VOA标准英语2008年-The Business of Opium in Afghanistan: Nangahar

By Siri Nyrop
Nangahar Province, Afghanistan
27 May 2008
 

Afghanistan supplies virtually all of the world's illegal opium¹.  Last year, the country's drug trade was a $4-billion business, half of which alone was produced in the south where the fighting against the Taliban insurgency² is the fiercest.

Getting Afghanistan to rid itself of poppy is a pillar of U.S. policy there, because the Taliban use profits from opium as a source of revenue.  For Afghans themselves, however, feelings about poppy are conflicted:  It's harmful to their country and to their people, but it is also a livelihood³ for many where instability offers few alternatives.

In the first of a four part series, VOA's Afghan service examines the drug trade in Afghanistan. VOA's Siri Nyrop narrates⁴.

Under cover of darkness, a farmer delivers his crop to market. The building is in Nangahar province, somewhere in the mountains near the border with Pakistan. The man inside is expecting him.

DEALER⁵: "Have you brought the opium?

FARMER: "Yes."

DEALER: "Is it the right amount?"

FARMER: "I didn't weigh it."

DEALER: "Then let's do that."

Large caliber⁶ ammo serves as weights as the dealer measures how many grams of opium the farmer has delivered. It's just a drop in the bucket that is Afghanistan's most lucrative⁷ export, worth around $4 billion last year.

Nangahar was the poster province for poppy eradication⁸.  But it surged back from de facto eradication in 2005 to a 273 percent increase in cultivation⁹ last year.

Nangahar farmer and elder, Dour¹⁰ Jan, supported the government ban on poppy, convincing fellow farmers not to grow it. They were promised government assistance with alternative livelihoods¹¹. But the farmers found the rewards no match for the sacrifice of the crop that was their livelihood.  There is also the drought.

Jan explains, "Afghanistan is ill right now.  We don't have just one disease - we have all diseases.  We have hunger, there are not enough jobs, not enough clinics, and schools are empty."

Doug Wankel, former director, office of drug control, U.S. Embassy Kabul says, "Unfortunately, the farmer, unless he sees that assistance come directly to his farm, he doesn't notice it.  But you see better roads now in Nangahar province.  You have improved free seeds coming to Nangahar province. They have received free seeds.  There's work being done on canals and some dams, things like this.  They are slowly, slowly coming. The farmer has to understand that it takes some time."

Even displays of poppy eradication zeal¹² by Nangahar's governor, Gul Sherzai, is not turning the tide away from the poppies again.

TRAFFICKER: "Look, you're under the amount we agreed on."

FARMER: "By how much?"

TRAFFICKER: "How are you going to make up the difference?"

FARMER: "I've spent the advance money you gave me.  I'll make it up next year."

The dealers¹³ advance the poppy seeds to the growers.  The harvest has to pay enough for the farmer to live on and to reimburse¹⁴ the dealer for the seeds.  This man is now in debt even before he plants the next crop, which will also be advanced to him. For the dealer, it's not personal or even political. Just business.

The drug trafficker explains, "We are small drug dealers and we are not against the government. Frankly¹⁵ we think that the drug problem will linger for a long time and as long as there's a demand for drugs then we'll be in business."

Government leaders continue to debate how to get a handle on the vast illegal trade that makes relatively¹⁶ few Afghans rich and helps fund the insurgency. The farmer helps the dealer pack the opium for transit¹⁷ to Pakistan.  He says that if he cannot plant poppy again, he will not have the money to pay off his poppy debt and keep his family fed.

1 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。

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 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

4 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

5 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

6 caliber   

n.能力；水准

参考例句：

• They ought to win with players of such high caliber.他们选手的能力这样高,应该获胜。
• We are always trying to improve the caliber of our schools.我们一直在想方设法提高我们学校的水平。

7 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

8 eradication   

n.根除

参考例句：

• The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
• This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。

9 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。

10 dour   

adj.冷酷的，严厉的；（岩石）嶙峋的；顽强不屈

参考例句：

• They were exposed to dour resistance.他们遭受到顽强的抵抗。
• She always pretends to be dour,in fact,she's not.她总表现的不爱讲话，事实却相反。

11 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

12 zeal   

n.热心，热情，热忱

参考例句：

• Revolutionary zeal caught them up,and they joined the army.革命热情激励他们，于是他们从军了。
• They worked with great zeal to finish the project.他们热情高涨地工作，以期完成这个项目。

13 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

14 reimburse   

v.补偿，付还

参考例句：

• We'll reimburse you for your travelling expenses.我们将付还你旅费。
• The funds are supposed to reimburse policyholders in the event of insurer failure.这项基金将在保险公司不能偿付的情况下对投保人进行赔付。

15 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

16 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。

17 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。