2006年VOA标准英语-NATO Chief in Afghanistan for Top-Level Talks

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
06 September 2006 

Hoop1 Scheffer after exchanging signed documents of an accord to boost security and development cooperation in Kabul, September 6, 2006 " src="/upimg/allimg/070418/1000570.jpg" width="210" border="0" /> Afghan President Hamid Karzai, right, with NATO's secretary-general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer after exchanging signed documents of an accord to boost security and development cooperation in Kabul, September 6, 2006

NATO's Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer says the Western alliance will prevail in Afghanistan despite a recent surge in Taleban-led violence. The NATO chief says the alliance will help rebuild the battered² country.

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The Secretary-General is making a two-day visit while NATO forces are engaged in a massive counter-insurgency operation in the Taleban's primary stronghold in southern Afghanistan.

Speaking to reporters in the Afghan capital Wednesday, the NATO chief, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, said that despite stiff resistance, NATO forces will prevail.

Almost exactly five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, he says any failure in Afghanistan would be felt around the world.

"As we speak, NATO forces in southern Afghanistan are fighting, side by side with the Afghan National Army. Why are they fighting? Because they and we and you do not want the terrorists to win," he said.

NATO assumed command in the south on July 31.

"Operation Medusa" was launched Saturday in the southern province of Kandahar. NATO officials say the offensive has already killed more than 250 militants³ and soldiers have cornered at least 600 suspected Taleban insurgents⁴ as operations continue.

This has been Afghanistan's bloodiest⁵ year since U.S. forces ousted⁶ the Taleban regime in 2001 for harboring al Qaida leader Osama bin⁷ Laden⁸.

Fighting throughout the country has surged dramatically since January, including a number of suicide bomb attacks inside the previously⁹ secure capital.

De Hoop Scheffer told reporters that significant challenges obviously still remain for Afghanistan, not all of which can necessarily be solved militarily.

"And if I say there is no military solution for this nation in the long term it is because there is no security - no lasting¹⁰ security - without development," continued De Hoop Scheffer. "Development has to take place and development means fighting corruption¹¹, means finding a solution for the scourge¹² of narcotics¹³ [and] means reforming the legal and judicial¹⁴ system."

According to the United Nations, Afghanistan's unemployment rate is around 40 percent A new U.N. survey says the country's illegal opium¹⁵ crop is expected to reach record levels this year.

De Hoop Scheffer and Afghan president Hamid Karzai signed an accord providing more international support for local security and development programs.

President Karzai is also scheduled to meet with Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf.

Afghan officials accuse Islamabad of not doing enough to stop Taleban insurgents from establishing bases in Pakistan and launching cross-border raids.

1 hoop   

n.（篮球）篮圈，篮

参考例句：

• The child was rolling a hoop.那个孩子在滚铁环。
• The wooden tub is fitted with the iron hoop.木盆都用铁箍箍紧。

2 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

3 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

4 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

5 bloodiest   

adj.血污的( bloody的最高级 )；流血的；屠杀的；残忍的

参考例句：

• The Russians were going to suffer their bloodiest defeat of all before Berlin. 俄国人在柏林城下要遭到他们的最惨重的失败。 来自辞典例句
• It was perhaps the bloodiest hour in the history of warfare. 这也许是战争史上血腥味最浓的1个小时。 来自互联网

6 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

7 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

8 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

9 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

10 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

11 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

12 scourge   

n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏

参考例句：

• Smallpox was once the scourge of the world.天花曾是世界的大患。
• The new boss was the scourge of the inefficient.新老板来了以后，不称职的人就遭殃了。

13 narcotics   

n.麻醉药( narcotic的名词复数 )；毒品；毒

参考例句：

• The use of narcotics by teenagers is a problem in many countries. 青少年服用麻醉药在许多国家中都是一个问题。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Police shook down the club, looking for narcotics. 警方彻底搜查了这个俱乐部，寻找麻醉品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

15 opium   

n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的

参考例句：

• That man gave her a dose of opium.那男人给了她一剂鸦片。
• Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。