A powerful suicide bomb in Afghanistan has killed the country's deputy chief of the national spy agency and 22 others. Taliban insurgents have claimed responsibility for the deadly attack. The violence comes as the United Nations has reported a significant decline in opium cultivation in the country. The illegal narcotics trade is said to be a major cause of instability in Afghanistan and is believed to be funding Taliban insurgency.
阿富汗发生一起自杀炸弹爆炸，巨大的杀伤力导致阿富汗情报局副局长和其他22人身亡。塔利班武装分子声称对这次事件负责。与此同时，联合国的报告说，阿富汗的鸦片种植大幅下降。非法毒品贸易被认为是造成阿富汗局势动荡的一个主要原因，也是塔利班武装的资金来源。
The suicide bombing took place in the eastern Afghan province of Laghman. Authorities say that deputy chief of the country's powerful National Directorate for Security, Abdullah Laghmani, and other senior officials were leaving the main mosque in the provincial capital Mehtar Lam, when a suicide bomber hit them.
这次自杀炸弹袭击发生在阿富汗东部拉格曼省。有关当局表示，自杀炸弹杀手引爆炸弹时，阿富汗国家安全局的副局长阿卜杜拉.拉格曼尼当时正和其他高级官员从拉格曼省首府一个主要清真寺离开。
Provincial Governor Lutfullah Mashal says most of the deaths occurred instantly and several top provincial officials were among those killed.
省长马沙尔说，很多人当场被炸死，死者中包括省内一些最高级别官员。
The governor says that 18 civilians were also killed in the attack while 35 people were wounded who are being treated in hospitals in Laghman and in the city of Jalalabad.
他说，还有18名平民在袭击中丧生，35人受伤。伤者正在拉格曼省和贾拉拉巴德市的医院内接受救治。
Taliban insurgents immediately claimed responsibility, saying the deputy chief of the spy agency was their target. President Hamid Karzai has condemned the deadly attack such a "vicious act" of terrorists.
塔利班武装分子立即宣布对袭击负责。他们表示，阿富汗情报局的副局长是他们袭击的目标。阿富汗总统卡尔扎伊对袭击予以谴责，称这次造成严重伤亡的袭击是恐怖分子“恶毒行径”。
Taliban insurgents have launched frequent and deadly attacks on local as well foreign troops in Afghanistan this year. The violence has left hundreds of people dead. However, observers say Wednesday's assault on a top official of the country's spy agency underscored the Taliban's increasing ability to carry out targeted attacks.
塔利班暴乱分子今年多次对阿富汗和外国军队发动致命袭击。暴力活动已经使数百人丧生。然而观察人士表示，星期三针对对阿富汗情报部门高官的袭击表明塔利班发动有针对性袭击的能力正在加强。
The violence comes as vote counting is still continuing after last month's presidential election in Afghanistan with partial results putting President Karzai in the lead amid widespread allegations of rigging by his main rival, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah.
在这起暴力事件发生的同时，阿富汗仍在继续对上个月总统选举的选票进行清点。选举的部分结果显示，现任总统卡尔扎伊领先。但卡尔扎伊的主要竞选对手，前外交部长阿卜杜拉指责选举普遍存在欺诈行为。
Meanwhile, the United Nations has announced a sharp decline this year in opium production in Afghanistan, which produces 90 percent of the world's crop.
与此同时，联合国表示，阿富汗的鸦片种植今年大幅度减少。全世界90%的鸦片是在阿富汗种植的。
Speaking at a news conference in Kabul Wednesday, UN's Antonio Maria Costa, citied effective anti-drugs campaign, programs to replace opium poppies with legal crops and lower international prices for the reduction in opium cultivation.
联合国官员安东尼奥.科斯塔在喀布尔召开的记者会上说，鸦片种植减少得益于有效的反毒宣传，以及合法作物取代罂粟种植，还有国际鸦片价格的下降。
"Prices are very low and that has created a disincentive to farmers while production of licit crops, thanks to their much higher price of corn and wheat and cereals in general, have changed the trends of trade," he said. "Lower incentive for opium and higher incentive for licit crops all of this has caused a voluntary shift by farmers out of opium into licit crops."
他说，“鸦片的价格很低，这使农民们不愿意种植鸦片，而去种植合法作物。玉米、小麦和其它谷类高得多的价格改变了交易的趋势。鸦片的低回报和合法作物的高回报，所有这些让农民们自愿地放弃鸦片去种植合法作物。”
The biggest drop in the opium crop, he says, was witnessed in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, which accounts for nearly 60 percent of the country's total production of the drug. The region is a known Taliban stronghold, where U.S-led coalition forces have conducted major anti-insurgency operations this year.
科斯塔说，鸦片种植下降最大的是在阿富汗南部的赫尔曼德省。该省出产阿富汗全国将近60%的毒品。这个地区有塔利班的据点。美国领导的联军部队今年在这里发起反塔利班的重要军事行动。
U.N.'s Antonio Costa acknowledged the Taliban insurgents particularly in southern provinces of Afghanistan are benefiting from the drugs income.
安东尼奥.科斯塔承认，尤其是阿富汗南部的塔利班武装分子从毒品交易中获益。
"The very large amount still of opium produced by farmers and income derived by farmers generates a very significant amount of money to those who control the territory, and these are the Taliban in the south," he said.
他说，“农民们仍种植很多鸦片，农民们获得的收入有很大一部分交给了控制这一地区的人，也就是在南部的塔利班。”
In its latest findings, the United Nations has now declared 20 of Afghanistan's provinces as poppy-free and has called on the international community to sustain the progress.
联合国最新的调查发现，阿富汗有20个省份没有种植罂粟。联合国呼吁国际社会努力保持这一进步。 |