Japanese Ground Troops Leave for Iraq

Japanese Ground Troops Leave for Iraq

Amy Bickers¹

Japanese ground troops have left for Iraq - marking the country's first full military deployment² to a combat zone since World War II. The humanitarian³ mission has drawn⁴ strong criticism in Japan, where many people fear the troops could come under attack.

About 90 Japanese soldiers were given an emotional send-off Tuesday as they prepared to leave for a controversial humanitarian mission in Iraq. They comprise the first detachment of about 600 ground troops to be deployed⁵ there by the end of next month. Japan has already sent several advance teams to the area to monitor security.

The troops left by bus from their garrison⁶ on the northern island of Hokkaido, with relatives, military veterans and soldiers lining⁷ a road inside their base and waving Japanese flags. Relatives wore yellow ribbons, symbolizing⁸ their hope to see the troops return safely. The troops will fly to Kuwait for training and will then go on to the Iraqi city of Samawah.

Once they arrive in the war-torn nation, they will purify water and rebuild public facilities. The troops will have no combat role, since the Japanese constitution outlaws¹⁰ them from taking part in international conflicts. However, in accordance with new legislation, they will carry weapons and defend themselves if attacked.

Japanese Defense¹¹ Agency Chief Shigeru Ishiba pledged Tuesday that he will try to keep the troops safe. He says so far plans for the deployment are proceeding¹² smoothly¹³ and that he is confident that the troops will meet the high expectations of Japan and Iraq. He adds that the government is taking all possible measures to protect the troops.

But concerns are widespread in Japan that insurgents¹⁵ will attack the troops or that terrorists will target Tokyo - as they promised to do if Japan joined the U.S. led effort to rebuild Iraq. For these reasons, opposition¹⁶ lawmakers have boycotted¹⁸ votes in Parliament to formally approve the dispatch. But the ruling coalition¹⁹ still managed to get a bill passed in Parliament's powerful lower house.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, in Tokyo for strategy talks with Japanese officials, on Monday praised Japan for joining the 63-nation-strong reconstruction²⁰ effort, and said the people of Samawah were eagerly awaiting the Japanese ground forces.

"These are people who ultimately want what we all want: to put food on the table and put children in school without living in fear. So it is understandable that their enthusiasm arises not just from the benefit the self-defense forces will bring to the security but from the constructive²¹ touch for which Japan is so rightly famous."

Japan has firmly supported the U.S. led war in Iraq and has pledged five billion dollars to help finance the rebuilding effort. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi says that Japanese troops are needed to help secure Iraq, underscore Japan's alliance with the United States and ensure the flow of Middle Eastern oil to energy-poor Japan.

 

注释：

ground troops  地面部队

deployment [di5plCimEnt] n. 部署

combat zone  战区，作战地带

send-off  n. 送行

comprise [kEm5praIz] v. 包括，由……组成

detachment [di5tAtFmEnt] n. 分遣队

monitor [5mCnitE] v. 监控

garrison [5^Arisn] n. 驻地

Hokkaido [hC5kaidEu] n. 北海道，日本的第二大岛。

veteran [5vetErEn] n. 战斗经验丰富的军人，老练的兵

ribbon [5ribEn] n. 缎带，丝带

outlaw⁹ [5autlC:] vt. 宣布……为非法

in accordance with  依照

pledge [pledV] vt. 保证，许诺

insurgent¹⁴ [in5sE:dVEnt] n. 叛乱士兵，叛乱分子

target [5tB:^it] vt. 把……作为目标

boycott¹⁷ [5bCikEt] vt. 联合抵制

dispatch [dis5pAtF] n. 派遣

secure [si5kjuE] v. 保护

underscore [7QndE5skC:] vt. 强调

alliance [E5laiEns] n. 联盟，联合

ensure [in5FuE] v. 确保，保证

1 bickers   

v.争吵( bicker的第三人称单数 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁

参考例句：

2 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

3 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

4 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

5 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。

6 garrison   

n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防

参考例句：

• The troops came to the relief of the besieged garrison.军队来援救被围的守备军。
• The German was moving to stiffen up the garrison in Sicily.德军正在加强西西里守军之力量。

7 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

8 symbolizing   

v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• This symbol later evolved into a common hieroglyphic symbolizing victory. 这幕场景后来逐渐演化为象征胜利的普通象形文字。 来自时文部分
• Mooncakes reunion, is symbolizing the Mid-Autumn festival will feed. 月饼象征着团圆，是中秋佳节必食之品。 来自互联网

9 outlaw   

n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法

参考例句：

• The outlaw hid out in the hills for several months.逃犯在山里隐藏了几个月。
• The outlaw has been caught.歹徒已被抓住了。

10 outlaws   

歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯

参考例句：

• During his year in the forest, Robin met many other outlaws. 在森林里的一年，罗宾遇见其他许多绿林大盗。
• I didn't have to leave the country or fight outlaws. 我不必离开自己的国家，也不必与不法分子斗争。

11 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。

12 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

13 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

14 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

15 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

16 opposition   

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。

17 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

18 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

19 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。

20 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

21 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。