VOA慢速英语2015 女性加入美国游骑兵

AS IT IS 2015-04-18 Women Seek to Join US Army Rangers² 女性加入美国游骑兵

About 20 women will enter the U.S. Army Ranger¹ School for the first time on April 20. The school has one of the most difficult training programs for soldiers. But a new Army survey shows that many male soldiers are unhappy about it.

The Army says Rangers “conduct airborne and air assault operations, seizing key terrain³ such as airfields⁴, destroying strategic facilities, and capturing or killing⁵ enemies of the nation.”

The training at Ranger School is “physically and mentally grueling.” Less than half of the male soldiers who begin the training complete it. During the 62-day-long course, soldiers train in the jungle, mountains and swamps. The course is designed to simulate combat. They often eat just one meal a day and may not sleep for days. They lose an average of 15 to 20 pounds during the course.

The women who will enter the Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia have already completed a 16-day-long course called Ranger Training Assessment⁶ Course, or RTAC. The course includes some of the same physical challenges as the Ranger School. It also includes testing of a soldier’s ability to lead others. The Army says more than half of those who complete RTAC finish Ranger training.

Letting women enter Ranger training is part of the U.S. military’s larger effort to open many jobs to women that they have historically not been allowed to perform. Women are not permitted to hold some of the most dangerous jobs, including infantry⁷ and Special Forces, like Rangers, SEALs and Green Berets.

In 2012, then-Defense⁸ Secretary Leon Panetta ordered American military services to open all of their jobs to women unless they can show why women cannot perform them. If the military wants to ban women from some jobs, they must ask for permission from the Secretary of Defense, who will make the final decision.

On April 6, the Associated Press reported that male soldiers serving in the special operations forces do not believe women can be Rangers. They fear that standards will be lowered so that women can meet them. They believe political leaders are forcing the military to do what it does not want to do.

The news report came from a survey that has not yet been released by the Army, but the news agency was able to read it. The AP reported that about 9,000 soldiers answered questions in the survey.

Even if some women complete the Ranger course, they will not be able to join one of the Army’s four Ranger units because they are open only to men. Some believe only soldiers who are members of a Ranger unit are true Rangers. But the Army tells VOA that any women who graduate from the course on June 18th will be considered Rangers, the first in the history of the U.S. Army.

Words in This Story

survey – n. an activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something

terrain – n. land of a particular kind

grueling – adj. very difficult; requiring great effort

swamp – n. land that is always wet and often partly covered with water

simulate – v. to look, feel or behave like (something)

1 ranger   

n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员

参考例句：

• He was the head ranger of the national park.他曾是国家公园的首席看守员。
• He loved working as a ranger.他喜欢做护林人。

2 rangers   

护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员

参考例句：

• Do you know where the Rangers Stadium is? 你知道Rangers体育场在哪吗？ 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• Now I'm a Rangers' fan, so I like to be near the stadium. 现在我是Rangers的爱好者，所以我想离体育场近一点。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

3 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

4 airfields   

n.（较小的无建筑的）飞机场( airfield的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• For several days traffic fromthe Naples airfields was partially interrupted. 那不勒斯机场的对外交通部分地停顿了数天。 来自辞典例句
• We have achieved a great amount of destruction at airfields and air bases. 我们已把机场和空军基地大加破坏。 来自辞典例句

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

7 infantry   

n.[总称]步兵(部队)

参考例句：

• The infantry were equipped with flame throwers.步兵都装备有喷火器。
• We have less infantry than the enemy.我们的步兵比敌人少。

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。