PBS高端访谈:阿富汗战场的美国大兵自杀率升高

 　　JEFFREY BROWN: It happened again today—twice, in fact. Afghan forces turned their guns on international troops.

　　In Farah province, a new police recruit shot and killed two Americans just minutes after receiving his gun to begin training. And in Kandahar province, an Afghan soldier wounded two coalition¹ troops. There was no word on their nationalities.

　　That made seven incidents in two weeks involving shooters in Afghan army or police uniforms, so-called green-on-blue attacks. In all, there have been 29 such attacks so far in 2012, nearly double the figure from last year. At least 37 foreign troops have been killed, including 21 Americans.

　　The toll² for all of last year was 35 coalition deaths; 24 were Americans.

　　For more, we turn to Mark Thompson, "TIME" magazine's Pentagon reporter.

　　Mark, start with the latest incidents. The one in Farah, for example, do we know anything more of the motive³ or who the person was?

　　MARK THOMPSON, "TIME": Well, we know what may have been a new recruit, but he was either 60 or 70 years old.

　　He was a farmer. This was the local police force, not the national police force. He had been recruited only two weeks ago and signed up with other fellow villagers to maintain a local presence in that far western part of the country when the American troops leave.

　　He got his gun. He did his target practice. And he turned and killed two American special forces.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Well, so the obvious question, that and many of these things, is to what extent these—who is carrying out these so-called insider attacks? To what extent is it infiltration⁴ from the Taliban? To what extent is it other things?

　　MARK THOMPSON: When you talk to folks at the Pentagon, they think it's 50/50.

　　Roughly 50 percent of these folks are infiltrators. They came in with that as their goal, sort of a human IED to explode down the road when the opportunity presented itself. But a lot of them, you know, are just personal grievances⁵. There's a lot of friction⁶ between U.S. and allied⁷ forces and the Afghans.

　　Both come from very different backgrounds, and they don't always mesh⁸ well. So there is a mixture. And that is what makes it tough to stop.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Taliban are taking credit, though, right?

　　MARK THOMPSON: Yes. Well, as Secretary of Defense⁹ Panetta said earlier this week, basically, they claim credit whenever any of these things happen.

　　And that's true. In fact, this past week, Mullah Omar the leader of the Taliban now in Pakistan, issued a statement taking credit for it. They have welcomed some of these guys who escaped back as heroes. So you can see the Taliban beginning to try to leverage¹⁰ these attacks to their own political ends.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Well, one thing we do know is that they are happening more often, right? So, what is the Pentagon—they have said they're going to try to take some new steps.

　　MARK THOMPSON: Yes. Well, they have got an eight-step vetting¹¹ process. They have had the eight-step vetting process for about six months.

　　It involves everything from drug checks, criminal checks, getting two letters from your local elders to vouch¹² for you that you are a good guy, a good man, a good kid. But, plainly, the spate¹³ has increased dramatically—40 percent of the killings¹⁴ of this nature since 2007 have happened in the first seven months of this year.

　　So they're way up. And they're increasing counterintelligence. An order has gone out that U.S. and NATO troops should carry their weapons at all times, even when they are so-called inside the wire, on their base, not outside interacting with folks.

　　And there are now guardian¹⁵ angels. You know, if you have got three or four Americans training an Afghan platoon, one of them will simply stand and watch and be sure nothing is happening. So it's a very inefficient¹⁶ and demoralizing way to train a fighting force.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: I guess the other big question here is to what extent if any it is having an impact on the overall strategy of winding¹⁷ down and turning things over to the Afghans.

　　MARK THOMPSON: That's the problem, of course.

　　Number one, for the U.S. to leave and its allies to leave, they have got to train up the Afghan national security forces. They're really ramping¹⁸ that up. There are a lot more Afghans now being trained. And NATO will quickly point out that's one of the problems. We have got a lot more Afghans that we're interfacing¹⁹ with than was the case a year or two ago and that can account for some of the increase.

　　But plainly it does hamper²⁰ the handoff, and that is a big concern in the military.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: All right, I want to turn to another vexing²¹ and actually very sad problem that you have been covering. That is the suicides in the military.

　　According to new figures from the military, in July, 26 active-duty soldiers in the Army took their own lives. That represented a big jump, more than twice the number reported for the month of June. The July figure was also the highest since the Army began reporting monthly suicides in 2009. And it made a total of 116 this year.

　　In the Marine²² Corps²³, there were eight suicides in July, up from six in June. The Marines have reported 32 so far this year, equaling the number for all of 2011.

　　So, Mark, you have been watching this over time, as have we on this program. What is the thinking about why the new spike²⁴?

　　MARK THOMPSON: Well, I think it's interesting.

　　We were just talking about these green-on-blue attacks. Suicides are the same way, in the sense that both are unexpected killings in a war zone. But the war has been going on for a decade, and that weighs heavily both on the guys fighting it on the American side, which can lead to suicide among really depressed²⁵ soldiers, as well as these sort of green-on-blue attacks, as the enemy figures out the best way to—where we may be the most vulnerable.

　　Plainly, you talk to anybody in the military, yes, the turnstile deployments of U.S. troops has played a role. Many have not deployed²⁶. But there is an overall pressure on the U.S. military that has existed since 9/11.

　　And as we coast to the end of our presence in Afghanistan, as we already have done in Iraq, the military's mental health experts are saying something somewhat counterintuitive, that, you know, the soldier used to go for 12 months, come home, go, come home, go. They never really relax.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: And that was used to blame—I mean as a cause for a lot of this...

