VOA标准英语2011--US Troops Clear Highway for Pullout from Iraq

US Troops Clear Highway for Pullout from Iraq

All U.S. combat troops will be out of Iraq by the end of the month. The road south to Kuwait has been a hotbed of anti-American violence, roadside bombs and assaults by insurgents¹. Teams like Minnesota's 1st Platoon A-Company 2-135 Infantry² are clearing the last stretch of highway from Iraq to Kuwait of threats to exiting convoys⁴.

It’s just another day for the men assigned to protect American convoys leaving Iraq. Troops, trucks and cargo⁵ travel the Main Supply Route into Kuwait… mostly without incident… because of soldiers like these.

"Our task is to do a patrol," said Team Leader, Lieutenant⁶ Derek Malner. "The purpose is to not only clear the route… but also to deter⁷ threats, if there were enemy activity on that route for convoys moving north and south."

They are called CSTs… or, convoy³ security teams, and it’s units like this one that ride in the military’s heavily armored, IED-defeating Caiman truck. They travel north from Kuwait to the Iraq border - the K-Crossing - where they receive their mission briefing, assemble their .50 caliber⁸ turret-mounted machine guns, and head out into the desert.

It’s not long before the security team experiences radio troubles.

So they stop. All of them. Out here, in the desert, groups like this must work together to survive in the vast emptiness of southern Iraq… because usually, nothing good waits for them.

"There was a vehicle trailing us with their lights on, when we started slowing down, they turned their lights off and did a U-turn," said Malner.

And A-Company followed….

"For every situation, we have the correct, practiced reaction," said Lieutenant Malner.

The vehicle is not a threat…and the team rendezvouses⁹ with one of the last convoys passing through Iraq to provide safe passage to Kuwait.

"It’s our duty," said Malner. "We’re infantrymen. Tonight was easy. Tonight was a 10-hour event. Quick: get in; get out. Support the convoys that are moving north and south."

"This is my job; this is what I signed-up to do," said gunner, Sergeant¹⁰ Ryan Appleby. "And whether I like it or not I’m going to do it… I’m going to do it right."

Specialist Sean Raleigh was here in 2003, at the onset¹¹ of the U.S. invasion… and now he’s here in its final days.

"A lot happened between the beginning and no, but coming in and closing the door. It’s definitely the biggest reality check was: I swore that I’d never come back here. And here I am again," said Raleigh.

And here they’ll be until the last convoy passes into Kuwait. For the men of the 2-135… it’s just another day at the office. For the thousands of Americans heading south into Kuwait… it’s their ticket to safe passage across the desert of southern Iraq.

1 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

2 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。

3 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

4 convoys   

n.（有护航的）船队( convoy的名词复数 )；车队；护航（队）；护送队

参考例句：

• Truck convoys often stop over for lunch here. 车队经常在这里停下来吃午饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A UN official said aid programs will be suspended until there's adequate protection for relief convoys. 一名联合国官员说将会暂停援助项目，直到援助车队能够得到充分的保护为止。 来自辞典例句

5 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

6 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。

7 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

8 caliber   

n.能力；水准

参考例句：

• They ought to win with players of such high caliber.他们选手的能力这样高,应该获胜。
• We are always trying to improve the caliber of our schools.我们一直在想方设法提高我们学校的水平。

9 rendezvouses   

v.约会，会合( rendezvous的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

10 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？

11 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。