介绍： Bombing Iran to Rubble Won't Give It Life
Now, we're more than a week into the war with Iran launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, and the biggest question I have is this: What if the necessary is impossible? What if the transformation of Iran is so much more important t...

介绍： Bombing Iran to Rubble Won't Give It Life
Now, we're more than a week into the war with Iran launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, and the biggest question I have is this: What if the necessary is impossible? What if the transformation of Iran is so much more important than the war’s critics admit, but so much more difficult than the war’s designers understand?
What if the Islamic regime in Tehran is also so embedded that, despite its unpopularity with a majority of Iranians, it can’t be removed without plunging the entire Iranian landmass, about a sixth the size of the United States and home to 90 million people, into chaos? What if the only quick alternative to Iran’s Islamic autocracy is not democracy but disorder on an epic scale?
Trump has been all over the map when talking about the morning after in Iran — and saying truly ridiculous and often contradictory things that reveal a commander in chief who is just making it up as he goes along.
That said, Trump and Netanyahu appear to have significantly knocked back Iran’s nuclear capabilities and its ability to project power through its navy, air force and missiles. The wise thing to do now is pause and see how this plays out on what I call "the morning after the morning after." My guess is that this regime will break only from the top, which will be a process that will start only after there is a cease-fire.
The best that the Trump-Netanyahu bombs-away strategy can do is start that process. The worst the strategy can do is so devastate Iran with endless aerial bombardments that it becomes ungovernable for anyone. That would be a disaster of incalculable proportions.
生词好句
rubble 英 [ˈrʌbl] 美 [ˈrʌbl] n. （建筑物被毁后的）碎石瓦砾，（彻底毁灭后的）残骸
近义词辨析：rubble vs. ruins
ruins指废墟，含有历史的沧桑美感；rubble指的是混凝土碎块和扭曲的钢筋，是彻底毁灭后的残骸。
Rescue workers searched through the rubble for survivors after the earthquake.地震后，救援人员在废墟中搜寻幸存者。
the necessary 必要的事情
the + 形容词构成一个抽象名词
the impossible 不可能的事
the unthinkable 不可想象的事
embedded 英 [ɪmˈbedɪd] 美 [ɪmˈbedɪd] adj. 根深蒂固的，深度嵌入的
embed v. 嵌入
embedded system 嵌入式系统
embedded journalist 战地记者
Corruption is so deeply embedded in the system that removing it requires far more than an optimisation of rules.腐败已深深嵌入体制，要清除它远不只是优化规则那么简单。
plunge 英 [plʌndʒ] 美 [plʌndʒ] v. 猛然坠入
The sudden bankruptcy of the company plunged thousands of employees into uncertainty.公司突然破产，让数千名员工猛然陷入了不确定的境地。
all over the map 毫无方向，立场飘忽
His feedback on my presentation was all over the map — one minute he praised the structure, the next he said it needed to be completely rethought.他对我演示文稿的反馈乱成一团——前一分钟夸结构好，后一分钟又说需要彻底重新思考。
morning after （本文）战争结束后的第二天；宿醉后醒来的早晨
ridiculous 英 [rɪˈdɪkjələs] 美 [rɪˈdɪkjələs] adj. 荒唐的
contradictory 英 [ˌkɒntrəˈdɪktəri] 美 [ˌkɑːntrəˈdɪktɔːri] adj. 自相矛盾的
make it up 编造；爵士乐手即兴演奏
He didn't have a business plan — he was just making it up as he went along.他根本没有商业计划——完全是摸着石头过河。
that said 话虽如此
近义词辨析：that said vs. however vs. but
that said比however（然而）柔和，比but（但是）正式，语气是"我不否认你的观点，但还有另一个面向"。
The candidate performed poorly in the debates. That said, her grassroots support remains formidable. 这位候选人在辩论中表现不佳。话虽如此，她的基层支持仍然强大。
knock back 大幅削弱
近义词辨析：knock back vs. weaken vs. knockout
knock back指的是"大幅削弱"，比weaken力度大很多，但比knockout（"K.O."，直接击倒）力度更小一些。