After his triumphant return to Iraq on January 5, an aide to firebrand anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr says Sadr has gone back to Iran, where he has spent more than three and a half years studying in the Shi’ite theological center of Qom. Analysts are debating the implications of Sadr’s latest move.

煽动反美的神职人员穆克塔达.萨德尔1月5号高调重返伊拉克以后，他的助手说，萨德尔已回到伊朗。过去三年半以来，萨德尔一直在伊朗什叶派神学的库姆中心学习。分析人士正在就萨德尔重返伊拉克所代表的意义进行辩论。

Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has surprised many observers by going back to Iran just over two weeks after his much-commented-upon return to Iraq.

什叶派神职人员穆克塔达.萨德尔回到伊拉克的行动引发了多方评论，然而仅仅两个星期后萨德尔就又返回伊朗，这一举动让观察人士感到意外。

During his brief comeback, Sadr told his followers in a fiery televised speech from the Shi’ite holy city of Najaf, to "resist occupiers, including the U.S. and others, by all possible means."

在萨德尔短暂返回伊拉克期间，他在什叶派圣城纳贾夫发表的一次的电视讲话中以激烈的言辞对追随者说，要竭尽全力抵抗包括美国和其他国家在内的所有占领者。

The U.S. has pledged to withdraw its remaining 50,000 troops from Iraq on schedule by the end of this year. Those troops are involved in mostly support and training of Iraq’s security forces.

美国已经保证今年年底前撤离目前留在伊拉克的5万人部队。这些部队主要任务是支援伊拉克安全部队以及帮助进行培训。

Al Arabiya TV, quoting several of Sadr’s close allies, says that the anti-U.S. cleric returned to Iran Thursday to resume his religious studies.

阿拉比亚电视台引述萨德尔几个紧密盟友的话说，萨德尔星期四已经回到伊朗，继续他的宗教研究。

Analyst Houchang Hassanyari, who teaches political science at Canada’s Royal Military College, says that some of Sadr’s allies are claiming that he is returning to Iran due to "alleged threats by the U.S." and others.

加拿大皇家军事学院教授政治学的分析人士哈桑亚利说，萨德尔一些盟友声称他回到伊朗是由于受到了据称来自美国和其他方面的威胁。

Nevertheless, Hassanyari believes that Sadr is merely returning to complete his theological training in Shi’ite jurisprudence, or "fiqh", with top Iranian scholars.

不过哈桑亚利认为，萨德尔返回伊朗仅仅是为了在伊朗高级学者指导下完成他的法理学神学培训。

"The official position or explanation for his return to Iran is that he is threatened by Americans and their allies in Iraq to be assassinated," he said. "That’s the official reason. I think what might provoke his return to Iran is the fact that now the government is in place, his colleagues are participating in the government, the Americans are on the verge of leaving Iraq as planned by President Obama and probably everything is settled down and he goes back to continue his education."

他说：“他返回伊朗的正式说法或原因是他受到驻伊美军及其盟友的刺杀威胁。那是正式的说法。我认为导致他返回伊朗的原因可能是因为目前伊拉克政府已经确立，他的同事也开始参与政府工作，美国人也在按奥巴马的计划接近了撤军的边缘。各方面的问题基本都已尘埃落定，所以他回去继续他的学业。”

Hassanyari adds that many in Iran’s clerical leadership are hoping that Sadr will eventually serve as a bridge between both country’s leaderships, possibly assuming a position similar to that of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

哈桑亚利补充说，很多在伊朗的神职人员领袖都希望萨德尔最终成为两伊领导层之间的桥梁，希望他能得到相当于伊朗最高领袖哈梅内伊那样崇高的地位。

Moqtada al-Sadr comes from a family of Iraqi religious leaders, including his grandfather and his uncle, who were both top ayatollahs. The two were tortured and killed during the lengthy rule of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

萨德尔出身于一个伊拉克神职领袖的家庭，他的祖父和叔父也是宗教地位很高的阿亚图拉，在伊拉克前领导人萨达姆漫长统治期间受到酷刑并被杀死。

Hassanyari notes that there has been talk of Sadr eventually taking the place of Iraq’s venerable Shi’ite cleric Ayatollah Ali Sistani. For that to happen, however, he stresses, Sadr must become a "marjah" or religious authority first. Being a marjah is one step beyond being an ayatollah.

哈桑亚利说，一直以来就有议论，认为萨德尔最终将取代伊拉克什叶派的阿亚图拉.西斯塔尼。不过他强调说，如果这种看法成为现实，萨德尔必须首先成为宗教权威“马尔杰”。成为马尔杰之后的下一步才是成为阿亚图拉。