2007年VOA标准英语-Taleban Suicide Bomber 'Targets' Vice President

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
27 February 2007

Vice¹ President Dick Cheney escaped any injury following a suicide bomb attack outside the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan that killed at least 12 people, and the number of dead could go higher. The Afghan government says as many as 23 people were killed. VOA correspondent Benjamin Sand reports from Islamabad that the vice president went on to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul to review his country's deteriorating² security situation.

The explosion went off Tuesday morning just outside the main gate of Bagram Air Base, about 60 kilometers north of the Afghan capital, Kabul. U.S. officials say Vice President Dick Cheney was safely inside the heavily guarded military base at the time.

The vice president told reporters he heard a "loud boom" before officials moved him to a nearby bomb shelter. He said the Taleban was clearly trying to send a message with the attack and challenge the Afghan government's authority.

 
Relatives carry the dead body of an Afghan man who was killed during a suicide attack at the Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, 27 Feb 2007
An American and a South Korean soldier were among those confirmed dead, but Senior Master Sergeant³ Richard Simonson says most of the victims were local Afghans.

"Medical personnel are treating the injured at medical facilities here at Bagram airfield⁴ at this time," he said. "The incident has no impact on the vice president and the incident is under investigation⁵."

The Taleban quickly announced responsibility for the attack and said the U.S. leader was the intended target.

The blast occurred at the first of at least three separate checkpoints protecting Bagram, which houses roughly 10,000 U.S. and coalition⁶ forces.

 
Dick Cheney center, arrives for a meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in Kabul, 27 Feb. 2007
Cheney left the airfield about two hours after the explosion and went to scheduled talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul. The two men met privately⁷ for about 45 minutes before joining advisers⁸.

U.S. and Afghan officials are increasingly concerned about a major Taleban offensive expected in the next few weeks.

Taleban spokesmen say they are planning a massive wave of violence throughout Afghanistan as soon as the weather improves and snow begins to melt.

Cheney also made an unannounced visit to Pakistan Monday amid reports that both Taleban and al-Qaida insurgents⁹ have established a series of bases along the Afghan border.

Cheney reportedly warned Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that U.S. funding to Islamabad could be in jeopardy¹⁰ unless his forces help improve regional security.

On Monday, Britain said it would send an additional 1,400 troops to Afghanistan to help repel¹¹ any offensive.

There are already about 45,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, including more than 27,000 U.S. forces and 5,000 from Great Britain.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 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。

3 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

4 airfield   

n.飞机场

参考例句：

• The foreign guests were motored from the airfield to the hotel.用车把外宾从机场送到旅馆。
• The airfield was seized by enemy troops.机场被敌军占领。

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

6 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

7 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

8 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

9 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

10 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

11 repel   

v.击退，抵制，拒绝，排斥

参考例句：

• A country must have the will to repel any invader.一个国家得有决心击退任何入侵者。
• Particles with similar electric charges repel each other.电荷同性的分子互相排斥。