US Able to Protect Servicemembers from Biological Threat, Sa

Broadcast: Jan 10 2003

 

The Pentagon has issued a statement ²⁾asserting the military is prepared to protect its personnel from possible biological weapons attack.

On the surface, the Pentagon's assertion that it can protect military personnel from bio-weapons seems both obvious and unnecessary.

But officials say the unusual statement was intended to reassure¹ troops, following some ³⁾controversial remarks by the Army's top biological weapons defense² expert.

Colonel Erik Henchal told a group of defense writers, the military's efforts to develop ⁴⁾vaccines⁴ and other defenses against bio-weapons has been ⁵⁾hampered by a lack of Congressional funding, as well as a lack of interest from ⁶⁾pharmaceutical⁶ companies.

But the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs now says, the Pentagon has a range of measures, including vaccines and protective clothing, to protect servicemembers from biological threats.

William Winkenwerder says programs over the past decade have been (his words) "significantly improved our ability to protect servicemembers."

The senior Pentagon official says the protective measures available to the military are strongest against ⁷⁾anthrax and smallpox⁷. He says the Defense Department has sufficient supplies of anthrax and smallpox vaccines to protect all at risk forces.

In his remarks to reporters, Colonel Henchal agreed anthrax and smallpox were at the top of the list of biological threats. But he warned that Iraq, as well as terrorist groups, might pursue other germ weapons.

The debate coincided with the release of an unclassified report by the Central Intelligence Agency on weapons of mass destruction, including biological weapons.

The report said discoveries in Afghanistan have revealed the al-Qaida terrorist group's research into biological weapons was more advanced than previously⁸ believed. It gave no further details. But an unconfirmed British news report this past week claimed al-Qaida had plans to produce ⁸⁾ricin, a deadly ⁹⁾toxin⁹ derived¹⁰ from the beans of the castor plant.

That report came as British anti-terrorist police found traces of ricin in a London apartment.

Alex Belida VOA news, Pentagon.

 

 

1)    pentagon[5pentE^En]n.五角大楼

2)    assert [E5sE:t]v. 断言, 声称

3)    controversial [7kCntrE5vE:FEl] adj.争论的, 争议的

4)    vaccine³ [5vAksi:n]n. 牛痘,疫苗

5)    hamper⁵ [5hAmpE]v.妨碍, 牵制

6)    pharmaceutical [7fB:mE5sju:tikEl]n. 药物  adj.制药(学)上的

7)    anthrax and smallpox 炭疽热和天花

8)    ricin [5raisin]n. [生化]篦麻毒素, 篦麻蛋白

9)    toxin [5tCksin]n.[生化][生]毒素

1 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

2 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。

3 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

4 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

5 hamper   

vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子

参考例句：

• There are some apples in a picnic hamper.在野餐用的大篮子里有许多苹果。
• The emergence of such problems seriously hamper the development of enterprises.这些问题的出现严重阻碍了企业的发展。

6 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

7 smallpox   

n.天花

参考例句：

• In 1742 he suffered a fatal attack of smallpox.1742年，他染上了致命的天花。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child?你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

8 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。

9 toxin   

n.毒素，毒质

参考例句：

• Experts have linked this condition to a build-up of toxins in the body.专家已把这一病症与体内毒素的积累联系起来。
• Tests showed increased levels of toxin in shellfish.检验表明水生有壳动物的毒素水平提高了。

10 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》