VOA标准英语2009年-British Prime Minister Defends Afghanistan

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown staunchly defended his government's Afghanistan policy and said troops would stay until Afghan forces can go it alone to defend the country. The prime minister's comments come amid rising casualties among British troops in Afghanistan and growing unease at home about the conflict.
　
Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown attends a question and answer session following a keynote speech on Afghanistan at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in central London, 04 Sep 2009

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Britain's military action in Afghanistan remains¹ crucial in fighting terrorism and keeping Britain and its allies safe from further terrorist attacks.

Speaking at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, Mr. Brown said Britain cannot walk away. He said British troops would stay on in Afghanistan for the time being, but promised increased emphasis on training the Afghan military and police to take over responsibility for security.

"We will have succeeded when our troops are coming home because the Afghans are doing the job themselves," said the British prime minister.

Britain has more than 9,000 troops in Afghanistan about one third of them involved in anti-insurgency operations in Helmand province. And it's there that an increasing number of soldiers are being killed on an almost daily basis, many by roadside bombs.

The rising death toll² has caused unease at home in Britain and has sparked growing criticism of the government's handling of the war.

On Thursday, a close aide to British Defense³ Secretary Bob Ainsworth resigned in protest over the war. The aide, Eric Joyce, said he did not believe the public would continue to accept fighting terrorism as justification⁴ for British soldiers dying in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Brown acknowledged the price has been high. He said that when he meets the families of those killed in action, or soldiers who've been injured he does ask himself if the government is doing the right thing.

"And every time I ask myself, as I do, these questions my answer is yes, we are taking the right action, the action that is necessary to safeguard both our country and promote security in the world," said the prime minister.

Mr. Brown said Britain was right to go to war to topple the Taliban and their al Qaida allies in 2001. He acknowledged that the situation today is serious with threats emanating⁵ from insurgents⁶ inside Afghanistan as well as from across the border in the mountains of Pakistan. But, he insisted that a secure Afghanistan is crucial for the safety of Britain.

Despite such arguments, opinion polls show waning⁷ public support for the war in both Britain and the United States.

1 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。

2 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

3 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。

4 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

5 emanating   

v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的现在分词 )；产生，表现，显示

参考例句：

• Even so, there is a slight odour of potpourri emanating from Longfellow. 纵然如此，也还是可以闻到来自朗费罗的一种轻微的杂烩的味道。 来自辞典例句
• Many surface waters, particularly those emanating from swampy areas, are often colored to the extent. 许多地表水，特别是由沼泽地区流出的地表水常常染上一定程度的颜色。 来自辞典例句

6 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

7 waning   

adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡

参考例句：

• Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly. 她对整个想法的热情迅速冷淡了下来。
• The day is waning and the road is ending. 日暮途穷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》