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VOA常速英语2007年-Pakistani Military Assures Nuclear Stockpile Re

时间:2008-01-16 01:59:18

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(单词翻译)

By Michael Bowman
Washington
30 December 2007

Pakistan's military says, despite massive chaos1 and turmoil2 in the aftermath of the assassination3 of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the country's nuclear weapons are safe and secure. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington.

The assassination of Ms. Bhutto sparked massive protests in Pakistan, and renewed questions as to whether the country's halting movement toward democracy will endure.

Pakistani military officials insist that one thing Pakistanis and the international community need not worry about, however, is the country's nuclear stockpile. An army spokesman, Wahid Arshad, spoke4 on CNN's Late Edition program.

"Pakistan's nuclear assets are very secure," said Wahid Arshad. "We have a very robust5 command and control system. Our security measures are among the best in the world. So, I think all these fears are basically unfounded and nonsense [as far as] reports about nuclear assets falling into [the hands of] Islamic radicals6."

Yet concerns about Pakistan's nuclear weapons remain, according to former U.S. Senator William Cohen, who served as defense7 secretary in the late 1990s, when Pakistan conducted its first test of an atomic bomb. Cohen also spoke on Late Edition.

"I hope it is 100 percent secure," said William Cohen. "We do not know that. It is always an area of concern whenever you have any country that has nuclear weapons, and you have the kind of chaotic8 situation you have now in Pakistan."

Another former U.S. senator, Sam Nunn, says those concerns will be greatly alleviated9 if and when political unrest subsides10 in Pakistan. Nunn says, for that to occur, President Pervez Musharraf will have to embrace democracy, and the United States and the international community will have to take steps to ensure that all Pakistani political factions11 have confidence in the country's electoral process.

"He [Musharraf] has a real problem of legitimacy," said Sam Nunn. "And, I think we ought to make sure that we are on the side of all the parties coming together to set the election date, and not really indicate we are for one candidate or another. We ought to be neutral in this process. Our interest is in making sure that some legitimate12 government emerges that can bring about stability in that crucial nation."

The assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister and opposition13 leader Benazir Bhutto last week threw the country into political turmoil ahead of elections scheduled for January 8.

The unrest in Pakistan has become an issue among U.S. presidential contenders, many of whom seem eager to demonstrate their understanding of foreign affairs. On the Democratic Party side, New York Senator Hillary Clinton is calling for an international investigation14 of the killing15 of Ms. Bhutto, while Illinois Senator Barack Obama says elections in Pakistan may have to be postponed16 but should not be canceled. Among Republicans, Arizona Senator John McCain says Pakistan and its president remain critical U.S. allies in the war on terror, while former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee says he would like Pakistan to give the United States a freer hand in pursuing terrorists on Pakistani territory.


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1 chaos 7bZyz     
n.混乱,无秩序
参考例句:
  • After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后,城市一片混乱。
  • The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。
2 turmoil CKJzj     
n.骚乱,混乱,动乱
参考例句:
  • His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
  • The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。
3 assassination BObyy     
n.暗杀;暗杀事件
参考例句:
  • The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
  • Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年,林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。
4 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
5 robust FXvx7     
adj.强壮的,强健的,粗野的,需要体力的,浓的
参考例句:
  • She is too tall and robust.她个子太高,身体太壮。
  • China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道,中国希望保持经济强势增长,以减少贫困和失业状况。
6 radicals 5c853925d2a610c29b107b916c89076e     
n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 );根基;基本原理;[数学]根数
参考例句:
  • Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals. 一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句
7 defense AxbxB     
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。
8 chaotic rUTyD     
adj.混沌的,一片混乱的,一团糟的
参考例句:
  • Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
  • The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。
9 alleviated a4745257ebd55707de96128297f486e1     
减轻,缓解,缓和( alleviate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • It is always completely alleviated by total gastrectomy. 全胃切除永远完全缓解症状。
  • Toxicity problem in manufacturing and storage might be alleviated by coating beryllium with aluminum. 但如果用铝包覆铍,则可避免加工过程中及储存期间的中毒问题。
10 subsides 400fe15f1aceae93cab4b312b1ff926c     
v.(土地)下陷(因在地下采矿)( subside的第三人称单数 );减弱;下降至较低或正常水平;一下子坐在椅子等上
参考例句:
  • Emotion swells and subsides. 情绪忽高忽低。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • His emotion swells and subsides. 他的情绪忽高忽低。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
11 factions 4b94ab431d5bc8729c89bd040e9ab892     
组织中的小派别,派系( faction的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
  • rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别
12 legitimate L9ZzJ     
adj.合法的,合理的,合乎逻辑的;v.使合法
参考例句:
  • Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
  • That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。
13 opposition eIUxU     
n.反对,敌对
参考例句:
  • The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
  • The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。
14 investigation MRKzq     
n.调查,调查研究
参考例句:
  • In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
  • He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。
15 killing kpBziQ     
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财
参考例句:
  • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
  • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
16 postponed 9dc016075e0da542aaa70e9f01bf4ab1     
vt.& vi.延期,缓办,(使)延迟vt.把…放在次要地位;[语]把…放在后面(或句尾)vi.(疟疾等)延缓发作(或复发)
参考例句:
  • The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
  • The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

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