VOA标准英语2010年-Agriculture Tops Afghan Reconstruction

The influx¹ of farming aid and experts is expected to be a significant part of the Obama administration's "civilian² surge" accompanying the additional U.S. and allied³ military forces now flowing into Afghanistan.

Tom Vilsack, U.S. agriculture secretary, recently spent several days in Afghanistan meeting with leaders and farmers. In a news conference before his trip, he explained that agriculture will play a central role in the reconstruction⁴ of Afghanistan.

"Eighty percent of Afghans earn their income from agriculture," he said. "Thirty-five percent of the Afghan GDP (gross domestic product) comes from agriculture. Fifty percent of their arable⁵ land is currently under cultivation⁶. So there is a tremendous opportunity," Vilsack says.

Growing agriculture will lead to jobs and stability

He also says that boosting agriculture will provide jobs and income in a country where rural unemployment can reach 40 percent. The secretary announced a $20 million fund to support the Afghan agriculture ministry's reconstruction work. By backing Afghan-led efforts, the Obama administration says it hopes to help stabilize⁷ the country by raising the profile of the central government and boosting public confidence in it.

Supporting agricultural development across the country is a departure from the approach under the Bush administration, according to Mark Schneider, senior vice⁸ president at the International Crisis Group.

"The focus on agriculture was relatively⁹ minimal¹⁰, except for counter-narcotics related [activities]," he says.

Schneider says most of the agriculture aid used to concentrate on farmers in the south, offering them alternatives to illegal opium¹¹ poppies and eradicating¹² the crops of those who persisted in growing them. That policy was deeply unpopular.

The challenge of competing with opium poppies

During a telephone news conference from Afghanistan, Vilsack acknowledged it's hard for legal crops to compete with poppies. 

"One of the advantages, if you will, of poppy production in this country is that those who deal in poppy are able to advance the cost of the inputs¹³. In other words, they extend credit," he said. "They also pick up the product at the farm gate. And so, we have to come up with a competing vision that's far more compelling," he says.

Vilsack says he knows that will be a challenge. In addition to helping¹⁴ farmers with credit, he says reconstruction efforts must rebuild the country's irrigation and transportation systems, shattered by decades of conflict, and connect farmers with markets for their products.

Vilsack adds that the U.S. will assist in these areas, and is sending more experts to help farmers across Afghanistan choose the best crops and improve their yields. And he points to some successful programs in the poppy-growing province of Helmand that have encouraged farmers to grow wheat, grapes, apples and other crops.

Experts applaud the Obama administration's goal of bolstering¹⁵ Afghan agriculture, but they caution that the new investments will take time to have an impact. Meanwhile, the demand for opium poppies and the Taliban insurgency¹⁶ continue.

 

1 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

2 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

3 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

4 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

5 arable   

adj.可耕的，适合种植的

参考例句：

• The terrain changed quickly from arable land to desert.那个地带很快就从耕地变成了沙漠。
• Do you know how much arable land has been desolated?你知道什么每年有多少土地荒漠化吗？

6 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。

7 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。

8 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

9 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

10 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

11 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。

12 eradicating   

摧毁，完全根除( eradicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Objective: To study the acute and chronic toxicity of Ten-flavor-acne eradicating-capsule. 目的：探讨复方中药合剂十味平痤胶囊的急性及慢性毒性。
• We are on the verge of eradicating polio in the world. 我们已在世界消除小儿？痹症的边缘了。

13 inputs   

n.输入( input的名词复数 )；投入；输入端；输入的数据v.把…输入电脑( input的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Uncheck the inputs checked for optimization in the previous stage. 不测试那些已经测试过的优化了的以前步骤的inputs.（变量参数）。 来自互联网
• Just in case, save in a file the inputs obtained at the previous stage. 以防万一，保存以前步骤获得的inputs（变量参数值）到一个文件中去。 来自互联网

14 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

15 bolstering   

v.支持( bolster的现在分词 )；支撑；给予必要的支持；援助

参考例句：

• Why should Donahue's people concern themselves with bolstering your image? 唐纳休的人为什么要费心维护你的形象？ 来自辞典例句
• He needed bolstering and support. 他需要别人助他一臂之力。 来自辞典例句

16 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