双语新闻：美国军方完成削减驻伊美军规模

US Military Completes Troop Drawdown in Iraq

美国军方完成削减驻伊美军规模

The U.S. military says the number of U.S. troops in Iraq has dropped below 50,000, meeting a target set for August 31 when American combat operations are due to end.

美国军方说，美国驻伊拉克部队的人数下降到不足5万，正在实现美国军人在8月31号结束在伊拉克的战斗使命的预定目标。

The military announced the completion of the drawdown on Tuesday, about a week before the deadline set by President Barack Obama.

美国军方星期二宣布完成了驻伊美军人数的削减。这比奥巴马总统设定的最后期限提前了一个星期。

The top U.S. commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, told reporters the number of troops in Iraq will stay at the current level of 49,700 through next summer.

美国在伊拉克的最高军事指挥官雷-奥迪尔诺将军星期二对媒体表示，到明年夏天，美国驻伊拉克的军人人数将维持在目前的4万9千7百人。

U.S. forces will now shift to advising and training Iraqi security forces, until the end of 2011, when all U.S. troops must withdraw.

美国军队现在将转向对伊拉克安全部队提供顾问和训练，直到2011年年底，届时所有美国军人都必须全部撤出伊拉克。

The current troop level is the lowest since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. It is less than a third of the peak number of 170,000 troops reached during the surge of 2007.

自从美国于2003年3月领导出兵伊拉克以来，美国驻伊拉克军队的人数目前是最少的，不到2007年增兵伊拉克时达到的17万这个最高人数的三分之一。