2007年VOA标准英语-US Forces Adapt to Non-Combat Role in Afghanist

By Malcolm Brown
Washington, DC
22 January 2007
 
watch War in Afghanistan

The U.S. military takes pride in its war-fighting ability, but its experience in Iraq and Afghanistan is forcing a re-examination of non-combat roles.  Commanders accept that bombs and bullets alone will not win what the Pentagon refers to as "the long war," in which American troops are engaged in nation building, as well as combat. Malcolm Brown reports on how that is playing out in Afghanistan.

After confronting a resurgent Taleban last year, U.S. and allied¹ troops have been warned to expect an even greater onslaught in 2007.

 
Lieutenant² General Karl Eikenberry
While American forces express confidence that they can defeat the enemy on the battlefield, the outgoing U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry, says that ultimately the war cannot be won by force alone.

"The non-military aspects of success in Afghanistan are increasingly prominent: the delivery of education, the delivery of good governance, the delivery of justice systems, the delivery of a good economy."

 
John Pike
Defense³ analyst⁴ John Pike says that in order to deliver, the American military is having to adapt. "The U.S. Army does know how to do this. It's just that not very many soldiers in the Army are trained in this particular specialty⁵. So, it's been very much a learning experience on the part of infantry⁶, armor, artillery⁷ soldiers to learn these civil affairs skills and to apply them in practice."

In addition to their military duties, U.S. troops are helping⁸ to restore, and in many cases, create Afghan infrastructure⁹.

Task force commander Colonel John W. Nicholson defines the goal as separating the enemy from the general population. "It is there that we win this war; by connecting the Afghan government, with the people, and by transforming their environment. So, at the end of that, they believe their best hope for the future is with the government of Afghanistan."

To bolster¹⁰ that government, international forces continue to train members of the Afghan National Army. It's another of the non-combat roles American troops are being called upon to perform.

John Pike, who runs his defense-related website from an office in Alexandria, Virginia, says the U.S. military is trying to balance competing needs.

"Finding the balancing act between being good at conventional and good at unconventional is a balancing act the U.S. military is still looking for. Unavoidably, getting better at the unconventional, counterinsurgency operations is going to come at the sacrifice of some excellence¹¹ in the stand-up fight. But I think that's a sacrifice the U.S. Army is prepared to make."

Given Afghanistan's rugged¹² terrain¹³ and the legacy¹⁴ of decades of warfare¹⁵, it is a balancing act that American commanders expect to be performing for a long while.

1 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。

2 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

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 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

5 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。

6 infantry   

n.[总称]步兵(部队)

参考例句：

• The infantry were equipped with flame throwers.步兵都装备有喷火器。
• We have less infantry than the enemy.我们的步兵比敌人少。

7 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

10 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

11 excellence   

n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德

参考例句：

• His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
• My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。

12 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

13 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

14 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

15 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。