voa标准英语2008-Britain, Pakistan Pledge Increased Counter-Terro

Pakistan's president and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown have pledged to increase counter-terrorism cooperation following the Mumbai terrorist attacks. Mr. Brown arrived after another tense diplomatic exchange between the region's nuclear-armed rivals, India and Pakistan, after Pakistan's military accused Indian fighter jets of violating Pakistan's airspace in two places.
　

British PM Gordon Brown, left, shakes hands with his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani at prime minister's house in Islamabad, 14 Dec. 2008

The alleged¹ violations² occurred over places that India says are linked to the militant³ group accused of plotting the Mumbai attacks.

India denied violations occurred, and Pakistan's president, Asif Zardari, tried to downplay the incident.

"It is a technical incursion, it is not an incursion as such. It is a pattern of two planes when they are flying at 40,000 feet up in the air, when they turn, they slightly enter Pakistani soil," he said.

Tensions between the two rivals have been high since the Mumbai attacks, and politicians have at times pledged cooperation and voiced consternation⁴ at their counterparts' investigations⁶.

Pakistani officials have detained dozens of people accused of links to Lashkar e Taiba, the militant group accused of organizing the Mumbai plot. The group was banned by Pakistan in 2002. Over the past week, Pakistani officials also shut down offices of a prominent charity accused of acting⁷ as a front for the organization.

India says all 10 of the known attackers were from Pakistan, as well as the planners and financiers of the plot. But President Zardari said India has still not shared any evidence from its investigation⁵ in the attack.

He indicated at Sunday's news conference with the British prime minister that he has learned about India's investigation mostly through the news media.

"I am hoping that, once the Indian government completes their investigation and shares the information with us, we will have further leads to further find if there are any culprits on this side of the border, we will take action against them," added Mr. Zardari.

Prime Minister Brown pledged more resources to help in the investigation into the Mumbai terrorist attacks, including new bomb-scanning technology and about $9 million to strengthen Pakistani democratic institutions and fight extremism.

He said the Mumbai attacks and other terrorist plots show that militants⁸ in remote areas of Pakistan still threaten people far away in British cities.

"I've told president Zardari that three-quarters of the most serious terrorist plots investigated by the British authorities have links to al-Qaida in Pakistan," said Mr. Brown.

Mr. Brown said he has asked both Indian and Pakistani leaders to allow British authorities to investigate and question suspects in the attacks. He said he specifically asked India's prime minister if British police could question the one captured terrorist from the Mumbai attacks.

1 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

2 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

3 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

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。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

4 consternation   

n.大为吃惊，惊骇

参考例句：

• He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害，感到非常震惊。
• Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。

5 investigation   

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。

6 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

7 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

8 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。