VOA常速英语2007-US Defense Chief Urges Southeast Europe to Help

By Al Pessin
Kyiv
22 October 2007

U.S. Defense¹ Secretary Robert Gates has criticized NATO allies for their failure to meet their own commitments for troops in Afghanistan. He made the comment as he announced that some Southeastern European nations intend to increase their commitments to Afghanistan and Iraq. VOA's Al Pessin reports from Kyiv, where Secretary Gates met with his counterparts from the region on Monday.

Secretary Gates said several nations indicated their intent to increase their troop presence in Afghanistan, and also in Iraq. But he said he can not name them because they have not yet completed their domestic consultations². At the same time, he criticized NATO allies for failing to provide the forces agreed to at their annual summit earlier this year.

"I am not satisfied that an alliance whose members have over two million soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen can not find the modest additional resources that have been committed for Afghanistan," he said.

 

Secretary Gates said that will be a major theme of his meeting with NATO defense ministers later this week near Amsterdam.

A U.S. official said Slovakia's defense minister told Secretary Gates during a break in the meetings that his country would add 47 members to its contingent³ in Afghanistan, bringing it to about 125.

Secretary Gates came to Ukraine for a meeting of the Southeastern Europe Defense Ministers group, an organization focused on improving ties to the west among former communist countries, many of which have joined, or want to join, NATO.

According to a transcript⁴ of his remarks at a closed meeting, Secretary Gates told his 11 colleagues their organization risks becoming irrelevant⁵ if it does not take action to address current challenges. He said the nations should contribute as much as they can to the NATO-led effort in Afghanistan, particularly training teams for the new Afghan Army and specialists for provincial⁶ reconstruction⁷ teams.

The Southeastern Europe group deployed⁸ its brigade to Afghanistan last year to provide headquarters services. But Secretary Gates said the group should review the capabilities⁹, shortcomings, and requirements of the unit, and carefully review what each nation contributes before deciding on any further deployments.

He also called on the Southeastern Europe nations to keep their troops in Kosovo beyond December 10, regardless of the outcome of talks on the region's future.

Also on Monday, the Southeastern Europe defense ministers officially recognized Bosnia-Herzegovina as their group's 12th member.

1 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。

2 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 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。

4 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

5 irrelevant   

adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的

参考例句：

• That is completely irrelevant to the subject under discussion.这跟讨论的主题完全不相关。
• A question about arithmetic is irrelevant in a music lesson.在音乐课上，一个数学的问题是风马牛不相及的。

6 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

7 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。

8 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

9 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