2007年VOA标准英语-Leftist Lawmakers in Italy Threaten to Vote Aga

By Sabina Castelfranco
Rome
18 January 2007

Members of the far left in Italy's governing coalition¹ are threatening to vote against refinancing the country's mission to Afghanistan. As Sabina Castelfranco reports for VOA from Rome, the lawmakers are angry at the government's decision to allow the United States to expand a base in northern Italy.

Communist and other far-left members of Italy's center-left government want Italy to pull its troops out of Afghanistan, and some of the lawmakers now say they will vote against the refinancing of Italy's mission there.

 
Romano Prodi (28 Dec 2006)
This could put Prime Minister Romano Prodi in a difficult position because he has only a tiny majority in parliament to pass legislation. A date for a vote on refinancing the mission for 2007 is expected to be set next week.

The center-right government of Silvio Berlusconi, which preceded the Prodi government, sent the Italian troops to Afghanistan. Mr. Prodi has agreed to keep Italy's 1,800-strong contingent² there. But a vote against refinancing the mission could leave the mission without funds and force a troop pullout.

Two Communist parties and the Green party said they would vote against it. Members of far left parties were angered this week when Prime Minister Prodi announced he would not oppose the expansion of a U.S. military base in the northern city of Vicenza.

 
Italian police officers in riot gear clash with demonstrators during a protest outside city hall in Vicenza, 18 Jan 2007
Hundreds of Vicenza residents this week demonstrated against the expansion of the base, which will double its size. Opponents argue that enlarging the base could militarize the city and make it a target for terrorists.

This demonstrator said Americans come here and want to create a base for war and we don't want it.

Meanwhile, U.S. Defense³ Secretary Robert Gates, speaking to reporters at Bagram Air Base, the main U.S. military air hub in Afghanistan, said that commanders in Afghanistan had recommended a troop increase and he appeared to favor this.

It is not expected such a troop deployment⁴ would exceed two-thousand soldiers.

Gates said he wanted to ensure that gains made against extremism in Afghanistan since the U.S. invaded to topple the Taleban regime in October 2001 were not lost as the Taleban re-emerged.

U.S. military officers in Afghanistan say the Taleban has been regrouping, at least to the extent that it was able last year to launch many more attacks on U.S. and allied⁵ forces than in 2005.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 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。

3 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。

4 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。

5 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。