VOA常速英语2019--美国标榜自己为国际排雷所做的贡献

Today is the United Nations’ International Day for Mine Awareness¹ and Assistance in Mine Action, which provides an opportunity for the world to reflect on both the progress made and the challenges that remain in clearing landmines² and unexploded ordnance³.

The United States is the world’s single largest financial supporter of efforts to address humanitarian⁴ hazards from landmines and unexploded ordnance in post-conflict countries and to reduce the availability of excess, loosely-secured, or otherwise at-risk weapons and munitions⁵.

Since 1993, the United States has invested more than $3.4 billion for the securing and safe disposal of excess small arms, light weapons, and munitions as well as the safe clearance⁶ of landmines and explosive remnants of war in more than 100 countries, making the United States the world’s single largest financial supporter of conventional weapons destruction.

The United States has funded programs worldwide aimed at reducing at-risk weapons and munitions, and improving stockpile security in order to prevent diversion of arms to terrorists and other destabilizing actors.

Through the conventional weapons destruction program, the U.S. government has collaborated⁷ with partner nations and international organizations since 2003 to destroy more than 39,000 excess or poorly-secured man-portable air-defense⁸ systems, or MANPADS, shoulder-fired missiles that, if improperly⁹ safeguarded, pose a serious threat to global aviation.

Working in close cooperation with the Department of Defense and the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Leahy War Victims Fund, the Department of State has helped numerous countries to declare themselves mine-free.

Proactive community outreach through our Mine Risk Education programs have prevented countless¹⁰ injuries while U.S.-funded Survivor¹¹ Assistance has provided essential medical and rehabilitation¹² services to people injured by landmines and unexploded ordnance.

On this day of mine awareness, we urge other nations to join us in a robust¹³ international partnership¹⁴ with the shared goal of reducing the impact of landmines around the world.

今天是联合国国际提高地雷意识和协助地雷行动日，这一天是一个机会，让全世界可以回顾所取得的进展，以及在排雷和排除未燃爆武器方面所遇到的挑战。

美国是世界上最大的资金捐助国，捐助资金是为了解决人道主义危险，这些危险是由冲突发生后依然存在的地雷和未燃爆武器造成的；捐助资金也是为了减少管理不善、极易引发危险的多余武器和军火。

自1993年以来，美国已经投资了34亿多美元，用于确保安全处理多余的轻武器、轻器械、军火以及安全排雷和排除战争的残留爆炸物，这些军火存在于100多个国家。美国的投资让其成为世界上对销毁传统武器捐助资金最多的国家。

美国已在全球范围内资助了多个项目，这些项目的目的都是减少危险武器和军火的数量，并提升储存安全，从而防止武器流入恐怖分子等不稳定因素的手中。

通过传统的武器销毁项目，美国政府已经与多个伙伴国和国际组织合作，自2003年以来，销毁了3.9万多个多余或者管理不善的便携式防空导弹（MANPADS）。这是一类肩射导弹，如果无法妥善保管，会给全球航空造成严重威胁。

通过与国防部以及美国国际开发署（USAID）莱希战争受害者基金的紧密合作，国务院助力多个国家实现了彻底排雷。

社群通过“警惕地雷危险教育”进行了积极的联系，这避免无数人受伤。与此同时，由美国出资的“幸存者援助”项目提供了必要的医疗服务和康复服务，帮助那些因地雷和未燃爆武器而受伤的人们。

在国际提高地雷意识和协助地雷行动日这一天，我们敦促其他国家加入美国，积极与国际合作，朝着共同的目标——减少地雷在全球范围内影响而努力。

1 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

2 landmines   

潜在的冲突； 地雷，投伞水雷( landmine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The treaty bans the use production and trade of landmines. 该条约规定，禁止使用地雷相关产品及贸易。
• One of the weapon's of special concern was landmines. 在引起人们特别关注的武器中就有地雷。

3 ordnance   

n.大炮，军械

参考例句：

• She worked in an ordnance factory during the war.战争期间她在一家兵工厂工作。
• Shoes and clothing for the army were scarce,ordnance supplies and drugs were scarcer.军队很缺鞋和衣服，武器供应和药品就更少了。

4 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。

5 munitions   

n.军火，弹药；v.供应…军需品

参考例句：

• The army used precision-guided munitions to blow up enemy targets.军队用精确瞄准的枪炮炸掉敌方目标。
• He rose [made a career for himself] by dealing in munitions.他是靠贩卖军火发迹的。

6 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。

7 collaborated   

合作( collaborate的过去式和过去分词 )； 勾结叛国

参考例句：

• We have collaborated on many projects over the years. 这些年来我们合作搞了许多项目。
• We have collaborated closely with the university on this project. 我们与大学在这个专案上紧密合作。

8 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。

9 improperly   

不正确地，不适当地

参考例句：

• Of course it was acting improperly. 这样做就是不对嘛！
• He is trying to improperly influence a witness. 他在试图误导证人。

10 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

11 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

12 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

13 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

14 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。