　　MARK THOMPSON: Right, but now you see when they are coming home and they're staying for a year or two or three, the family is trying to reintegrate in a way where it didn't try to reintegrate before.

　　So for the first time, the military, especially the Army, is seeing a spike in suicides among NCOs, non-commissioned officers. These are the older fellows who tend to be married—so, reintegration with the family is important—and have tried to make the Army a career, unlike a lot of the younger guys who come in for one or two tours and then are gone.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: We have got a chart I want to put up here that shows the increase.

　　And this is Army suicide. But this is interesting because as you are saying, it's going up and up and up, but even as the pace of deployments is going down, right, and after Iraq is over and as the drawdown in Afghanistan continues.

　　MARK THOMPSON: Yes, I mean, mental health problems in the military and elsewhere—you know, going to combat is like a seed.

　　It's planted. It doesn't sprout²⁷. It sprouts²⁸ somewhere, you know, in the next rainy season, and whether that's six months or three years remains²⁹ to be seen. But, generally, the impact of, you know, traumatic brain injury, of PTSD actually has to ripen³⁰. And it doesn't happen quickly.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: And of course the military has accepted this as a major problem. They talk about it a lot. They have implemented³¹ various programs. So what is the problem? I mean, are they not working or is this still an access problem, or are they not the solution?

　　MARK THOMPSON: No, there is an access problem and it remains a stigma³² problem, although those are going down.

　　But just like with the green-on-blue killings, Jeff, there are a lot of factors that play into both of these. Consequently, if you fix one, there are seven others. So there's no sort of one-size-fits-all solution. And that in part is why both are so vexing.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: All right, Mark Thompson of "TIME" magazine, thanks so much.

　　MARK THOMPSON: Thanks, Jeff.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 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。

3 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

4 infiltration   

n.渗透；下渗；渗滤；入渗

参考例句：

• The police tried to prevent infiltration by drug traffickers. 警方尽力阻止毒品走私分子的潜入。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A loss in volume will occur if infiltration takes place. 如果发生了渗润作用，水量就会减少。 来自辞典例句

5 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

7 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

8 mesh   

n.网孔，网丝，陷阱；vt.以网捕捉，啮合，匹配；vi.适合； [计算机]网络

参考例句：

• Their characters just don't mesh.他们的性格就是合不来。
• This is the net having half inch mesh.这是有半英寸网眼的网。

9 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

10 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

11 vetting   

n.数据检查[核对，核实]v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的现在分词 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• Scripts had to be submitted to Ministry of Information officials for vetting. 必须把脚本提交给信息部官员审查。 来自互联网
• Their purpose in clicking deeper into a site is one of vetting. 他们深入点击网站的目的是一种诊疗。 来自互联网

12 vouch   

v.担保；断定；n.被担保者

参考例句：

• They asked whether I was prepared to vouch for him.他们问我是否愿意为他作担保。
• I can vouch for the fact that he is a good worker.我保证他是好员工。

13 spate   

n.泛滥，洪水，突然的一阵

参考例句：

• Police are investigating a spate of burglaries in the area.警察正在调查这一地区发生的大量盗窃案。
• Refugees crossed the border in full spate.难民大量地越过了边境。

14 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

15 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

16 inefficient   

adj.效率低的，无效的

参考例句：

• The inefficient operation cost the firm a lot of money.低效率的运作使该公司损失了许多钱。
• Their communication systems are inefficient in the extreme.他们的通讯系统效率非常差。

17 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

18 ramping   

土堤斜坡( ramp的现在分词 )； 斜道； 斜路； （装车或上下飞机的）活动梯

参考例句：

• The children love ramping about in the garden. 孩子们喜欢在花园里追逐嬉戏，闹着玩。
• Have you ever seen a lion ramping around? 你看到过狮子暴跳吗？

19 interfacing   

衬布，衬头

参考例句：

• Careful study of the data sheets and a programmable input-output port solve most A/D interfacing problems. 若详细研究一下说明书和可编程序的输入／输出端口，则大部分A／D转换器的接口问题都可得到解决。
• Detailed techniques will be presented here to solve all the common interfacing problems. 本书将详细介绍解决所有公共接口问题的技术。

20 hamper   

vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子

参考例句：

• There are some apples in a picnic hamper.在野餐用的大篮子里有许多苹果。
• The emergence of such problems seriously hamper the development of enterprises.这些问题的出现严重阻碍了企业的发展。

21 vexing   

adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论

参考例句：

• It is vexing to have to wait a long time for him. 长时间地等他真使人厌烦。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Lately a vexing problem had grown infuriatingly worse. 最近发生了一个讨厌的问题，而且严重到令人发指的地步。 来自辞典例句

22 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

23 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

24 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

25 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

26 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

27 sprout   

n.芽，萌芽；vt.使发芽，摘去芽；vi.长芽，抽条

参考例句：

• When do deer first sprout horns?鹿在多大的时候开始长出角？
• It takes about a week for the seeds to sprout.这些种子大约要一周后才会发芽。

28 sprouts   

n.新芽，嫩枝( sprout的名词复数 )v.发芽( sprout的第三人称单数 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• The wheat sprouts grew perceptibly after the rain. 下了一场雨，麦苗立刻见长。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The sprouts have pushed up the earth. 嫩芽把土顶起来了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

29 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。

30 ripen   

vt.使成熟；vi.成熟

参考例句：

• I'm waiting for the apples to ripen.我正在等待苹果成熟。
• You can ripen the tomatoes on a sunny windowsill.把西红柿放在有阳光的窗台上可以让它们成熟。

31 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

32 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。