VOA标准英语2008年-US Urges Cooperation with Pakistan

The top U.S. military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen tried to ease tensions with Pakistan Friday, saying that now, more than ever, is the time for calm and cooperation. The chairman of the Joint¹ Chiefs of Staff made the remarks one day after U.S. and Pakistani troops exchanged fire along the border with Afghanistan. VOA correspondent Meredith Buel reports from Washington.
　
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen, 14 Sep 2008

Admiral Mullen painted a bleak² picture of the current situation in Pakistan, saying the South Asian nation's battle against extremists continues to get worse.

"Things are very tense and very dangerous in Pakistan," he said. "I would not expect anything else. They face a growing and increasingly lethal³ insurgency⁴ on the border and inside their country, threatening the security of their newly elected government. They are dealing⁵ with extremist safe havens⁷, many of which are sheltered by local tribesmen."

Mullen's remarks followed an exchange of fire between Pakistani and U.S. troops on the Afghan border after Pakistani security forces shot at two U.S. helicopters.

While there were no injuries, the five-minute clash heightened tensions at a time the United States is stepping up military operations in a region known as a haven⁶ for Taliban and al-Qaida militants⁸.

Admiral Mullen told reporters at the Pentagon despite the difficult circumstances along the Afghan border, the United States and Pakistan need to continue their cooperative effort to fight the insurgents⁹.

"That does not mean the sky is falling and it does not mean we should every overreact to the hair-trigger tension we are all feeling. Now, more than ever, is the time for teamwork and for calm," he said.

Mullen says senior Pakistani military leaders have reassured¹⁰ him their troops have no intent or plan to fire on U.S. soldiers.

The admiral says he has no reason to believe the relationship between the two countries has changed as the result of the incident along the border and believes Islamabad is committed to cooperating with the U.S. military.

"I just am hard pressed to see a set of circumstances where there would be any kind of sustained fight between two allies. That does not mean there would not be accidents. I am not going to be totally surprised in the future if it continues to happen. We are working, doing everything we possibly can, to make sure it does not," said Admiral Mullen.

Admiral Mullen praised Pakistan for its current military operation along the border in the Bajaur tribal¹¹ region, saying there has been a recent reduction in the number of militants crossing from Pakistan into Afghanistan.

 

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

3 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

4 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

5 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

6 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

7 havens   

n.港口，安全地方( haven的名词复数 )v.港口，安全地方( haven的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Your twenty havens would back out at the last minute anyhow. 你那二十个避难所到了最后一分钟也要不认帐。 来自辞典例句
• Using offshore havens to avoid taxes and investor protections. 使用海面的港口避免税和投资者保护。 来自互联网

8 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。

9 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

10 reassured   

adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。