VOA标准英语2014--Afghanistan Continues to Be Hub of Poppy Cultivation 阿富汗仍是罂粟的重要产地
时间:2019-01-14 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2014年(二月)
Afghanistan Continues to Be Hub of Poppy Cultivation 1 阿富汗仍是罂粟的重要产地
A recent U.S. government report notes that more Afghan land is under poppy cultivation today than it was under the Taliban in 2002. Demand for drugs, especially on the streets of rich countries, and the poor economic and security situation in Afghanistan are often cited by experts as the reasons for the failure of the fight to combat poppy cultivation.
Afghanistan produced close to 90 percent of the world’s opium 2 in 2013. The drug not only affects the local population but also finds its way to more affluent 3 markets in Western countries.
Speaking on a VOA Afghan Service program, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister for Counter-Narcotics 4 Mohammad Ibrahim Azhar said his country needed international support to combat the drug problem.
"Drugs in Afghanistan are not only a problem for our country. They are a problem for the whole world. Increased demand for drugs in foreign countries is a big challenge for us, and Afghanistan cannot continue its fight against drugs all by itself," he said.
The United States has spent $10 billion since 2002 to combat poppy production and encourage Afghan farmers to plant alternative crops. But a recent report by the Special Inspector 5 General for Afghanistan Reconstruction 6 indicates that these efforts have not succeeded in curbing 7 poppy cultivation. Still -- steps such as taking down drug labs, arresting traffickers and capturing money through money laundering 8 efforts were positive signs that should not be ignored, said William Brownfield, Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
"Cultivation is one of many elements. I would suggest to you that the bigger picture is a much more positive picture in terms of counternarcotic efforts in Afghanistan," he said.
Later this year, the United States will withdraw its combat troops from Afghanistan. Some experts said there were signs that U.S. interest in Afghanistan would diminish. That would be bad for counter-narcotics efforts in the country, said Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundation.
"Just a couple of weeks ago, the U.S. Congress slashed 9 its development funding for Afghanistan in half. That shows that aid programs writ 10 large are going to be cut back, and counter narcotics will fall in that category. So, I think we are going to see less of a focus on counter-narcotics," said Curtis.
But Brownfield said the United States continued to be committed to Afghanistan.
"I know that we will continue to support the programs that are designed to provide alternative development, that are designed to support governor-led eradication 11, that are designed to improve investigation 12, or to improve interdiction 13 with specialized 14 units, programs that are designed to do more prosecution 15 and successful prosecution, or programs for education, treatment or rehabilitation," he said.
Experts believe that, to effectively combat the opium cultivation problem, the world will have to come down hard on the demand side -- because as long as there is demand, there will be supply from somewhere.
- 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。
- 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。
- He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
- His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。
- 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》
- The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
- The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。
- 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。
- Progress has been made in curbing inflation. 在控制通货膨胀方面已取得了进展。
- A range of policies have been introduced aimed at curbing inflation. 为了抑制通货膨胀实施了一系列的政策。
- Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering. 洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He was charged with laundering money. 他被指控洗钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
- He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- This is a copy of a writ I received this morning.这是今早我收到的书面命令副本。
- You shouldn't treat the newspapers as if they were Holy Writ. 你不应该把报上说的话奉若神明。
- The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
- This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。
- In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
- He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。
- the Customs Service's drug interdiction programs 海关的毒品查禁方案
- In addition to patrol duty, blastboats are dispatched for planetary defense and interdiction missions. 除了例行巡逻,炮艇还被赋予行星防御和封锁的任务。
- There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
- These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。
- The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
- He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。