VOA标准英语2013--Challenges Ahead for Foreign Troops in Mali

 

Challenges Ahead for Foreign Troops in Mali

French President Francois Hollande got a hero's welcome Saturday in the liberated¹ northern town of Timbuktu. 

Hollande's visit marked an end to what French and Malian officials say has been a successful first phase of this now three-week French deployment² to Mali. 

"The terrorist groups have been weakened. They have suffered heavy losses, but have not disappeared. So, what do we have to do? We have to continue to pursue them. France will stay at Mali's side as long as needed, meaning until Africans are ready to take over for us with the regional AFISMA force, but until then, we will be at your side, until the end, all the way to the north of Mali," he said. 

Soldiers from Chad and Niger are helping³ Malian and French forces secure parts of the recaptured north, a vast and notoriously difficult-to-police expanse of the Sahara.

About 8,000 African troops are heading to Mali, but most are not expected at the front before the end of February. Analysts⁴ say those troops could be plunged⁵ into a nasty hit-and-run guerilla war for which neither they, nor the Malian army, are equipped or trained. 

France needed help from its allies to airlift its troops and supplies into the landlocked country. Its advance in the far north was delayed by a sudden sandstorm. 

It is taking this French military supply convoy⁶ five days to make the 1,200-kilometer journey from Bamako to the liberated northern town of Gao. 

The convoy's commander, Lieutenant⁷ Emmanuel said, "Without these supplies, without this gas, the French troops cannot continue their offensive action. So, we have to be on schedule and we have to bring these necessities so the forces can continue what has already been a rapid advance."

The convoy then had to stop for an extra day en route to outfit⁸ vehicles with electronic protection devices, after a Malian military convoy hit a land mine on the road near Gao, killing⁹ two soldiers.

These kinds of logistical challenges faced by French forces could be just a preview of what awaits their much-less-resourced African counterparts. The speed of the French advance has left them little time for preparation. 

Many in Mali worry a hasty or premature¹⁰ exit by the French could spell disaster. 

1 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

2 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

3 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。

4 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

5 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

6 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

7 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

8 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

9 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

10 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。