Turkish forces crossed into Syria and seized an Isis-held town yesterday as Ankara launched a large-scale operation ostensibly against the jihadi group, but also to contain Syrian Kurds.
土耳其军队昨日越境进入叙利亚，拿下了“伊斯兰国”(ISIS)盘踞的一个小镇。安卡拉方面发起这场大规模行动表面上是打击这个圣战组织，但实际上也是为了遏制叙利亚库尔德人。
The military offensive, which also involved Turkish-backed Syrian rebels, was part of a sustained effort to force Isis out of Jarablus, a town that straddles the Turkey-Syria border.
土耳其支持的叙利亚反政府武装也加入了这场军事行动。此举是一项持续努力的一部分，目的是把ISIS赶出土耳其-叙利亚边境的小镇贾拉布鲁斯(Jarablus)。
But officials say the offensive was also aimed at foiling plans by US-backed Kurdish militia in Syria to extend a swath of land along Turkey’s border that it already holds.
但官员们表示，这场攻势也是为了挫败叙利亚境内美国支持的库尔德民兵组织扩大其在土耳其边境地盘的计划。
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, has denounced the Syrian Kurdish groups as an extension of Kurdish terrorists in Turkey.
土耳其总统雷杰普•塔伊普•埃尔多安(Recep Tayyip Erdogan)谴责叙利亚库尔德人组织，称他们是土耳其境内库尔德恐怖分子的延伸。
“Turkey’s goal is to sweep Isis away from the border,” said Mevlut Cavusoglu, foreign minister. “[Syrian Kurdish militia] must move to the east of the Euphrates [river]. If they fail to do so, we will do what’s necessary.”
“土耳其的目标是把ISIS赶出边境地区，”土耳其外长梅夫吕特•查武什奥卢(Mevlut Cavusoglu)表示。“（叙利亚库尔德民兵组织）必须转移到幼发拉底河以东。如果他们不这样做，我们将采取必要行动。”
The offensive began hours before Joe Biden, US vice-president, arrived in Turkey, the most senior US official to visit the country since an attempted coup last month.
这场进攻是在美国副总统乔•拜登(Joe Biden)抵达土耳其几小时前发起的；拜登是自土耳其上月发生未遂政变以来访问该国的美国最高级官员。
Mr Biden’s trip was part of US efforts to reassure Ankara after the failed putsch, which Mr Erdogan blamed on Fethullah Gulen, an exiled cleric living in the US.
拜登此行是美国整体努力的一部分，目的是在未遂政变发生后让安卡拉方面放心。埃尔多安将这场政变归咎于居住在美国的流亡神职人员费特胡拉•居伦(Fethullah Gulen)，而居伦否认自己在政变企图中扮演了任何角色。
Turkey’s demands for the extradition of Mr Gulen, who denies any role in the coup attempt, have strained relations between the two Nato allies.
土耳其发出的引渡居伦的请求导致两个北约盟国之间关系紧张。
Mr Biden said the people of Turkey “have no greater friend that the people of the United States of America.”
拜登表示，土耳其人民“没有比美利坚合众国人民更伟大的朋友”。
The US provided air support and intelligence to the Turkish military, disappointing its Syrian Kurdish allies, who have proven to be the most effective fighting force against Isis in Syria, pushing west across the Euphrates.
美国向土耳其军队提供了空中支援和情报，这使美国的叙利亚库尔德盟友失望，后者已被证明是叙利亚境内最有效的打击ISIS的力量，目前正从幼发拉底河流域向西推进。
The offensive — probably Ankara’s largest intervention during the five-year Syrian civil war — came days after a suicide bomber killed more than 50 people in Gaziantep, near the Syrian border.
这场进攻很可能是叙利亚五年内战期间土耳其发起的最大规模干预。就在几天前，一名自杀炸弹袭击者在靠近叙利亚边境的加济安泰普(Gaziantep)杀死了50多人。
The attack, which Turkish authorities blamed on Isis, was the latest incident highlighting the perils to Turkey’s internal security as rival militant groups in Syria attack each other inside Turkey.
土耳其当局将此次袭击归咎于ISIS。这是突显土耳其国内安全形势严峻的最新事件，因为叙利亚境内敌对的武装组织把战线延伸至土耳其境内。