VOA标准英语2009年-UN Reports 40 Percent Increase in Afghan Civili

The United Nations says the number of civilians² killed during 2008 in Afghanistan rose 40 percent from the year before. The 2,118 civilians reported killed last year is the highest number since the U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban government in 2001.
　
Afghan woman and daughter cry after relative is killed in military airstrike in Herat province (2008 file photo)

U.N. investigators³ say that while militants⁴ are still responsible for the majority of civilian¹ deaths, foreign and Afghan troops killed 30 percent more civilians last year than they did in 2007.

Overall, Taliban militants and other fighters opposed to the government were blamed for 55 percent of the total civilian deaths in 2008; pro-government forces for 39 percent. Investigators could not determine who was responsible in the remaining cases.

While the resurgence⁵ of Taliban fighters since 2007 has drawn⁶ international concern over the direction of the war, within Afghanistan there has been as much attention on the number of civilians killed by foreign troops.

President Hamid Karzai has strongly denounced several high-profile airstrikes that killed dozens of people last year. The U.N. report says airstrikes were responsible for 552 civilian deaths in 2008 - more than 60 percent of the total caused by pro-government forces.

On Tuesday, Mr. Karzai's spokesman, Humayun Hamidzada, responded to the report by saying the current situation is unacceptable, but he refrained from singling out foreign troops for blame.

He says we cannot forget that the real responsibility for these casualties rests on the shoulder of the enemies of Afghanistan, who intentionally⁷ target civilians and launch operations from near civilian areas.

The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said last year insurgents⁸ showed an "increasing disregard" for Afghan lives, killing⁹ 1,160 civilians - compared to 700 the year before. Investigators said militants are increasingly using civilians as human shields and carrying out attacks in crowded places.

Despite the higher overall death toll¹⁰, U.N. spokesman Dan McNorton, says international forces are making efforts to avoid civilian casualties and are becoming more responsive when incidents do occur. "Progress has been made and international military forces have shown themselves more willing than ever before to institute more regular and transparent¹¹ inquiries¹² into specific incidents," he said.

The U.N.'s annual report comes as the Obama administration is considering doubling the number of American troops in the country and changing strategies to counter the rising Taliban.

Afghan officials have warned that some tactics by foreign troops, such as night-time house raids and airstrikes, are undermining public support for the Afghan government and NATO and U.S. forces. There has also been concern that increasing the number of troops could increase civilian casualties.

U.N. spokesman McNorton says that as international forces consider new tactics, commanders should evaluate what impact they will have on civilian populations.

"What we would urge in all planning is that the lives of civilians and the impact of whatever decisions are taken have upon them are considered to ensure that the high number of civilians who were killed in 2008 does not continue in 2009," he said.

Tuesday's report says that as the conflict drags on destroying infrastructure¹³, drying-up job opportunities and reducing access to basic life-supporting services, it is taking an increasingly heavy toll on civilians.

1 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

2 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

3 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 resurgence   

n.再起，复活，再现

参考例句：

• A resurgence of his grief swept over Nim.悲痛又涌上了尼姆的心头。
• Police say drugs traffickers are behind the resurgence of violence.警方说毒贩是暴力活动重新抬头的罪魁祸首。

6 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

7 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

8 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

9 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

10 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

11 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

12 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 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。