VOA常速英语:Calls Grow For An End to Sexual Assaults in US Military

THE PENTAGON — A recent Pentagon report says the number of sexual assaults among people in the military continues to grow. The estimated number of incidents, ranging from groping to rape, increased by 37 percent last year. Both men and women were victims. This is prompting them, and activists, to push for deep changes in the US military.
五角大楼 — 美国五角大楼最近的一份报告说，军队里的性侵犯事件不断增加。据估计，去年发生的猥亵和强奸案件增长了百分之37，受害者中男女都有。活动人士要求美国军队进行深度改革。
 
More women are on active military duty than ever before. And as their numbers grow, so do the reports of sexual assaults.
美国军队里的现役女军人人数超过以往任何时期，随着女军人人数增加，性侵事件报告也越来越多。
 
Calls to do something about it are growing.
各界要求采取行动的呼声越来越高。
 
“So not only is it a crime, not only is it shameful and disgraceful, but it also is going to make, and has made, the military less effective than it can be. And as such, it is dangerous to our national security," said President Obama.
美国总统奥巴马说：“这不仅是犯罪，不仅是耻辱，也将会削弱部队的战斗力。正因如此，这种行为威胁到我们国家的安全。”
 
Few understand that better than Jenny McClendon, a veteran who was raped by a superior while serving in the U.S. Navy. She now works to advocate change through a group called Protect Our Defenders.
没有人比退伍军人珍妮•麦克伦登更清楚问题的严重性，她在美国海军服役时，遭到上司强奸。麦克伦登加入了一个名叫“保护捍卫国家者”的组织，呼吁改变这种状况。
 
"If you can't trust the people that you're working with to have your best interests at heart, if you can't trust the people that you're working with to not assault you, then you can't trust your unit which means that there's a divided unit," she said.
珍妮•麦克伦登说：“如果跟你一起战斗的人不能以你的利益为重，如果你不能肯定你的战友不会侵犯你，那么你就不能信任你的队伍，也就意味着这是一支四分五裂的队伍。”
 
Women now make up more than 14 percent of the active duty force, and for the military that means new challenges in creating an environment where men and women can work and live in close quarters while maintaining professionalism. 
目前，妇女占美国现役军人的百分之14，这给部队提出了新的挑战，那就是如何创造一个环境，让男女军人在近距离共和生活的条件下，保持专业精神。

The military has tried to combat sexual assault with public service announcements that stress awareness, and training programs that call for sensitivity and an improved reporting system.
军方试图通过发公告提高军人的防控意识，培训军人的敏感度，和改善报告机制，来打击性侵事件。
 
But revelations that some of those in charge of the programs have allegedly been perpetrators could undermine these efforts. Like the case of Colonel Jeffrey Krusinski, head of the Air Force sexual assault prevention and response unit, who is now charged with groping a woman near the Pentagon.
可是这些项目的负责人中，一些人本身就被指控是肇事者，从而破坏了打击性侵的努力。比如空军防范和应对性侵事件的负责人杰弗里•克鲁辛斯基上校就被控在五角大楼附近猥亵妇女。
 
McClendon believes it's time for deep cultural changes. She recalls that while serving 12 years ago, it was acceptable for male soldiers to say they didn't want to work with women.
麦克伦登认为，现在是改变军队文化的时候了。她回想起她在12年前服役时，男军人可以说他们不要和女军人合作。
 
“When that's permitted, you've got a culture that promotes sexual assaults and rape. We need to challenge that paradigm. We need to have people saying we're not going to allow people to not work with women. If you don't want to work with women, you're not working in the military," she said.
麦克伦登说：“允许那样的话，就会形成一种鼓励性侵和强奸的文化。我们必须改变那种模式，我们必须说，不允许有人拒绝和妇女合作。如果你不想和妇女合作，你就别参军。”
 
With an estimated 26,000 assault cases last year, Congress is considering tougher penalties for sexual assaults in the military. Activists welcome those moves.
据估计，去年发生了2万6000起性侵事件，国会正在考虑对军队中的性侵行为采取更严厉的惩罚措施。活动人士对此表示欢迎。
 
McClendon says creating a more diverse, gender-neutral environment in the military will ultimately advance as more women enlist.
麦克伦登说，在军队中创造一个更加多元化和对两性同等对待的环境，最终会鼓励更多妇女入伍。