2006年VOA标准英语-India Sends Female Peacekeepers to Liberia

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
16 September 2006

India is sending an all-woman police unit to join U.N. peacekeeping operations the West African nation of Liberia.  This is the first time an all-woman force has been deployed² in the volatile³ region.

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		Female Indian police personnel (file photo)

At a sprawling⁴ police camp on the outskirts⁵ of New Delhi, more than a 100 policewomen dressed in blue camouflage⁶ uniforms are honing their skills in controlling crowds and handling rioters.  The drill includes training in the use of firearms, unarmed combat, and self-defense.

These police officers are no strangers to volatile situations, they have been drawn⁷ from India's special counter-insurgency units. The all-woman police team is to join U.N. peacekeepers in Liberia, which is recovering from a long drawn-out civil conflict.

Seema Dhundiya, 39, who heads the unit, is putting her team through its paces for the African assignment that begins next month.  She says the women face a "tough challenge," but are ready for it.

"They are handling arms and weapons.  We are training them in light machine guns, AK-47s. And, of course, we are taking regular classes in mob psychology⁸, human behavior," she said.  "The training part is very strenuous⁹.  We are keeping them physically¹⁰ fit, mentally strong and emotionally strong also."

The mood among the women is upbeat.  

"This is a new assignment, new excitement, new challenge," said Poonam Gupta, the chief operating officer of the unit.

The United Nations says India's unprecedented¹¹ decision to deploy¹ an all-female police unit sends a powerful message to other contributing nations about the importance of women officers.

The United Nations wants to increase the number of women peacekeepers, who account for between three and four percent of its peacekeeping forces.

Dhundiya, a mother of two children, says that women can play a useful role in Liberia, where thousands of girls were combatants during the conflict.   

"I think women by nature are very tender and caring, and when they put on their uniforms, automatically they get empowered," she explained.  "Moreover, there the situation in Liberia, where the females are very vocal¹², they form large number in the mob and the mob becomes very unruly sometimes, so that is why Indian government has decided¹³ to send female contingent¹⁴."

India contributes about 400 police officers to U.N. peacekeeping missions worldwide, but so far has only sent 15 female officers.

1 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

2 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。

3 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

4 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

5 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

6 camouflage   

n./v.掩饰，伪装

参考例句：

• The white fur of the polar bear is a natural camouflage.北极熊身上的白色的浓密软毛是一种天然的伪装。
• The animal's markings provide effective camouflage.这种动物身上的斑纹是很有效的伪装。

7 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

8 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

9 strenuous   

adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的

参考例句：

• He made strenuous efforts to improve his reading. 他奋发努力提高阅读能力。
• You may run yourself down in this strenuous week.你可能会在这紧张的一周透支掉自己。

10 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

11 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

12 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

13 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

14 contingent   

adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队

参考例句：

• The contingent marched in the direction of the Western Hills.队伍朝西山的方向前进。
• Whether or not we arrive on time is contingent on the weather.我们是否按时到达要视天气情况而定。