VOA标准英语2010年-For U.S. Troops, New Armored Vehicle i

Explosive Devices have accounted for around 800 of the roughly 1,100 U.S. combat deaths in Afghanistan. To counter these increasingly-lethal bombs, the U.S. military is spending billions of dollars on blast-resistant vehicles specially¹ tailored for Afghan terrain². But in addition to their high cost, the complex new vehicles can be a logistical burden.

 

In Dangam district, eastern Afghanistan, the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade is on its way to a meeting with district officials. To reach the meeting, the soldiers must cross a wide riverbed.  Previously³, this would have been a problem.

On several occasions, the Taliban have ambushed⁴ vehicles mired⁵ in the riverbed's rough terrain.

The lightweight, standard-issue Humvee is vulnerable to enemy fire and the heavier Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected truck, or MRAP, is too top-heavy for steep inclines.

Fortunately, the troops of the 173rd Airborne have just received their first All-Terrain Vehicle version of the MRAP, the M-ATV. The 30-ton vehicle is nimble enough for rough terrain and sufficiently⁶ armored to deflect⁷ all but the biggest bombs.

The MRAP vehicle has its roots in the Iraq war. Improvised⁸ Explosive Devices wreaked⁹ havoc¹⁰ with the boxy, M-1151 Humvees. With their v-shaped bottoms, the MRAPs deflected¹¹ blasts and saved hundreds of American lives.

But in Afghanistan, the MRAPs tended to roll over on mountain roads. So the Pentagon awarded a 4-billion-dollar contract to build a version with a lower center of gravity and improved suspension. The first of 6,000 M-ATVs arrived in Afghanistan late last year.

At Bagram air field outside Kabul, Sergeant¹² First Class Randy Geringer helps train 82nd Airborne Division soldiers to drive the M-ATV. Geringer has nothing but praise for the vehicle. "The MRAP ATV for this type of terrain I feel is more versatile¹³, with the tire inflation system. It's more rugged¹⁴ vehicle and I think it would handle the terrain a little bit easier than some of the other vehicles," he said.

But in addition to their high cost - three times that of a Humvee - the M-ATVs are mechanically complex. Staff Sergeant Richard Green, an 82nd Airborne Division mechanic, found this out first-hand when he accidentally damaged his unit's first M-ATV. "There's a nut on the inside of the oil pan. The bolt came out. But the nut was not welded corectly to the oil pan, so the nut fell off. The bolt comes out and there was no way to hold the oil in the pan. So we had to take the engine pack out and replace it," he said.

The M-ATVs are also a major logistical challenge. The Pentagon transports them by air in order to meet the high demand, adding a 10-percent premium¹⁵ to the vehicle's cost.

Then, it can take a team of 10 people several hours to unload a shipment of five M-ATVs. On a 747 freighter, there are just centimeters of clearance¹⁶ between the M-ATVs and the plane's sides.

In combat, the frontline soldiers don't care about the M-ATV's logistical burden. They only care that it's safer and better-protected than other vehicles. "I would feel more confident, comfortable and safe going outside the wire in one of the MRAP variants¹⁷ than I would in the 1151s," said Sgt. Geringer.

And, it gets them where they're going
 

1 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

2 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。

3 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

4 ambushed   

v.埋伏( ambush的过去式和过去分词 )；埋伏着

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The military vehicles were ambushed. 军车遭到伏击。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

7 deflect   

v.(使)偏斜，(使)偏离，(使)转向

参考例句：

• Never let a little problem deflect you.决不要因一点小问题就半途而废。
• They decided to deflect from the original plan.他们决定改变原计划。

8 improvised   

a.即席而作的,即兴的

参考例句：

• He improvised a song about the football team's victory. 他即席创作了一首足球队胜利之歌。
• We improvised a tent out of two blankets and some long poles. 我们用两条毛毯和几根长竿搭成一个临时帐蓬。

9 wreaked   

诉诸（武力），施行（暴力），发（脾气）( wreak的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city. 地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• They have wreaked dreadful havoc among the wildlife by shooting and trapping. 他们射杀和诱捕野生动物，造成了严重的破坏。

10 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

11 deflected   

偏离的

参考例句：

• The ball deflected off Reid's body into the goal. 球打在里德身上反弹进球门。
• Most of its particles are deflected. 此物质的料子大多是偏斜的。

12 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

13 versatile   

adj.通用的，万用的；多才多艺的，多方面的

参考例句：

• A versatile person is often good at a number of different things.多才多艺的人通常擅长许多种不同的事情。
• He had been one of the game's most versatile athletes.他是这项运动中技术最全面的运动员之一。

14 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。

15 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

16 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。

17 variants   

n.变体( variant的名词复数 )；变种；变型；（词等的）变体

参考例句：

• Those variants will be preserved in the'struggle for existence". 这些变异将在“生存竞争”中被保留下来。 来自辞典例句
• Like organisms, viruses have variants, generally called strains. 与其他生物一样，病毒也有变种，一般称之为株系。 来自辞典例句