2006年VOA标准英语-NATO Secretary-General Urges Continued Internat

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
20 July 2006
 

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop¹ Scheffer  
  
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has urged the international community to continue supporting Afghanistan's development. The secretary-general and the organization's senior military commander are in Afghanistan for a series of meetings with the country's top officials. NATO forces are moving into the Taleban's traditional stronghold in the south, where fighting has significantly intensified² in recent weeks.

-----------

Secretary-General Scheffer met with Afghan and coalition³ leaders in the Afghan capital Kabul Thursday.

During a joint⁴ news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the secretary-general said Afghanistan needs much more support from the international community.

"We have to lift our game [to do better]," he said. "NATO is lifting its game but the international community has to lift its game as well by also showing commitments to the development of Afghanistan. If NATO is creating security and stability, it must be accompanied by the full attention of the international community."

NATO forces are getting ready to take over security operations in southern Afghanistan later this month. Fighting in the volatile⁵ region has intensified sharply in recent weeks.

The violence has destabilized the entire region and long promised development projects have been put on hold until the situation improves.

U.S.-led coalition forces are targeting thousands of suspected Taleban insurgents⁶ in the area ahead of the planned NATO hand-over.

More than 700 people, mostly militants⁷, have been killed since May, and Taleban insurgents are vowing⁸ to maintain the pressure on Western forces.

NATO is increasing its troop levels in Afghanistan from about 10,000 to more than 16,000 as its forces move into the south.

The Western alliance already commands security operations in the relatively⁹ stable North and West. Plans are also under way for NATO forces to move into eastern Afghanistan along the Pakistan border.

 
Hamid Karzai (file photo)
  
Speaking alongside the NATO leader Thursday, President Karzai also challenged the international community to help find foreign terrorist networks that may be destabilizing Afghanistan.

U.S. and Afghan officials have repeatedly accused Pakistan of not doing enough to crack down on suspected Taleban and al-Qaida camps in Pakistan's remote tribal¹⁰ areas near the Afghan border.

1 hoop   

n.（篮球）篮圈，篮

参考例句：

• The child was rolling a hoop.那个孩子在滚铁环。
• The wooden tub is fitted with the iron hoop.木盆都用铁箍箍紧。

2 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

5 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

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 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

8 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

9 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

10 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。