VOA标准英语2013--阿富汗部落领袖就美阿安全协议投票

 

Afghan Tribal¹ Leaders to Vote on US-Afghan Security Pact² 阿富汗部落领袖就美阿安全协议投票

KABUL — More than 2,000 Afghan tribal and community elders soon will decide on an agreement that determines whether any U.S. forces will remain in the country after 2014. The tribal assembly has high stakes for Afghanistan’s future.

Tribal and community elders from around Afghanistan have started arriving in Kabul to determine details of a security pact with the United States.

Security is tight around the capital. During the weekend a bomb exploded 500 meters from the site of the gathering³, a stark⁴ reminder⁵ of the ongoing⁶ militant⁷ threat in the country.

Such concerns about security, as well as Afghan suspicions of neighbors Pakistan and Iran, have lawmakers, like Salih Mohammad Salih, backing the security agreement.

“We need to make sure the bilateral⁸ security agreement includes language that if any country attacks or interferes⁹ on our soil, the United States will support our national army and security forces in pushing back,” said Salih.

Loya Jirga approval needed

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has negotiated a draft agreement with U.S. officials. But the tribal assembly, or Loya Jirga, must give its approval before the document goes to the Afghanistan Parliament for a vote.

Among the most contentious¹⁰ points is whether U.S. troops or contractors¹¹ will be tried in Afghan courts or American courts for any wrongdoing after the end of 2014.

The Taliban has threatened leaders who support the deal. And former mujahedeen and conservative religious groups are opposed. They say the accord would “sell” Afghanistan to Washington.

Different opinions

Opinion on the street is divided.  Some want the Americans to leave, others say a security pact is important.

Abdul Ali Sultani of western Farah province supports a deal. “I think that without an agreement, you will soon see the Taliban, Pakistan intelligence and Iran intelligence at the doors of Kabul.”

The country cannot afford to turn down the security pact, cautions lawmaker Haji Mirdad Khan Nijrabi. “The U.S. has promised to pay $4.1 billion to our security forces, and another $4 billion to our civilian¹² institutions. If this Loya Jirga advises the government to reject the agreement, we are in danger of losing this aid,” he said.

For the United States, a continued presence in Afghanistan will give Washington time to improve the capacity of the Afghan security forces, as well as ensure that al-Qaida does not once again gain a foothold in the country. 

1 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

2 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

5 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

6 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

7 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。

8 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

9 interferes   

vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉

参考例句：

• The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。
• That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。

10 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

11 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 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。