VOA标准英语2012--Coalition Forces Train Afghan Police to Stop Taliban

Coalition¹ Forces Train Afghan Police to Stop Taliban

U.S. and Afghan soldiers arrived in the village of Marzak in early January on a high-stakes mission to shape the conditions for the war's end. U.S. Army Captain Jim Perkins says Marzak is the only major settlement along an important Taliban supply line. 

"Our goal is that the village of Marzak is secured and denied to the enemy," said Perkins. 

Commanders say the key will be a new locally-recruited, part-time police force called the Afghan Local Police. The coalition would have to create the unit from scratch, overcoming the villagers' ambivalence² and inexperience. Nawab Khan is a police trainer who says the recruits know little about war. 

"They don't have any experience with weapons," said Khan. "Some of the guys haven't even seen weapons before."

The Marzak mission only began after months of negotiations³ with local elders. The turning point came in August, when the Taliban killed a local man they accused of spying for the coalition.

"During Ramadan they pulled him out of the mosque⁴ -- didn't allow him to finish his prayers -- and executed him right there in front of the mosque," Perkins recalled. "Not only was it a slap against their religion, not allowing him to finish his prayers, it also turned the tide against the Taliban for a lot of villagers." 

Marzak's elders pledged 50 men as police recruits, half of what the coalition wanted. 

But coalition troops had a more immediate⁵ problem: building an outpost in one of the world's most inaccessible⁶ regions.

None of Marzak's roads can support military vehicles, so coalition forces rely on aircraft to keep them supplied.

"Often times the weather can go red, which means we're not able to fly aircraft as much. So what we've done is built a deep stockpile that allows us to operate a month if we couldn't get resupplied," Perkins explained. 

In mid-January the troops focused on training the first 50 local cops. They immediately ran into discipline problems. 

"These guys have never been in any kind of government organization, and the government hasn't been here a very long time," noted⁷ Khan. "They don't know how government organizations work. We're having to teach them what discipline is and how to organize with the tribal⁸ elders."

A month into the mission, the first group of local police was ready for duty. But the coalition's last-ditch effort to secure Marzak had only begun. 

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 ambivalence   

n.矛盾心理

参考例句：

• She viewed her daughter's education with ambivalence.她看待女儿的教育问题态度矛盾。
• She felt a certain ambivalence towards him.她对他的态度有些矛盾。

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

5 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 inaccessible   

adj.达不到的，难接近的

参考例句：

• This novel seems to me among the most inaccessible.这本书对我来说是最难懂的小说之一。
• The top of Mount Everest is the most inaccessible place in the world.珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最难到达的地方。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。