美国总统奥巴马宣布放缓在阿富汗撤军计划

 US President Barack Obama announced last Wednesday that he will maintain about 8,400 American troops in Afghanistan into 2017 through the end of his administration, slowing the drawdown of the US military presence in the country.

美国总统贝拉克·奥巴马上周三宣布，将在阿富汗维持约8400名美军直至2017年其任期结束，此举放缓了美军从阿富汗撤军的步伐。

Obama said the security situation in Afghanistan remains¹ "precarious²" and the country's security forces are still "not as strong as they need to be."

奥巴马称，当前阿富汗的安全形势仍"不稳定"，阿富汗安全部队仍不像"他们应有的那么强大"。

Under initial plans, numbers of US troop in Afghanistan were to be reduced to 5,500, from a current level of 9,800.

根据最初的计划，驻阿美军人数将从目前的9800人削减至5500人。

美国总统奥巴马宣布放缓在阿富汗撤军计划

"My decision today also sends a message to the Taliban and all those who have opposed Afghanistan's progress," the US president said in a televised address at the White House. "You have now been waging war against the Afghan people for many years. You've been unable to prevail."

这位美国总统在白宫的一个电视讲话中表示：“我今天的这一决定也向塔利班和所有反对阿富汗进步的人传达了一个信息：你们已经对阿富汗人民发动了多年的战争，但你们不会获胜。”

Obama said the troops will remain focused on narrow missions of supporting Afghan forces and going after terrorists.

奥巴马表示，美军仍将重点工作放在支持阿富汗军队和追捕恐怖分子上。

"Maintaining our forces at this specific level, based on our assessment³ of the security conditions and the strength of Afghan forces, will allow us to continue to provide tailored support to help Afghan forces continue to improve," he said.

他说：“将驻军人数保持在该水平，是基于美方对安全形势及阿富汗军事实力的评估。该决定可使得我们提供具体的支持，以此来帮助阿富汗军事实力的持续提高。”

The U.S. President said the new decision was based on recommendation of U.S. military leaders and following extensive consultations⁴ with his national security team.

美国总统表示，这一新决定是在听取了美国军事官员的建议的基础上，并与国家安全团队进行深度磋商之后得出的。

"The decision ensures that my successor has a solid foundation for continued progress in Afghanistan as well as the flexibility⁵ to address the threat of terrorism as it evolves," he added.

他补充说道：“这一决定可确使我的继任者保有推动阿富汗情势进展的坚实基础，以及随着恐怖主义的演变，应对其威胁的弹性。

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 precarious   

adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的

参考例句：

• Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
• He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家，他过得是朝不保夕的生活。

3 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

4 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》

5 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。