2007年VOA标准英语-Shoot-out Between Pakistani, Afghan Troops Leav

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
13 May 2007

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Pakistan army soldiers are on alert in troubled Pakistani tribal area of Miran Shah (File)

A shoot-out by Pakistani and Afghan troops along their common border has left five Afghan troops were killed and three Pakistani soldiers were seriously wounded. It is not clear what sparked the clash between the nominal² allies. From Islamabad, VOA correspondent Benjamin Sand reports.

Pakistan's top military spokesman, Major General Waheed Arshad says the fighting broke out Sunday morning.

He says Afghan forces fired on a Pakistani border post in Kurram Agency, an isolated³ tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

"This was an unprovoked firing which was retaliated⁴ very strongly by our Frontier Corps⁵ troops which are deployed⁶ there," said Arshad.

He says the exchange left at least five Afghan soldiers dead and three Pakistanis seriously wounded.

Afghan officials have confirmed the incident but insist Pakistani soldiers fired the first shot. One report quoted an Afghan official as saying three civilians⁷ and one policeman had been killed in the shooting.

General Arshad says the matter is already under review by a tri-partite security commission, which includes senior officials from Pakistan, NATO and Afghan forces.

The gun battle is the latest sign of deteriorating⁸ relations between the two key U.S. allies.

This is the second time in less than a month the two armies have exchanged fire along their border.

Fighting erupted several weeks ago after Afghan soldiers reportedly tore down a section of a controversial new security fence Pakistan is erecting⁹ in the area.

The fence is meant to limit cross-border activity by suspected Taleban insurgents¹⁰ operating in the isolated tribal regions.

Afghan officials say Taleban insurgents have established a series of bases inside Pakistan, and routinely cross the border to attack Afghan and international forces.

However, Kabul has strongly opposed the proposed fence. Officials there say it would unfairly divide tribal communities that live on both sides of the border.

Nevertheless, Pakistan announced this week that it had completed the first section of the fence, and bilateral¹¹ relations appeared further strained.

General Arshad says Sunday's clash did not occur anywhere near the area being fenced, and he says there is still no clear indication what prompted the violence.

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 nominal   

adj.名义上的；(金额、租金)微不足道的

参考例句：

• The king was only the nominal head of the state. 国王只是这个国家名义上的元首。
• The charge of the box lunch was nominal.午餐盒饭收费很少。

3 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

4 retaliated   

v.报复，反击( retaliate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• When he once teased her for her inexperience, she retaliated. 有一次，他讥讽她没有经验，她便反唇相讥。 来自辞典例句
• The terrorists retaliated by killing three policemen. 恐怖分子以杀死三名警察相报复。 来自辞典例句

5 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• 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。

6 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

7 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

8 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

9 erecting   

v.使直立，竖起( erect的现在分词 )；建立

参考例句：

• Nations can restrict their foreign trade by erecting barriers to exports as well as imports. 象设置进口壁垒那样，各国可以通过设置出口壁垒来限制对外贸易。 来自辞典例句
• Could you tell me the specific lift-slab procedure for erecting buildings? 能否告之用升板法安装楼房的具体程序？ 来自互联网

10 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

11 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。