2006年VOA标准英语-British PM Urges Renewed NATO Commitment to Afg

By Tom Rivers
London
22 November 2006
 
British Prime Minister Tony Blair pledged Wednesday to push for increased NATO participation¹ in Afghanistan. Speaking in parliament, he also said Sudan must sign off on all outstanding issues that would allow for U.N. peacekeepers to enter Darfur. For VOA News, Tom Rivers reports from London.

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Tony Blair 
Prime Minister Tony Blair told members of parliament that he would be pressing his NATO colleagues to do more at an important alliance gathering² next week in Riga, Latvia.

"At next week's NATO summit, we have to make sure that not just the United Kingdom, but all our NATO partners are doing their utmost to stabilize³ the situation in Afghanistan and give that government the prospect⁴ of success that it deserves and the Afghan people deserve," he said.

Mr. Blair has just returned from a trip to Afghanistan where he met with British troops in restive⁵ Helmand province and government officials in Kabul.

He says he will urge other NATO members to increase their commitments.

"Even if they retain some caveats⁶ on the deployment⁷ of their forces particularly in a fighting situation, but nonetheless there is much more that could be done for example to give support to reconstruction⁸ and development," he said.

"And the truth is I should say that the British troops are doing a fantastic job there. As I saw myself the other day they have troops of other countries working alongside them. The Americans and Canadians in particular who also have lost troops sadly in defense⁹ of the Afghan mission. They also are working extremely well with our forces there," he added.

 
British soldiers of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) patrol streets of Kabul, Oct. 29, 2006
Over 40 British soldiers have lost their lives in Afghanistan, with most of the deaths coming this year.

The prime minister says Britain will stay in the country for as long as required and as he sees it, the reputation of the alliance is now on the line in Afghanistan.

"It is important the NATO recognizes that the credibility of NATO, not just the security of our world, the prospects¹⁰ of Afghanistan, but the credibility of NATO rests on us doing everything we can to help the people of Afghanistan in the search away from the Taleban and in favor of democracy," he said.

On the issue of the crisis on Darfur, Tony Blair stressed he would do all he could to persuade the Khartoum government to quickly resolve all outstanding issues that would pave the way for United Nations and African Union peacekeepers into Darfur.

"We have the outlines of an agreement, the point is to get it implemented¹¹. And all I can say to him is that we will be working very, very closely with out allies, in particular the United States, to make sure that that is done," he said.

An estimated 200,000 people have died in the conflict and more than 2.5 million have had to flee their homes.

Although the prime minister was not asked about Iraq, shortly after Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett announced in parliament that Britain may be in a position to hand over security duties to Iraqi forces in Basra, where most of the British contingent¹² is based, in the spring.

Just over 7,000 British troops are stationed in Iraq.

1 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。

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

4 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

5 restive   

adj.不安宁的，不安静的

参考例句：

• The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.政府未采取任何措施放松出口限制,因此国内制造商变得焦虑不安。
• The audience grew restive.观众变得不耐烦了。

6 caveats   

警告

参考例句：

• I would offer a caveat for those who want to join me in the dual calling. 为防止发生误解，我想对那些想要步我后尘的人提出警告。 来自辞典例句
• As I have written before, that's quite a caveat. 正如我以前所写，那确实是个警告。 来自互联网

7 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

8 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

9 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。

10 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

11 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

12 contingent   

adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队

参考例句：

• The contingent marched in the direction of the Western Hills.队伍朝西山的方向前进。
• Whether or not we arrive on time is contingent on the weather.我们是否按时到达要视天气情况而定。