英语翻译
Afghanistan--acountryonthebrinkofahumanitariandisaster,alandfilledwithfleeingrefugees,starvingpeople,andturbanedterroristsintrainingcamps.TVpicturestellthestoryofacountryinruinandpoverty,acountrybroughtalmosttototaldestructionbytwentyyearsofwarandstruggle.Yetonce-thoughpoor-thiswasaproudnation,andabeautifulcountry,andonethathadsrvivedmanycenturiesofharshhistory.Nottoolongago,itwasacountryinpeace,andonewitharichculturalheritage…
ApartfromthenationsofEurope,therearefewcountriesintheworldthathaveneverbeenundercolonialrule--oratleastneverinrecenttimes:Afghanistanwasoneofthem.Manycenturiesago,GenghisKhan'stroopsrodedownfromMongolia,mercilesslykillingthemountaintribesmenofAfghanistanwhodaredtoresisttheinvader;butapartfromthishumiliatingperiodintime,theAfghans--whoareinfactamixtureofthreeseparateethnicgroups--haveheldtheirheadshighinthefaceofinvasion.
Thecountrythatisnowatthecentreoftheworld'sattentionwasonceoneoftheworld'sproudestnations,andanationthatothercountriesinvadedattheirownrisk.Inthe19thcenturythearmiesoftheBritishEmpireknewthatAfghanistanwasnotacountrytointerferewith.
Ahundredandtwentyyearsago,in1881,BritishsoldierswerenonethelessstationedintheAfghancapital,Kabul.Theyweretherefortworeasons,firstlytohelpstoptheRussiansfrominvadingthecountry,andsecondlytoensuretheexistenceofanindeppendentbuffer-statebetweentheRussianEmpiretothenorth,andtheBritishEmpireinIndia(modernPakistan)tothesoutheast.
QueenVictoriawouldhavelikedtoaddAfghanistantoherempire,buthersoldierneversucceededinthismission,thoughtheytried,andfailed.In1879,thewholeBritishMission(embassy)inKabul,includingservants,wasmassacredbytheirownking,MohammedYacoub.YacoubwasfriendlytotheBritish,sotheBritishgottheblame.ThestoryoftheKabulMassacrewasremenberedforalongtimebytheBritishinIndia,andrecordedbyseveralVictorianwritersandpoets.