2007年VOA标准英语-UN: Afghan Poppy Harvest Growing Rapidly

By Meredith Buel
Washington
26 June 2007

Afghanistan's poppy harvest is growing rapidly and this year's yield could exceed last year's record crop. Top counter narcotics¹ officials from the United States and Britain say Afghanistan's growing trade in illegal drugs is firmly linked to the Taleban insurgency². VOA correspondent Meredith Buel has more in this background report from Washington.

UN's 2007 World Drug Report

In the recently released World Drug Report, the United Nations says Afghanistan produced dramatically more opium³ in 2006, increasing its yield nearly 50 percent from the previous year.

The report says more than 90 percent of the world's heroin⁴ now comes from poppies grown in Afghanistan.

The U.S. Director of National Drug Control Policy, John Walters, says many farmers in Afghanistan are being forced to grow poppies. "Many of those people do not decide what they grow. They are told, as sharecroppers, what to grow, sometimes by corrupt⁵ landowners, sometimes by corrupt warlords and tribal⁶ leaders, sometimes by people like the Taleban at the point of a gun - you will grow poppy here - you will not eradicate⁷ your poppy if you start growing it or we will kill you and your family," he said.

The U.N. report says Afghanistan's Helmand Province, which is largely under Taleban control, is becoming the world's largest drug supplier.

Poppy cultivation⁸ in Helmand grew significantly last year, with illegal harvests there larger than in the rest of the entire country.

Britain's Minister of State responsible for Afghanistan and counter narcotics, Kim Howells, says there is a clear connection between the Taleban and the growth in poppy production.

"The Taleban's relationship with drug traffickers is becoming closer. We are seeing a clear overlap⁹, indeed extensive financial and logistical links between the drug trade and the Taleban insurgency. Traffickers and the Taleban have a mutual¹⁰ interest in resisting the Afghan government's authority and international forces," he said.

The U.N. says opium production in Afghanistan grew to more than 6,000 tons last year with a value exceeding $3 billion.

Officials say a significant portion of the profits flow to Taleban fighters, who tax and protect poppy farmers and drug runners.

The head of America's effort to reduce the supply of illegal drugs, John Walters, says the Afghan government has little authority in the areas where the poppies are grown.

"The government can't regulate, can't produce rule of law because of the terrorists and the warlords and the drug traffickers. A regulated market requires the ability to regulate and it is precisely¹¹ the inability to regulate that causes the opium problem as it currently exists," he said.

U.N. officials say Afghanistan's drug trade is becoming more sophisticated. Laboratories inside the country are now converting 90 percent of the opium into heroin and morphine before smuggling¹² it around the world.

They say this year's poppy harvest could top last year's crop because weather conditions have been favorable for agriculture.

British counter narcotics official Kim Howells says dealing¹³ with Afghanistan's poppy production is critical to the nation's future. "The trade in opium feeds the evil of corruption¹⁴ that together are the most corrosive¹⁵ elements in Afghan society. It is impossible to tackle Afghanistan's problems today, if we put off dealing with the drugs menace until tomorrow. Drug related crime and corruption are rife¹⁶ and permeate¹⁷ all levels of society," he said.

The U.S., British and Afghan governments have launched a number of programs designed to eradicate the poppy crop, including public information campaigns, alternate jobs programs for farmers and reform of the country's law enforcement and judicial¹⁸ systems.

1 narcotics   

n.麻醉药( narcotic的名词复数 )；毒品；毒

参考例句：

• The use of narcotics by teenagers is a problem in many countries. 青少年服用麻醉药在许多国家中都是一个问题。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Police shook down the club, looking for narcotics. 警方彻底搜查了这个俱乐部，寻找麻醉品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

3 opium   

n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的

参考例句：

• That man gave her a dose of opium.那男人给了她一剂鸦片。
• Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。

4 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

5 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

6 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。

7 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

8 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

9 overlap   

v.重叠，与…交叠；n.重叠

参考例句：

• The overlap between the jacket and the trousers is not good.夹克和裤子重叠的部分不好看。
• Tiles overlap each other.屋瓦相互叠盖。

10 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

11 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

12 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

13 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

14 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

15 corrosive   

adj.腐蚀性的；有害的；恶毒的

参考例句：

• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。
• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。

16 rife   

adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的

参考例句：

• Disease is rife in the area.疾病在这一区很流行。
• Corruption was rife before the election.选举之前腐败盛行。

17 permeate   

v.弥漫，遍布，散布；渗入，渗透

参考例句：

• Water will easily permeate a cotton dress.水很容易渗透棉布衣服。
• After a while it begins to permeate through your skin.过了一会，它会开始渗入你的皮肤。

18 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。