PBS高端访谈:阿富汗妇女权利前景如何?

 　　JEFFREY BROWN: Next tonight, Afghanistan, where both the U.S. and Afghan governments are exploring new negotiations¹ with the Taliban.

　　Margaret Warner sat down with three Afghan women who have a significant amount at stake in the outcome.

　　WOMAN: We don't see the real inclusion. We don't see the real sort of participation² of us.

　　MARGARET WARNER: These women are influential³ figures in Afghanistan in politics, business and non-governmental organizations. That's a far cry from the subordinate role women held in Taliban era Afghanistan, barred from schools and most jobs and brutalized for social infractions.

　　They were in Washington last week meeting with senior members of the administration and Congress. Their message? Women's voices must be heard as the U.S. and Afghan governments chart the course ahead. Their visit came at a crucial time. The summer fighting season against the Taliban has reached a fever pitch.

　　Yet the administration and President Hamid Karzai's government are stepping up efforts to talk to the Taliban, including figures reportedly close to Mullah Omar, seeking a negotiated end to the 10-year-old war. What's more, President Obama is on the verge⁴ of announcing how many U.S. troops he will begin withdrawing from Afghanistan next month.

　　At a White House meeting, Lt. Gen. Doug Lute⁵, the president's point man on Afghanistan, told the women the troop decision will be made in a thoughtful manner.

　　LT. GEN. DOUGLAS LUTE, U.S. Deputy National Security adviser⁶: I want to first reassure⁷ you that this is not—this will be—this will be a responsible, deliberate adjustment of U.S. force posture⁸, and not a rush to the exit, as some people have suggested.

　　MARGARET WARNER: I spoke⁹ with three of these women right after that session.

　　Afghan-American entrepreneur Rangina Hamidi set up a business for local women producing embroidered¹⁰ goods in Kandahar. I began by asking her how she feels about talking to the Taliban, who still terrorize her city.

　　RANGINA HAMIDI, Kandahar Treasure: I live in a region where death is part of life in a way that is not understood in a lot of parts of the world.

　　Death is so close to us, where every second and every minute of our life, we consider and accept that we might not be here the next minute. And so, if talking to the Taliban would mean bringing peace and stability to the level where I don't have to think about death every second of my life, then I'm for it.

　　MARGARET WARNER: Quhramaana Kakar, a gender¹¹ adviser to President Karzai's negotiating team, supports the talks, but she also worries about where they might lead.

　　QUHRAMAANA KAKAR, Afghan Peace and Reintegration Program: As a woman, I do have concerns with other women in the country, and that the—a peace deal with the Taliban might affect human rights or the rights of women which they have right now in the country.

　　However, I would say that the government has to ensure that the rights of all citizens are protected and that, when negotiations take place, all the conditions on the rights of women or human rights in general should be taken into account.

　　MARGARET WARNER: Thirty-year-old Wazhma Frogh advocates for women's causes in Afghanistan. She supports the talks too, despite vivid memories of the fear she felt as a refugee in Pakistan returning for visits home in the Taliban days.

　　WAZHMA FROGH, Afghan Women's Network: From a matter of principle, I am for it, even with the Taliban and other elements. But I also believe that Taliban are not the only threats to the women of Afghanistan or to the people of Afghanistan.

　　I have seen warlords who have raped¹² women on the streets. We have seen people who have taken our lands. We have seen people who have done more damage.

　　MARGARET WARNER: Do any of you know anyone personally who identifies himself as Taliban?

　　WAZHMA FROGH: Yes.

　　MARGARET WARNER: And do you think he or they have changed their attitudes about the role of women in society?

　　WAZHMA FROGH: These couple of the commanders that I came to know and I know, like, they are very, very traditional people. Their mentality—they grew up in a home where they didn't see their own mother, for example, literally¹³.

