VOA标准英语2009-Brown: Britain Will Send More Troops to Afgh

By Sonja Pace
London
13 November 2009

 
Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown (File)
Britain's prime minister says the UK will send more troops to Afghanistan if other allies do the same. Speaking on British radio, BBC's Radio Four, Gordon Brown said he's confident of that support.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said British envoys¹ are being sent out to talk with coalition² partners and NATO allies to make the case for sending more troops to Afghanistan.

"We are prepared to put more troops into Afghanistan, there must be burden-sharing among the alliance," he said.

Britain currently has 9,000 troops in Afghanistan and is proposing sending 500 more, but it wants other allies - not including the United States - to send another 5,000 troops as well.

Prime Minister Brown said he's confident other countries will step forward. Success is possible, he said, with the right strategy and an end game plan in sight.

"You cannot be an occupying army forever," he said. "What you've got to do is pass control to local people who then can take control of their own affairs and that is what our strategy is."

The prime minister said crucial to that strategy is building up Afghan local and national government institutions and practices to make sure Afghan President Hamid Karzai is able to tackle some major issues.

"We've got to have an indication from President Karzai - his inauguration³ comes very soon - that he will tackle the very problems that have given some succor⁴ to the Taliban and that is corruption⁶, and that is poor governance and that is the quality of district governors," he said. "The question in my view is not his willingness to do it. He is willing to do this. The question is making sure that delivery of it is satisfactory."

The prime minister said Britain's strategy is in line with the views of the Obama administration in Washington.

President Barrack Obama is currently reviewing U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and has yet to decide whether to send additional troops to the country and how many. The United States currently has a 70,000 strong force in Afghanistan and is considering sending up to 40,000 more.

Some 100,000 U.S. and NATO troops are currently in Afghanistan, but increasingly casualty figures and concerns about a growing Taliban threat and an ineffective and corrupt⁵ Afghan government have led to diminishing public support for the war.

1 envoys   

使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份

参考例句：

• the routine tit for tat when countries expel each other's envoys 国家相互驱逐对方使节这种惯常的报复行动
• Marco Polo's travelogue mentions that Kublai Khan sent envoys to Malgache. 马可波罗游记中提到忽必烈曾派使节到马尔加什。

2 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。

3 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

4 succor   

n.援助，帮助；v.给予帮助

参考例句：

• In two short hours we may look for succor from Webb.在短短的两小时内，韦布将军的救兵就可望到达。
• He was so much in need of succor,so totally alone.他当时孑然一身，形影相吊，特别需要援助。

5 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

6 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。