VOA标准英语2009-US to Press Pakistan on Taliban, Nuclear Securit

U.S. officials say President Barack Obama will press Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari this week to continue a military drive against Taliban insurgents² to prevent a situation in which extremists might threaten that country's stability and nuclear arsenal³. President Obama is scheduled to meet the Pakistani leader and Afghan President Hamed Karzai separately at the White House on Wednesday and then hold a three-way summit on regional security.
　
President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad, 13 Apr 2009

Officials here credit the Pakistani government with taking the offensive against the Taliban in recent days. But they say the Obama administration will continue to press Mr. Zardari for action to prevent what one official termed a "nightmare scenario⁴" of militants⁶ possibly seizing nuclear weapons or facilities.

The comments came on the eve of President Zardari's arrival in Washington for what could be pivotal White House meetings also involving Afghan President Karzai.
　
Pakistani paramilitary maintain a position on a high post in the troubled area of Pakistan's Lower Dir district, 26 Apr 2009

U.S. alarm about the situation in Pakistan rose in February when a peace deal between Islamabad and Islamic militants in the Swat Valley north of the capital was followed by an insurgent¹ effort to gain control of neighboring districts.

The Pakistani military launched an offensive to roll back extremist gains after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused Islamabad last month of abdicating⁷ to the Taliban.

Briefing reporters on Monday, State Department Acting⁸ Spokesman Robert Wood said he believed Pakistani authorities "have gotten the message" about the severity of the threat, but that Mr. Zardari will hear that message repeated in Washington.

"What's important here is that these violent extremists be confronted," said Robert Wood. "The Pakistani government and military realize the threat, and are taking steps to try to address that threat. And we have to continue, as others have been doing as well, to encourage them to continue to step up that fight. Because this is an existential threat that the government of Pakistan faces."

The New York Times newspaper reported on Monday that U.S. officials are increasingly concerned about the safety of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal because of the spreading insurgency⁹, including the possibility that militants might sieze a weapon in transit¹⁰ or infiltrate¹¹ nuclear facilities.
　
State Department Acting Spokesman Robert Wood (undated photo)

But on that issue, spokesman Robert Wood echoed comments by Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint¹² Chiefs of Staff, that he is "comfortable" that nuclear weapons in Pakistan are secure.

"We're confident that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal will remain out of militant⁵ hands," he said. "Command and control of that nuclear arsenal is a high priority for the government of Pakistan. And Pakistan has been engaged with the IAEA in a very intense discussion. It's got export control legislation that it has put forward. So we do not have that concern."

Wood said the physical security around Pakistani nuclear weapons is very solid. He said he was unaware¹³ of any discussion within the U.S. government about possible American intervention¹⁴ in Pakistan in case insurgents threatened nuclear sites.

1 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

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 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

4 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

5 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。

6 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。

7 abdicating   

放弃（职责、权力等）( abdicate的现在分词 )； 退位，逊位

参考例句：

• It is merely claimed that this is abdicating to save itself. 他仅仅把这称之为是人的高傲为了自我救赎而退出了王座。
• A complete hands-off approach is abdicating your business responsibility. 彻底的不闻不问意味着你对自己事业责任的放弃。

8 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。

9 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

10 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。

11 infiltrate   

vt./vi.渗入，透过；浸润

参考例句：

• The teacher tried to infiltrate her ideas into the children's minds.老师设法把她的思想渗透到孩子们的心中。
• It can infiltrate as much as 100 kilometers into enemy territory at night.可以在夜间深入敌领土100千米。

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。

13 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

14 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。