The United Nations says the number of civilians killed during 2008 in Afghanistan rose 40 percent from the year before. The 2,118 civilians reported killed last year is the highest number since the U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban government in 2001.
联合国说，2008年阿富汗平民死亡人数比前一年上升了40%。去年有2千118名平民丧生，这是以美国为首的联军2001年推翻塔利班政权占据阿富汗以来平民死亡最多的一年。
U.N. investigators say that while militants are still responsible for the majority of civilian deaths, foreign and Afghan troops killed 30 percent more civilians last year than they did in 2007.
联合国调查人员说，虽然武装激进份子是造成平民伤亡的主要因素，但是外国和阿富汗军队造成的平民死亡比2007年增加了30%。
Overall, Taliban militants and other fighters opposed to the government were blamed for 55 percent of the total civilian deaths in 2008; pro-government forces for 39 percent. Investigators could not determine who was responsible in the remaining cases.
总的来说，塔利班武装残余份子以及其他反政府激进份子要对2008年平民丧生总数中55%的死亡负责，然而亲政府的部队则造成39%的死亡数字。调查人员无法确定其他部分应该由谁负责。
While the resurgence of Taliban fighters since 2007 has drawn international concern over the direction of the war, within Afghanistan there has been as much attention on the number of civilians killed by foreign troops.
塔利班武装份子在2007年重整旗鼓，这引起了国际社会对阿富汗战争走向的关注。但是在阿富汗内部，人们关注的重点是在外国部队打死平民的问题上。
President Hamid Karzai has strongly denounced several high-profile airstrikes that killed dozens of people last year. The U.N. report says airstrikes were responsible for 552 civilian deaths in 2008 - more than 60 percent of the total caused by pro-government forces.
卡尔扎伊总统已经强烈批评去年发生的几次引起人们注意的空袭。这些空袭造成数十人丧生。联合国的报告说，在2008年，空袭要对552名平民丧生负责。这个数字占亲政府军队所造成伤亡总数的60%。
On Tuesday, Mr. Karzai's spokesman, Humayun Hamidzada, responded to the report by saying the current situation is unacceptable, but he refrained from singling out foreign troops for blame.
星期二，卡尔扎伊的发言人对有关报导作出回应。他说，目前的局势令人不能接受，但是他没有明确指出外国部队应该对此负责。
He says we cannot forget that the real responsibility for these casualties rests on the shoulder of the enemies of Afghanistan, who intentionally target civilians and launch operations from near civilian areas.
他说，我们不能忘记这些伤亡的真正责任在阿富汗的敌人一方，他们故意对准平民，并在平民地区附近展开活动。
The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said last year insurgents showed an "increasing disregard" for Afghan lives, killing 1,160 civilians - compared to 700 the year before. Investigators said militants are increasingly using civilians as human shields and carrying out attacks in crowded places.
联合国对阿富汗的援助机构说，去年激进份子越来越显示无视阿富汗人的生命，杀害了1千160名平民，而前一年的数字是700人。调查人员说，武装份子越来越多的利用平民作为掩护，特别在平民众多的地点发动袭击。
Despite the higher overall death toll, U.N. spokesman Dan McNorton, says international forces are making efforts to avoid civilian casualties and are becoming more responsive when incidents do occur. "Progress has been made and international military forces have shown themselves more willing than ever before to institute more regular and transparent inquiries into specific incidents," he said.
尽管死亡总数有所提高，联合国发言人麦克诺顿说，国际部队正在努力避免平民的伤亡，在发生事件时也更能作出反应。他说：“这方面取得了一定的进步，国际军事力量显示比过去任何时候都更愿意对某些特别事件展开更多的和具有透明度的调查。”
The U.N.'s annual report comes as the Obama administration is considering doubling the number of American troops in the country and changing strategies to counter the rising Taliban.
联合国发表这份一年一度的报告的同时，美国奥巴马政府正在考虑在阿富汗成倍增加驻军人数，并对不断增强的塔利班采取不同的战略。
Afghan officials have warned that some tactics by foreign troops, such as night-time house raids and airstrikes, are undermining public support for the Afghan government and NATO and U.S. forces. There has also been concern that increasing the number of troops could increase civilian casualties.
阿富汗官员警告说，外国军队的一些战术，比如夜间的突袭以及空中打击，都妨碍了公众对阿富汗政府，对北约部队，对美国军队的支持。还有人对增加军队人数可能造成更多平民伤亡表示关切。
U.N. spokesman McNorton says that as international forces consider new tactics, commanders should evaluate what impact they will have on civilian populations.
联合国发言人麦克诺顿说， 在国际部队考虑新的战术期间，指挥官应该评估可能对平民人口带来的冲击。
"What we would urge in all planning is that the lives of civilians and the impact of whatever decisions are taken have upon them are considered to ensure that the high number of civilians who were killed in 2008 does not continue in 2009," he said.
他说：“我们要敦促，在进行任何计划时，要考虑到平民的生命安全，不论作出什么决定，都要考虑，保证2008年平民死亡的高数字在2009年不再继续下去。”
Tuesday's report says that as the conflict drags on destroying infrastructure, drying-up job opportunities and reducing access to basic life-supporting services, it is taking an increasingly heavy toll on civilians.
星期二的报导说，在冲突继续的同时，基础设施遭受破坏，工作机会逐渐丧失，保证人民基本生活的服务越来越少，这些都在导致平民丧生的人数越来越多。 |