VOA标准英语2008年-Afghan Officials Says Offensive Against Taliban

By Ayaz Gul
Islamabad
19 June 2008

Top officials in Afghanistan say local and NATO-led forces have driven Taliban militants² from a troubled southern district, one day after a joint³ anti-insurgent offensive was launched. But NATO officials say they cannot immediately confirm Afghan claims of killing⁴ hundreds militants or if the area is now free of Taliban fighters. Ayaz Gul files from Islamabad.
　

Canadian soldier with International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) stands guard in Arghandab district, 19 Jun 2008

NATO and Afghan forces, backed by aircraft, moved into the southern Arghandab district earlier this week, following reports of a Taliban presence in several strategic villages there.

Kandahar Province Governor Assadullah Khalid told reporters the joint offensive has pushed Taliban fighters out of the villages, killing or wounding hundreds of insurgents⁵.

But a Kabul-based spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, Brigadier General Carlos Branco, tells VOA the operation is continuing and is progressing well.

The spokesman says that earlier reports suggesting a large presence of Taliban insurgents in the area and claims of destruction, as well as the planting of land mines by the militants, were all unfounded.

"Only small pockets of insurgents were encountered, so only minor⁶ incidents occurred and some of them are still going on. These incidents were mainly exchange of small arms fire and skirmishes. And, until now, we have no evidence of destroyed bridges as claimed by the insurgents," said General Branco.

Bronco says the operation is expected to last for few more days. He says NATO and Afghan forces are determined⁷ to eliminate the militant¹ threat from the area.

"We know that small groups of Taliban are [in], nearby, several villages in the region. They are still there. But we are conducting operations steadily⁸ and methodically so we will be able to clear the area," said General Branco.

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

5 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

6 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

7 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

8 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。