纽约时报 塔利班袭击阿富汗军事基地 而后又与美国特使和谈(3)

“Following American acceptance of the agenda of ending invasion of Afghanistan

“继美国接受结束对阿富汗的入侵，

and preventing Afghanistan from being used against other countries in the future,

并防止阿富汗未来被利用，来对付其他国家的议程之后，

talks with American representatives took place today in Doha,” the Taliban spokesman said in a statement.

今天，我方在多哈与美国代表举行了会谈。”塔利班发言人在一份声明中说到。

Omar Sadr, a researcher at the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies,

奥马尔·萨德尔是阿富汗战略研究所的一名研究员，

said experience from other peace efforts showed that violence often goes up before talks reach an important stage,

他说，从过去和平努力的经验来看，谈判进入重要阶段的前夕经常都会出现暴力升级这一问题，

as all sides try to gain more leverage¹ at the negotiating table.

因为各方都想在谈判桌上赢得更多话语权。

Mr. Sadr said that while large Taliban attacks in the past would draw emotional responses from Afghan leaders who would pull out of talks,

萨德尔说，虽然过去塔利班发动的大规模袭击都会引起退出谈判的阿富汗领导人的情绪反应，

the year ahead is likely to be shaped by violence and talks going hand in hand.

但未来一年很可能会同时受到暴力和谈判的影响。

The talks have been focused between the Taliban and the Americans,

这次会谈主要在塔利班和美国两方之间开展，

and the Afghan government has expressed frustration² at feeling marginalized.

感到被边缘化的阿富汗政府表示对这次谈判有些失望。

The Taliban have said they want agreements with the Americans over the future of American troops in the country

塔利班表示，他们希望在和阿富汗讨论两国最终关系之前，

and the release of Taliban prisoners before they discuss an end state with the Afghans.

就驻阿富汗美军的未来，以及释放塔利班囚犯与美方达成一致。

In December, the Trump³ administration ordered the military to begin plans to withdraw about 7,000 American troops from Afghanistan in coming months,

去年12月，特朗普政府就下令军方开始落实在未来几个月从阿富汗撤出约7000名美军的计划，

a move that seemed uncoordinated with the American negotiators and whose timing⁴ surprised Western diplomats⁵ in Afghanistan.

这一举措似乎与美方的谈判代表的姿态不太协调，其时机也令驻阿富汗的西方外交官们感到颇为意外。

But the drawdown has not yet begun,

但具体的撤军行动目前还没有开始，

and Defense⁶ Department officials have been unable to clarify how many troops will leave the country or by when.

国防部官员暂且无法明确回答有多少部队将撤离以及什么时候阿富汗的问题。

The top American commander in Afghanistan, as well visiting senior American generals, have played down the notion that the withdrawal⁷ was imminent⁸.

美国驻阿富汗最高指挥官，以及到访的美国高级将领们都不看好撤军即将发生的说法。

“Both sides are serious, and there is progress,” Mr. Sadr said about the talks between the Taliban and the Americans.

“谈判双方都是认真的，谈判也已经取得了进展，”萨德尔在谈到塔利班和美国之间的谈判时说到，

“The talks have turned into a process, and there is a chain of events.”

“谈判已经转为程序了，所以有一系列的流程要走。”

“But what could lead to a cease-fire is a certain stability to the progress,” he continued.

“但流程要走得稳，才能真正促成停火，”他接着说到。

“Both sides have demands before that cease-fire, and it looks until then they will try to use military pressure to gain more.”

“停火之前双方都有要求，而且，从形势来看，在达成停火之前，他们都会利用军事压力来加大自己的筹码。”

The Taliban launched a similar deadly attack in neighboring Logar Province on Sunday,

周日，塔利班在邻近的洛加尔省再次发动了类似的致命袭击，

targeting a convoy⁹ of senior officials that included the provincial¹⁰ governor and intelligence chief.

这次针对的是包括省长和情报负责人在内的高级官员车队。

Shams¹¹ Larawai, the spokesman for the governor of Logar, said that both officials had “escaped the attack unharmed,”

洛加尔省省长发言人沙姆斯·拉瓦伊说，两名官员都“安然无恙地躲过了袭击，”

but that seven police officers and an intelligence officer had been killed and 10 members of the security forces, most of them police officers, had been wounded.

但有7名警察和1名情报官员丧命，10名安全部队成员受伤，受伤者大多都是警察。

1 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

2 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

4 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

5 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

8 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

9 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

10 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

11 shams   

假象( sham的名词复数 )； 假货； 虚假的行为（或感情、言语等）； 假装…的人

参考例句：

• Are those real diamonds or only shams? 那些是真钻石还是赝品？
• Tear away their veil of shams! 撕开他们的假面具吧！