VOA标准英语2010年-British Leader Outlines Goals for Afgh

In his monthly news conference, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown outlined what he hopes can be achieved in the two one-day international gatherings¹ on Afghanistan and Yemen that will be held this week in London. 

Mr. Brown says the London Afghan conference will outline force projections² and also training projections for Afghan troops and police with the bottom-line objective being that British forces can come home once the Afghans themselves are in a position to provide their own security.

"The London conference will be attended by President Karzai, the U.N. Secretary General Ban, 60 nations will be represented," he said. "We will be announcing new figures from NATO forces and for Afghan forces in the time to come and we will be focusing on how the political and civilian³ surge that we plan in Afghanistan can match and compliment the military surge that is taking place."

Meanwhile, the top commander in Afghanistan, U.S. General Stanley McChrystal tells Britain's Financial Times newspaper that increased troop levels could bring a negotiated peace with the Taliban.

At Gordon Brown's news conference, the British leader was asked directly if he backed efforts to try to win over the allegiance of militants⁴.

"Now if at the same time, we can bring over from those people who were previously⁵ associated with the Taliban or with groups that were taking action against the coalition⁶ forces, by them renouncing⁷ violence and agreeing to join the democratic process, then that is of value to the peace process," he said.

As to the issue of corruption⁸ in Hamid Karzai's government, Mr. Brown said he expects the Afghan leader will be announcing a number of new initiatives on that front in addition to security.

"President Karzai and his ministers, with the addition of the armed forces and the police have got to show that they can take security control of their country," he said. "That is what our aim is and therefore anything that suggests that the government of Afghanistan cannot deal with its corruption problems is something that we must be worried about."

One day before the Afghan meeting, international representatives will be attending a conference on security concerns in Yemen.  Gordon Brown outlined the focus of those discussions.

"On Wednesday, the day before, the first international meeting will be held to agree how we can strengthen support for Yemen in its efforts against al-Qaida and how we can help the government of Yemen with development and governance," he said.

Prime Minister Brown stressed that Britain understands the risk posed by extremists and every effort he said would be made to counter those threats.

Last week, Britain raised its security warning level to the second highest stage, severe.  The threat is described as 'highly likely' but not imminent⁹.
 

1 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

2 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

3 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

4 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。

5 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

6 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

7 renouncing   

v.声明放弃( renounce的现在分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃

参考例句：

• He enraged the government by renouncing the agreement. 他否认那项协议，从而激怒了政府。 来自辞典例句
• What do you get for renouncing Taiwan and embracing Beijing instead? 抛弃台湾，并转而拥抱北京之后，你会得到什么？ 来自互联网

8 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

9 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。