This war had to be fought fast and relatively bloodlessly.

这场战争必须速战速决，基本做到兵不血刃。

Soon after the year began, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who had ruled Tunisia since 1987, and Hosni Mubarak, ruler of Egypt since 1981, were rapidly—and almost bloodlessly—forced out of power.

今年开年不久，自从1987年以来一直统治突尼斯的本 阿里、自1981年以来统治埃及的穆巴拉克，迅速地——近乎不流血的——被迫出局。