Indeed, even before the steep climb in grain prices in 2008, the number of failing states was expanding.

事实上，甚至在2008年粮食价格急剧攀升之前，衰落的国家数量就已经在扩大。

youdao

In the 20th century the main threat to international security was superpower conflict; today it is failing states.

20世纪，国际安全的主要威胁是超级大国之间的冲突，而如今的主要威胁是国家的衰落。

youdao

Strategists have worried about failing states ever since the end of the cold war.

自冷战结束之后，战略家们就对处于衰败的国家忧心忡忡。

youdao

The United States is a nation of failing businesses, closed factories and angry citizens.

VOA: special.2010.06.06

The offensive came after the United States and other western allies criticized the Pakistani military for failing to rein in the extremists.

VOA: standard.2009.09.11

Much of the money will be spent on raising 5, 000 soldiers for a rapid-response brigade, which might add muscle to Mr Martin's support for humanitarian interventions in failing states.

ECONOMIST: Stumbling towards a new world role

It is through this alliance structure with anti-American regimes in Latin America and with sub-national Islamic and narco-terrorist networks in failing states that Iran already constitutes a grave threat to US national security.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Iran's global reach

But Britain faces a wider range of diffuse threats among them terrorism, chaos in fragile and failing states, proliferation of nuclear and other technology, international crime, attacks through cyberspace and even instability due to climate change.

ECONOMIST: Future defence policy