VOA慢速英语:Obama's Plan for Troop Cuts in Afghanistan

President Obama says there is enough progress in Afghanistan to remove about one-third of American troops by September of next year. Mr. Obama announced his plan Wednesday night. Earlier that day he spoke to VOA.
奥巴马总统称，在阿富汗已经取得了足够的进展，可以在明年9月之前撤出三分一的美国军队。奥巴马总统在周三晚上宣布了撤军计划。当天早些时候，他接受了VOA的采访。

BARACK OBAMA: "Keep in mind we're talking about ten thousand troops by the end of this year, an additional twenty-three thousand by the end of next summer. And we'll still have sixty-eight thousand US troops there, in addition to all the coalition partner troops. So there is still going to be a substantial presence. But what it does signal is, is that Afghans are slowly taking more and more responsibility."
奥巴马：“请记住，我们要在今年年底之前撤出10,000军队，在明年夏季结束之前再撤出23,000军队。我们仍将有68,000军队在阿富汗，另外还有盟军的部队。所以，阿富汗仍然有大量外国军队驻守。但是，这意味着阿富汗将接管越来越多的安全责任。”

The plan will bring home all of the extra troops he ordered sent to Afghanistan eighteen months ago. They will start leaving in July. And Mr. Obama says American troops will continue coming home as Afghan security forces move into the lead.
奥巴马的计划将使在十八个月前被派往阿富汗的军队全部回国。他们将从7月份开始撤离。奥巴马称，随着阿富汗安全力量逐渐发挥主导作用，美国军队将会陆续回国。

He calls this a phased transition process in a mission that will change from combat to support. This process will be complete by twenty-fourteen, he says, and the Afghan people will be responsible for their own security.
奥巴马表示，这是阶段性的过渡过程，主要任务将从作战改为支持。这个过程将在2014年之前完成，阿富汗人民将为自己的安全形势负责。

Mr. Obama said peace in Afghanistan will require a political settlement which could include the Taliban.
奥巴马称阿富汗的和平要求包括塔利班分子在内的政治问题的解决方案。

BARACK OBAMA: "We will encourage the Afghans, and we ourselves will talk to anybody. But they are going to have to break ties with al-Qaida, they are going to have to pledge to abide by the Afghan constitution and they will have to cease violence as a means of bringing about political power."
奥巴马：“我们将鼓励阿富汗人以及我们自己跟任何一方对话。但是他们必须与基地组织脱离关系，他们必须承诺遵守阿富汗宪法，并且必须停止以暴力活动作为夺取政治权利的方法。”

On the subject of Pakistan, Mr. Obama said he thinks America's relationship "has become more honest over time."
在巴基斯坦问题上，奥巴马表示，他认为随着时间的推移,美国与巴基斯坦的关系已经越来越诚实。

BARACK OBAMA: "And that raises some differences that are real. Obviously, the operation to take out Osama bin Laden created additional tensions, but I had always been very clear to Pakistan that if we ever found him and had a shot, that we would take it."
奥巴马：“我们之间确实存在很大的分歧。很明显，击毙本．拉登的突袭行动使两国之间的紧张形势进一步升级，但是我一直向巴基斯坦明确表示，如果我们发现了本．拉登的踪迹，我们一定会将他击毙。”

American special forces killed the al-Qaida leader in May in a secret raid on the house in Pakistan where he lived for years. President Obama said Pakistan not only has a responsibility, but also a deep interest in dealing with terrorist elements still in its territory.
美国特种部队于5月份对本．拉登藏身多年的巴基斯坦境内一座房屋发动秘密袭击，将其击毙。奥巴马总统称，应对境内的恐怖分子不仅是巴基斯坦的责任，也符合他们的深切利益。

BARACK OBAMA: "But overall, Pakistan has cooperated with us in our intelligence-collection efforts, in striking at high-value targets within Pakistan. We think that no country has suffered more from terrorist attacks than Pakistan."
奥巴马：“但是总体来说，巴基斯坦在情报搜集，以及袭击巴基斯坦境内的目标方面都与美国进行了良好的合作。我们认为，任何一个国家都不像巴基斯坦那样遭受恐怖主义袭击如此严重的危害。”

In his speech this week, Mr. Obama said the removal of troops will start "from a position of strength." He said al-Qaida is under more pressure than at any time since the attacks on the United States on September eleventh, two thousand one.
在他本周的讲话中，奥巴马总统表示，撤军将根据需要逐步进行。他表示，基地组织正面临自2001年美国遭遇9.11恐怖袭击以来最大的压力。

BARACK OBAMA: "The goal that we seek is achievable, and can be expressed simply: No safe haven from which al-Qaida or its affiliates can launch attacks against our homeland or our allies. We won't try to make Afghanistan a perfect place. We will not police its streets or patrol its mountains indefinitely. That is the responsibility of the Afghan government."
奥巴马：“我们追求的目标是可以实现的，简单点说就是：使基地组织及其党羽没有庇护所可以对美国及盟国的国土发动袭击。我们并不将阿富汗作为一个理想的地方。我们不会在他们的街道上部署警察，也不会在他们的山区巡逻。这是阿富汗政府的责任。”

The president said that after ten years of war, America must now invest in its own people.
奥巴马总统称，经过十年的战争之后，美国现在必须投资于本国人民。

BARACK OBAMA: "America, it is time to focus on nation-building here at home."
奥巴马：“美国现在应该将重点放在国家建设方面。”

Some members of Congress want a faster troop withdrawal. Others say a quick withdrawal could threaten progress. A similar debate is said to be taking place among the president’s top advisers.
一些国会议员希望加快撤军的速度。其他人认为过快撤军将对已经取得的进展带来威胁。据称，奥巴马的高级顾问之间也在进行类似的辩论。

The latest Pew opinion survey of Americans found for the first time that a majority say troops should be brought home as soon as possible.
皮尤公司最近进行的民意调查首次发现大部分民众希望军队尽快回国。