VOA标准英语2009年-Pentagon Says Troops Killed in Philippines

By Al Pessin
Pentagon
29 September 2009
The U.S. Defense¹ Department says two U.S. troops and a Philippine Marine² killed in the southern Philippines on Tuesday were targeted by an improvised³ explosive device - a weapon that has killed more U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan than any other insurgent⁴ tactic⁵. 

 
Pentagon spokesman Brian Whitman (file photo)
Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman says the incident is under investigation⁶, but early indications are that the troops' vehicle was targeted by a roadside bomb similar to the ones used by insurgents⁷ in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Whitman says the two Americans and one Filipino killed on Tuesday were on their way to re-supply troops helping⁸ to build a school on the southern island of Jolo.

While this is the first attack on U.S. troops in the Philippines in seven years, Whitman says they are aware of the constant danger.

"The threat has been well known," Whitman said. "They operate cognizant of the threat that is there. The threat didn't diminish or necessarily increase as a result of this particular incident. But this is the first time, at least in any recent history that I can recall, that a particular device of this nature was used against U.S. forces. So obviously, the command is going to be taking a look at that."

It was 2002 when the last American service member was killed in the Philippines by a bomb. That incident occurred when explosives attached to a motorcycle detonated on a different southern island.

The Philippine military says it suspects the Abu Sayyaf group was responsible for Tuesday's attack. Abu Sayyaf is a militant⁹ Islamic separatist group with ties to al-Qaida terrorists, who are fighting U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as conducting attacks around the world.

About 600 U.S. troops are in the Philippines, training and advising the Philippine military and helping with humanitarian¹⁰ projects. The training focuses on counterinsurgency tactics, through force and through civic¹¹ projects, to help the Philippine government combat Abu Sayyaf and other insurgent groups.

1 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。

2 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 improvised   

a.即席而作的,即兴的

参考例句：

• He improvised a song about the football team's victory. 他即席创作了一首足球队胜利之歌。
• We improvised a tent out of two blankets and some long poles. 我们用两条毛毯和几根长竿搭成一个临时帐蓬。

4 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。

5 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 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

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 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。

10 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

11 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。