VOA标准英语2009年-NATO Chief Urges US Allies to Do More in A

By Vidushi Sinha
Washington.
08 October 2009

 
Anders Fogh Rasmussen (file photo)
NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen is urging European member states to contribute more to the Afghan mission. His appeal in Brussels Wednesday comes as the Obama administration debates a request for thousands of additional troops from the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal.

There are currently 100,000 U.S. and NATO-led international forces in Afghanistan. General McChrystal is expected to request up to 40,000 more troops even as violence surges in Afghanistan. 2009 is the deadliest year for foreign forces since the conflict began eight years ago.

As Washington reassesses its strategy in Afghanistan, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen warns the non-U.S. member nations must contribute more.

There must continue to be a fair balance between what the US is doing and what other allies are contributing to this effort," said Rasmussen.

 
NATO troops in Afghanistan (file)
The NATO chief said the failure of non-U.S. alliance members to send more troops and resources to Afghanistan could endanger the trans-Atlantic relationship. "The U.S. must know and see that in difficult times - indeed precisely¹ when it is most difficult - this alliance stands together and contributes together."

Many Europeans are opposed to continuing their nation's military involvement in Afghanistan -- with no signs of an early end to the conflict.

Despite this, Rasmussen said NATO remains² committed to completing the job, but he also made an appeal to train more Afghan security forces. He said it is embarrassing that the European Union has not yet fully³ deployed⁴ its police training mission to Afghanistan.

 

1 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。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

4 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。