself) with sb / sth
to give your support to another group or country與…結盟
[VN] The prince allied himself with the Scots. 王子與蘇格蘭人結盟。
◆deter /dɪ'tɜː/ verb(-rr-)~ sb (from sth / from doing sth)
to make sb decide not to do sth or continue doing sth, especially by making them understand the difficulties and unpleasant results of their actions制止；阻止；威懾；使不敢：
[VN] I told him I wasn't interested, but he wasn't deterred. 我已告訴他我不感興趣，可他卻不罷休。
The high price of the service could deter people from seeking advice. 這麼高的服務費可能使諮詢者望而卻步。
◆fire noun, verb
~ (sth) (at sb / sth) | ~ (sth) (into sth) | ~ (on sb / sth)
to shoot bullets from a gun 射擊；開火；開槍：
[V] The officer ordered his men to fire. 軍官下令士兵射擊。
◆fire off .
[短語動詞] If you fire off a shot, you send a bullet or other missile from a gun. 發射，射出(子彈、飛彈等)；A gunman fired off a volley of shots into the air...持槍歹徒朝天掃射了一排子彈。
◆a barrage of 一連串的；一系列的
◆missile /'mɪsl/n. 飛彈
◆missiles at targets 飛彈目標
Submarines can fire missiles at targets on land.潛艇可以向陸上目標發射飛彈。
◆regime /reɪ'ʒiːm/ noun
1.(尤指未通過公正選舉的)統治方式，統治制度，政權，政體：a fascist / totalitarian / military, etc. regime 法西斯、極權主義、軍事等政權
an oppressive / brutal regime 壓迫民眾的 / 殘暴的政權
2. a method or system of organizing or managing sth 組織方法；管理體制：Our tax regime is one of the most favourable in Europe. 我們的稅收管理體制是歐洲最受歡迎的稅收體制之一。
3. = regimen ：a dietary regime 飲食規則
◆regimen /'redʒɪmən/ (also regime)noun (medical 醫 or formal)
a set of rules about food and exercise or medical treatment that you follow in order to stay healthy or to improve your health 生活規則；養生之道；養生法
◆cruise missil noun
a large weapon with a warhead that flies close to the ground and is guided by its own computer to an exact place 巡航飛彈
◆cruise /kruːz/ noun, verb
a journey by sea, visiting different places, especially as a holiday / vacation 乘船遊覽；航行：I'd love to go on a round-the-world cruise. 我很想乘船週遊世界。
◆warplane /'wɔːpleɪn/ noun 軍用飛機(戰鬥機、轟炸機等)
◆gunboat /'gʌnbəʊt/ noun
a small ship that is fitted with large guns 炮艇；炮艦
◆facility /fə'sɪlɪtɪ/ noun
a place, usually including buildings, used for a particular purpose or activity(供特定用途的)場所：
the world's largest nuclear waste facility 世界最大的核廢料處理場所