2006年VOA标准英语-Taleban Insurgency Fueled by Poppy Cultivation

By Jeff Swicord
Washington, DC
02 August 2006
 
watch Afghanistan Drug report

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has taken over command of international troops in southern Afghanistan from the U.S.-led coalition¹. It will now lead the fight against a re-emerging Taleban insurgency², which NATO commanders say is increasingly fueled by opium³ poppy cultivation⁴.

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Taleban rebels   
  
The rugged⁵ terrain⁶ is Taleban country.  Taleban rebels were never rooted out of these hills, despite the U.S.-led military action in 2001.  Five years later, the insurgents⁷ have regrouped, better armed and organized than ever. 

And according to military and narcotics⁸ experts, what is fueling the Taleban insurgency is opium.  

  
Patrick Ward⁹ 
  
Senior U.S. National Drug Control Policy official Patrick Ward says Taleban rebels often force farmers to grow poppy. "They are coercing¹⁰ farmers and sharecroppers to grow.  They are holding them accountable to grow.  They are providing credit to farmers and putting farmers and sharecroppers into debt over time.  So they can hold that over their heads as well as threatening their lives."

Afghanistan poppies  
  
Ward says cultivation of opium poppies brings tens of millions of dollars to the Taleban coffers.   Afghan poppies produce an estimated 90 percent of the world's heroin¹¹.

The Afghan government is fighting back.  It has hired private American security contractors¹² to destroy any known poppy fields.  For some farmers, it is a painful step. 

"Why don't you just kill me," one farmer cries.

Kabul is developing new programs to train farmers to do other jobs, such as road building and carpentry.  Ward says the real solution is to rebuild an economy that has been destroyed by decades of war.

"Those types of cash for work programs are meant for short-term effort,” says Mr. Ward, “while a more comprehensive type of development comes in and plants, for example, fruit-bearing orchards¹³, which are going to take three to four years to start bearing fruit."

But not all farmers want to stop growing poppy.  Poppy cultivation is too profitable. 

More poppies mean more violence, according to NATO commanders who have taken control of southern Afghanistan from a U.S.-led coalition.  The mission now facing NATO is one of the most difficult in the organization's 57-year history: it will try to stabilize¹⁴ a region wracked with Taleban-led violence and a growing drug trade.

  
Major General Benjamin Freakley
  
U.S. Major General Benjamin Freakley says, "We are going into the valleys, into areas where the enemy has operated with impunity¹⁵ before.  And we are putting pressure on them.  The local elders say, ‘Where have you been?’ "

Military officials say Taleban rebels have adopted some of the tactics used by Iraqi insurgents, such as roadside bombs and suicide bombers¹⁶. Forty roadside bombs exploded in the last month. The Taleban are getting help from Al-Qaida bomb makers¹⁷ and Arab fighters abroad.  But they are supported by Afghans at home as well.  

NATO forces prepare for a mission  
  
A routine visit to this village by a British unit recently turned into a six-hour firefight with its residents.  As soon as the soldiers left, the Taleban returned.

"Holy war is right here in front of our homes, even if we are too poor to fight in Americas" said the Taleban commander.

More and more NATO patrols are venturing into poppy-growing regions in search of the enemy, and they are confident that -- with persistence¹⁸ -- they will succeed. 

1 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。

2 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

3 opium   

n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的

参考例句：

• That man gave her a dose of opium.那男人给了她一剂鸦片。
• Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。

4 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

5 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

6 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。

7 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

8 narcotics   

n.麻醉药( narcotic的名词复数 )；毒品；毒

参考例句：

• The use of narcotics by teenagers is a problem in many countries. 青少年服用麻醉药在许多国家中都是一个问题。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Police shook down the club, looking for narcotics. 警方彻底搜查了这个俱乐部，寻找麻醉品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

10 coercing   

v.迫使做( coerce的现在分词 )；强迫；（以武力、惩罚、威胁等手段）控制；支配

参考例句：

• All of the children had atopic dermatis coercing at least 20% of their body surface area. 所有的患儿体表有超过20%的遗传性过敏症皮炎感染。 来自互联网
• I assured him that we had no intention of coercing Israel in response a Soviet threat. 我向他保证，我们无意强迫以色列对苏联的威胁做出反映。 来自互联网

11 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

12 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 orchards   

（通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They turned the hills into orchards and plains into granaries. 他们把山坡变成了果园，把平地变成了粮仓。
• Some of the new planted apple orchards have also begun to bear. 有些新开的苹果园也开始结苹果了。

14 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。

15 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

16 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。