VOA标准英语2011--Veterans of Iraq, Afghan Conflicts Differ on US Role Abroad

Veterans of Iraq, Afghan Conflicts Differ on US Role Abroad

The United States observes Veterans Day November 11, a national holiday to remember and honor military veterans of all wars. Veterans Day dates back to the end of World War I in 1918. This year it falls less than two months before all U.S. troops are due to leave Iraq, and while nearly 100,000 American service members are still in Afghanistan. Veterans of those recent wars have differing views about the U.S. military presence abroad.

Inside a classroom at Santa Monica College, a group of students meet once a week to make friends and for support. They are all military veterans, and for some, such as Monica Scates, the horrors of war are still very real.

“When I came home it took three years to transition after getting out. That was such a feeling of being lost, that we were given no transitional training, no decompression,” she said.

Scates served in the first Gulf¹ War against Iraq 20 years ago. When she returned home she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder².

“I lost my marriage. I lost my family, my home,” she said.

Scates eventually received treatment, and has just started college.

Fellow Army veteran Daniel Anderson served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He joined the military shortly after finishing high school.

"I gave myself an ultimatum³. If I don't do well in college, I'll join the military," Anderson said.

Another veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Christopher Bellingham, joined the Army for the education benefits that military service provides.

"I wanted some money for college," Bellingham said.

While these three Army veterans had military experience under combat conditions, their views about America’s future course in Iraq and Afghanistan are not the same.

Scates says U.S. troops should not leave Iraq at the end of this year. “To be honest with you, no, because it will be just like what we did during Vietnam. We have to stabilize⁴ the people first. They don’t have a stable government. They don’t have a stable force,” she said.

Anderson disagrees. “I think it’s about time that we pull out because they, I think, are ready to stand up take it on their own,” he said.

Anderson says he is not sure whether the fight in Iraq was worth the cost, in either human or military terms.

“I’m glad Saddam Hussein was ousted⁵ from power. And there is a lot of corruption⁶, and you can see it. ... But that’s just a much more muddied water, you know. I think that war was a political, strategic war, as opposed to a necessary, on-the-ground fight,” Anderson said.

Bellingham says the U.S. should also get out of Afghanistan.

"There’s no purpose any more. We’ve pumped so much money in that economy that we are their GDP [their entire economy]. We are how they’re making money now. Regardless of when we pull out, they’re not going to be able to sustain to the level we brought them up to. The longer we’re there, the more damage we ... bring," Bellingham said.

But Anderson says the Afghan people need U.S. help against the Taliban.

"I think the people are really oppressed by that terrible organization. I think that one is really worth fighting for," he said.

All three veterans say they don’t think the Americans fully⁷ understand what their troops are fighting for in Iraq and Afghanistan. In part, they blame the American news media.

"The 'talking heads' on TV ... It gets lost in opinion as oppososed to fact," Anderson said.

For these veterans, their experiences in the military are shaping their future plans.

Monica Scates wants to help homeless veterans.

“I want to work with [troubled] vets⁸, I want to get them off the streets,” Scates said.

Christopher Bellingham wants to conduct research on brain disorders⁹, such as post traumatic stress syndrome¹⁰.

"Definitely experiencing and seeing my friends go through PTSD, and their emotional coping, piqued¹¹ a greater curiosity and drive," Bellingham said.

Anderson wants to be a screenwriter, to tell the story of what he saw.

Their experiences in war changed the lives of these three veterans, and they hope that life experience will enable them to change the lives of others - the people they will touch in their future careers.

1 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

2 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

3 ultimatum   

n.最后通牒

参考例句：

• This time the proposal was couched as an ultimatum.这一次该提议是以最后通牒的形式提出来的。
• The cabinet met today to discuss how to respond to the ultimatum.内阁今天开会商量如何应对这道最后通牒。

4 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

5 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

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。

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 vets   

abbr.veterans （复数）老手，退伍军人；veterinaries （复数）兽医n.兽医( vet的名词复数 )；老兵；退伍军人；兽医诊所v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的第三人称单数 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• I helped train many young vets and veterinary nurses too. 我还帮助培训了许多年青的兽医和护士。 来自互联网
• In fact, we've expanded mental health counseling and services for our vets. 实际上，我们已经扩大了退伍军人的心理健康咨询和服务。 来自互联网

9 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

11 piqued   

v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 )；激起（好奇心）

参考例句：

• Their curiosity piqued, they stopped writing. 他们的好奇心被挑起，停下了手中的笔。 来自辞典例句
• This phenomenon piqued Dr Morris' interest. 这一现象激起了莫里斯医生的兴趣。 来自辞典例句