VOA常速英语2008年-US Congress Hears About NATO Problems in Afghan

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
07 February 2008

Defense¹ Secretary Robert Gates, and the commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, are emphasizing the importance of NATO cooperation in the fight against insurgents². VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill.

Much of Gates' testimony³, and questions from lawmakers on the House and Senate armed services committees, focused on Afghanistan, and problems the United States has in getting more NATO support on the ground in the most dangerous areas of the country.

Referring to upcoming NATO meetings in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, Gates says he intends to press alliance officials on the need for greater coordination⁴ in civil efforts in Afghanistan, and long-term strategy.

"What NATO needs is a three to five-year strategy that looks out beyond the end of 2008, beyond 2009, where do we want to have Afghanistan, where do we see Afghanistan being in three to five years, and what kind of forces will it take, what kind of civil commitment will it take, what kind of economic aid and development," said Secretary Gates.

Gates points to what he calls success in the security and military arenas⁵, including a decline in violence over the past two years in the East where he describes counter-insurgency operations against the Taliban as going very well.

He says NATO commanders meeting in Bucharest in April will approve a strategy with benchmarks he hopes will help educate European publics about the importance of a stronger NATO role.

But he had this response to Republican Senator Susan Collins who asked about prospects⁶ that NATO contributions will enable the U.S. to reduce its military presence.

"I've been working this problem pretty steadfastly⁷ for many months at this point, and I would say that I am not particularly optimistic," he said.

Gates says there are signs some NATO governments are ready to make more meaningful rather than symbolic⁸ contributions, adding he hopes to have clearer indications of this in Vilnius.

Republican Congressman⁹ John Kline reflects congressional impatience¹⁰ on the issue.

"I again wish you good luck in your talks with our NATO allies, we really need to fix that shortfall," said Congressman Kline.

The head of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, U.S. Army General Dan McNeill, pointed¹¹ to plans by Poland to increase forces and equipment in coming months.

Such steps will be helpful, McNeill told reporters at the Pentagon, but will likely not enable the U.S. and allies to close what he calls a gap between Afghan national forces and an under-resourced international force.

Adding that a key will be effective capacity in the Afghan army and police, he also underscored the importance of cooperation with Pakistan.

"Anyone who does not consider Afghanistan in a regional context is going to get it wrong, and long term security and stability within Afghanistan will be in a large part dependent on the help and the support of the neighbors," said General McNeill.

Ike Skelton, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told Gates and Joint¹² Chiefs of Staff chairman Michael Mullen that the U.S. and its allies must work hard to avoid a failure of the mission in Afghanistan that would damage U.S. security and NATO.

The United States and Britain made a joint call Wednesday for NATO countries to send more troops to Afghanistan.

1 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。

2 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

3 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

4 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

5 arenas   

表演场地( arena的名词复数 )； 竞技场； 活动或斗争的场所或场面； 圆形运动场

参考例句：

• Demolition derbies are large-scale automobile rodeos that take place in big arenas. 撞车比赛指的是在很大的竞技场上举行的大型汽车驾驶技术表演。
• Are there areas of privacy in the most public of arenas? 在绝大部分公开的场合中存在需要保护隐私的领域吗？

6 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

7 steadfastly   

adv.踏实地，不变地；岿然；坚定不渝

参考例句：

• So he sat, with a steadfastly vacant gaze, pausing in his work. 他就像这样坐着，停止了工作，直勾勾地瞪着眼。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• Defarge and his wife looked steadfastly at one another. 德伐日和他的妻子彼此凝视了一会儿。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

8 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

9 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

10 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

11 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

12 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。