　　They were trained and brought up in camps across the nation where they didn't see the love of a mother, the love of a father, of a family, so that they can be included in a society as a normal human being. So, when you take these elements or this background into consideration, you can be hopeful that they're human beings that they will change, because to be a human being, we're constantly changing.

　　Then you have commanders who are very ideologically¹⁴ driven, and they are very politically driven. Their ideas is that, for example, there should not—should be no school in this village, no clinic, no sort of progress, no government presence.

　　With them, it's much more difficult. These are the people who behead, for example, schoolteachers. These are the people who burn down schools. And it's very difficult to reconcile with that sort of element.

　　MARGARET WARNER: So, do you want to add something?

　　QUHRAMAANA KAKAR: I could also not imagine if I could—if I would ever be able to talk with a Talib commander or with people who have been at the leadership level of the Taliban.

　　But I wouldn't name anyone. But, right now, I sit with them. They were former Talibans, but they have joined the government. They discuss with me political situations, the situation of women. They give some very good recommendations in order to improve the situation of women in the country.

　　WAZHMA FROGH: I think what is missing from the current conversation on Afghanistan, that the Afghan government is a part of the problem.

　　The reasons that it has driven people towards insurgency¹⁵ and the brand of Taliban is the Afghan government. It has no capacity in providing people with those access to justice. So, a 13-year-old girl raped with 13 police, 13 men which—police officers among them, what do you expect people—like, the father of that girl says, I will blow myself up in a suicide attack, blowing up a government entity¹⁶.

　　MARGARET WARNER: But do you think that is really what is driving the insurgency?

　　RANGINA HAMIDI: Young men, they absolutely no opportunity.

　　I went to Uruzgan in 2005 and saw streets full of young men just sitting in the sun, just bathing in the sun because there was nothing to do, no schools, no jobs, no factories, no skill-producing activities for them to be involved with.

　　MARGARET WARNER: If Taliban return to the government, do you think they will start pushing a more conservative social agenda about the role and rights of women?

　　QUHRAMAANA KAKAR: It depends. If they come in and join the government with accepting the constitution and special articles related to human rights in general and women's rights, I think they will be obliged then, according to the constitution, to allow women to participate in all—in all sectors¹⁷, whether it's social or political.

　　However, the risk is there, of course.

　　MARGARET WARNER: Is the Karzai government listening to these concerns, is it committed to these concerns as it embarks¹⁸ on these talks?

　　WAZHMA FROGH: I don't think so. He does listen us at times, just the way the international community listens to us, but never does what we ask him for.

　　Similarly, the president, too, listens to us. We have relationships. We have conversations. But, in action, because it's not the priority for them, it's the—that the threat has to be mitigated²⁰, and that we are not the threat. We are—the women of this country are not the threat. So, literally, what they are doing is to mitigate¹⁹ the threat, and we will talk about women's issues later.

　　RANGINA HAMIDI: But the reason we are supporting peace first and most importantly is that, when there is peace, at least the threat to our life will hopefully be, you know, kind of taken care of, and then we can work on all these issues, which will make many, many years.

　　I'm 33 years old. I don't foresee a very dramatic positive change in the lives of women in my lifetime, if I live another 33 years. So, that's a reality picture that I have painted for myself. But if we can bring—if my work can lead—can be the root of change for my daughter and my grandchildren's life, that's the change and the hope that I am living with today.

　　What our fear is, that we don't want the reputation of what the past decades have showed us. And so our being in Washington and talking to you is one way to get the message across to do not—to, please, do not let Afghanistan fall back to the years of civil war, to the years of injustice²¹ and inhuman²² acts against all sectors of society, most especially women.

　　So, for once, let's listen to the women and take their suggestions seriously.

　　MARGARET WARNER: Right now, the president is considering how many troops to withdraw from Afghanistan and how quickly. What is your thought on that? Do you—would you like to see U.S. troops begin to leave and in substantial numbers?

　　QUHRAMAANA KAKAR: It all depends on the reconciliation²³ process.

