VOA标准英语2012--Drones Revolutionize US Warfare
时间：2019-01-13 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2012年(六月)
Drones Revolutionize US Warfare 1
It is estimated that there are 10,000 unmanned aerial vehicles in the U.S. military's arsenal 2, in addition to an undisclosed number operated by the CIA - including one that recently killed Abu Yahya al-Libi, al-Qaida's number two leader.
Pakistan objects to the use of drones over its territory. But U.S. Defense 3 Secretary Leon Panetta has given no indication Washington will stop using them against terrorists.
"We made it clear to the Pakistanis that United States of America is going to defend ourselves against those that would attack us, and we have done just that, we have gone after their leadership and we have done it effectively," said Panetta.
Drones are relatively 4 cheap to operate. Their strikes are precise. And they entail 5 no risk to the pilots who operate them from U.S. bases thousands of kilometers away.
At a time of shrinking budgets and growing war fatigue 6 among the American public, the Obama administration has made unmanned aerial vehicles a central component 7 of its new defense strategy.
Michele Flournoy is a former top Pentagon official and an architect of that strategy.
"The whole realm of unmanned systems is going to revolutionize the force over time," said Flournoy. "We are still in the process of understanding what those systems bring in terms of new ways of operating, new ways of working as a military."
By some accounts, that revolution is happening now. UAVs' effectiveness and their small footprint are quickly making them the Obama administration's weapon of choice for U.S. military and intelligence operations.
John Brennan is President Obama's chief counterterrorism adviser 8:
"It is hard to imagine a tool that can better minimize the risk to civilians 9 than remotely piloted aircraft," Brennan said.
But anti-drone protesters say drones are not risk free and the deaths of bystanders in Pakistan and elsewhere go largely unreported.
Medea Benjamin fears that Americans could become desensitized to war.
"The biggest ethical 10 problem with drones is that it makes killing 11 too easy," said Benjamin.
For U.S. leaders, armed drones have proven their worth and are the way of the future. Activists 12 want a moratorium 13 until laws catch up with the technology in order to keep it in check.
- He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
- Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。
- Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
- We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。
- 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。
- 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。
- Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.这样的决定势必带来巨大的政治风险。
- This job would entail your learning how to use a computer.这工作将需要你学会怎样用计算机。
- The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
- I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。
- Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
- Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。
- They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
- Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。
- the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
- At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。
- It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
- It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。
- 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。
- His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
- Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
- We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。