CNN 2011-06-22

We're heading north into the remote hills for a glimpse of Afghanistan's future. The war here in Badakshan is not against the Taliban, but against a business so profitable, growing so fast, many worry it's Afghanistan's only option when the West pulls its troops and money out ，opium¹.

With an Afghan task force racing² through the valleys to disrupt this year's harvest, for a while, NATO let opium growers be, focusing on the surge against the Taliban. But here it's expanding faster than anywhere in the country and risks getting out of control.

Stopping this harvest is particularly important because the price of opium has risen dramatically, threatening to flood a record amount of cash into Afghanistan and also into the insurgency³.

In one year, the price has tripled. That's because uncertainty⁴ about Afghanistan's future means traders are hoarding⁵ the drug. This could generate record profits, the United Nations drug control chief here revealed to CNN.

We can definitely see a record profit of this harvest, meaning that those who benefit the most, the traders, which are not necessarily always the insurgents⁶, will have a big incentive⁷ to continue the conflict to make sure that the opium business, as well, can continue to provide the huge profits we witness today.

Eradication⁸ is the simplest way of breaking the chain that puts heroin⁹ on city streets. But here, it wipes out the livelihoods¹⁰ of people who have nothing, creating enemies where before life was simple.

The villagers who huddle¹¹ on a roof, mourning their lost crop. It's not safe to approach, the police say, who have come prepared in case the overlords behind this $1.5 business take issue. Mohammad, who lost his leg in a blast in Kabul and his $1,000 dollar opium crop to these police, still has six children to feed.

We grow poppy because of poverty. Without it, we go hungry. We didn't grow it for four years here, but the government gave us no help, so we started again.

Mohammad won't discuss who he would have sold his crop to, but those cartels are the big worry here. The war funds about two-thirds of the economy. And when NATO's money dries up, it will have to be replaced with something.

Opium is the easy answer. And along with it comes warlords and fears of a narco-state. Here, far away from the war, growing opium is a simple economical argument， the easiest and often the only money to be made.

1 opium   

n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的

参考例句：

• That man gave her a dose of opium.那男人给了她一剂鸦片。
• Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。

2 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

3 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

4 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

5 hoarding   

n.贮藏；积蓄；临时围墙；囤积v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• After the war, they were shot for hoarding. 战后他们因囤积而被枪决。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Actually he had two unused ones which he was hoarding up. 其实他还藏了两片没有用呢。 来自英汉文学

6 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

7 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

8 eradication   

n.根除

参考例句：

• The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
• This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。

9 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

10 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

11 huddle   

vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人

参考例句：

• They like living in a huddle.他们喜欢杂居在一起。
• The cold wind made the boy huddle inside his coat.寒风使这个男孩卷缩在他的外衣里。