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

（单词翻译）

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