VOA慢速英语2016 6月开始驻日美军开始禁酒（在线收听）

AS IT IS 2016-06-07 US Navy Bans Sailors From Alcohol Use in Japan 6月开始驻日美军开始禁酒

The United States Navy says it has banned its work force in Japan from drinking alcohol and limited most of their activities to Navy bases.

The announcement came after a U.S. sailor on the Japanese island of Okinawa was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.

Okinawa residents have demanded the removal of U.S. bases after several incidents involving armed forces members in recent months.

The latest incident happened Sunday night. Japanese police arrested Petty Officer 2nd Class Aimee Mejia after she reportedly drove on the wrong side of a road. She crashed her car into two vehicles, injuring two people, a police spokesman said.

Mejia was not hurt, the Associated Press reported.

Following the incident, U.S. sailors throughout Japan have been banned from drinking alcohol indefinitely, the Navy said in a statement.

“These [incidents] are not taken lightly,” said Rear Admiral Matthew Carter. “For decades, we have enjoyed a strong relationship with the people of Japan.”

The U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy, offered her regrets to the family of those injured in the accident.

The U.S. Navy had already ordered all sailors to return to their bases by midnight, local time. The Navy also banned all off-base drinking after a former U.S. Marine, who worked on an American military base in Japan, was arrested last month. That Marine was suspected of involvement in the disappearance of a Japanese woman. Police believe that she was raped and murdered.

In March, a U.S. sailor was arrested on charges of raping a Japanese woman in Okinawa. Three U.S. servicemen were found guilty in the rape of a schoolgirl in 1995. That case angered many Japanese.

美国海军表示已经禁止全体驻日美军饮酒，并限制他们在海军基地的大部分活动。

该禁酒令的起因是日本冲绳县美军士兵涉嫌酒驾引发交通事故并遭到逮捕。

最近几个月发生数起与驻日美军有关的事故，冲绳居民强烈要求撤销美军驻日基地。

最新一起事故发生在周日晚间。日本警方逮捕了二级下士艾米·梅西亚(Aimee Mejia)，据悉当时她驾驶汽车在路上逆行。警方发言人表示，之后与两辆汽车相撞，造成两名市民受伤。

美联社报道称，梅西亚并未受伤。

事故发生后，美国海军在一份声明中表示，驻日本各地的美军已经被无限期禁止饮酒。

海军少将马修·卡特（Matthew Carter）表示，“我们并没有对这些事件掉以轻心。几十年来，我们与日本人民建立了牢不可破的关系。”

美国驻日大使卡罗琳·肯尼迪（Caroline Kennedy）对事故中受伤人员的家属表示歉意。

美国海军已经下令所有士兵在当地时间午夜前必须返回美军基地。上个月，一名在驻日美军基地任职的前海军陆战队成员被逮捕后，美国海军下令禁止所有士兵在基地外饮酒。这名陆战队成员被指卷入了一起日本女子失踪事件。警方认为失踪女子被奸杀。

3月份，一名美国水兵因被指控在冲绳强奸一位日本女性后被警方逮捕。1995年，三名美国士兵强奸一名女学生被判有罪，那起案件激怒了日本民众。

Words in This Story

petty officer – n. an officer with a low rank, or grade, in the US Navy or Coast Guard

resident – n. someone who lives in a place, usually for a long period

decade – n. a period of 10 years