　　I would say we should wait a little bit more to see how this process goes further. But we don't—we cannot have a deadline for the reconciliation process, because it takes a long time. It's a social process.

　　RANGINA HAMIDI: But, on the Afghan side, I think it's also important to start seeing the reduction of troops for the purpose of proving to Afghanistan that America's not here to occupy, because that is a propaganda that insurgents²⁴ are using to control the hearts and minds of Afghan citizens, that America is here to occupy you.

　　And so—but I do want to stress that we cannot—and I'm sure the American government is not naive²⁵ in pulling out the entire troop, you know, overnight, but that a gradual troop reduction on the ground will mean to the Afghan people and to the Afghanistan government that America is not going to be in Afghanistan forever.

　　Therefore, we're going to be forced to sit and make a deal with each other, be it tribal²⁶, be it community or regional-wise, to make peace, literally, because you are not going to have this international protection for much longer.

　　MARGARET WARNER: What would you say to Americans who are growing very war-weary? If they were to listen to this conversation and conclude, it's just hopeless, we ought to just leave, what would you say to them?

　　WAZHMA FROGH: I would say that, if the situation of Afghanistan is hopeless today, America has—has contributed to that as well, as part of the international community.

　　So, there has to be the issue of accountability. Why did you go in 2001 if the country—and have you achieved the objective? That is the major question that we, as Afghans, are asking—as Afghans, are asking the American government.

　　RANGINA HAMIDI: I would like to remind America that, when we pulled out of Afghanistan in 1989, we ended up going back in 2001. I hope that we do not repeat that mistake.

　　MARGARET WARNER: Thank you all very much.

　　QUHRAMAANA KAKAR: You're welcome.

　　RANGINA HAMIDI: Thank you for having us.

　　WAZHMA FROGH: Thank you.

　　GWEN IFILL: President Obama will announce his plan on Wednesday for beginning to draw down U.S. troops from Afghanistan, according to a White House official.

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

3 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

4 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

5 lute   

n.琵琶，鲁特琴

参考例句：

• He idly plucked the strings of the lute.他漫不经心地拨弄着鲁特琴的琴弦。
• He knows how to play the Chinese lute.他会弹琵琶。

6 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

7 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

8 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

9 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 embroidered   

adj．绣花的

参考例句：

• She embroidered flowers on the cushion covers. 她在这些靠垫套上绣了花。
• She embroidered flowers on the front of the dress. 她在连衣裙的正面绣花。

11 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

12 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

13 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

14 ideologically   

adv. 意识形态上地，思想上地

参考例句：

• Ideologically, they have many differences. 在思想意识上，他们之间有许多不同之处。
• He has slipped back ideologically. 他思想退步了。

15 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

16 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

17 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

18 embarks   

乘船( embark的第三人称单数 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• Patricia is a free-spirited girl who embarks on an erotic odyssey. 翠茜亚是个任性少女、毅然踏上一次性爱之旅。
• Passenger train driver: Punctually embarks. 客车司机：准时出发。

19 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。

20 mitigated   

v.减轻，缓和( mitigate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The cost of getting there is mitigated by Sydney's offer of a subsidy. 由于悉尼提供补助金，所以到那里的花费就减少了。 来自辞典例句
• The living conditions were slightly mitigated. 居住条件稍有缓解。 来自辞典例句

21 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

22 inhuman   

adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的

参考例句：

• We must unite the workers in fighting against inhuman conditions.我们必须使工人们团结起来反对那些难以忍受的工作条件。
• It was inhuman to refuse him permission to see his wife.不容许他去看自己的妻子是太不近人情了。

23 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

24 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

25 naive   

adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的

参考例句：

• It's naive of you to believe he'll do what he says.相信他会言行一致，你未免太单纯了。
• Don't be naive.The matter is not so simple.你别傻乎乎的。事情没有那么简单。

26 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。