访谈录 2008-01-25&01-27, 布什口误集锦——总统先生傻了吗

First, former pop star Linda Ronstadt, you remember,"You're no good, you know, you're, you are no good, baby, you're no good. Well, Linda has joined the long list of celebrities¹ and other public figures who berated² President Bush for his lack of intelligence. But it is not just singers and movie stars who are suggesting that George Bush's mental weakness is damaging America‘s credibility at home and abroad.
Ronstadt said this earlier: “The Dixie Chicks said they were embarrassed he was from Texas...Well I‘m embarrassed George Bush is from the United States [The president] is an idiot.He's enormously incompetent³, on both sides, on both of the domestic and international scenes.”

That is, no doubt, a sentiment that is shared in some of the capitals of our friends and foes⁴ alike. Maybe because the president has such a long history of public gaffes⁵, but is that evidence that George W. Bush is stupid or just inarticulate.

Take a look, and decide for yourself.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think tide turning, see, as I remember, I was raised in the desert, but tides cannot turn—it is easy to see a tide turned. Did I say those words?

No question that the enemy has tried to spread sectarian violence.And they use violence as a tool to do that.

We need an energy bill that encourages consumption.

Our enemies are innovative⁶ and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people. And neither do we; we must never stop thinking about how best to defend our country.

I am the decider, and I decide what is best.

The United States of America is engaged in a war against an extremist group of folks.

Families is where our nation finds hope; where wings take dream.

If you don't stand up for anything, you don't stand up for – anything.

If you don't stand for something, you don't stand for anything.

Fool me once, shame on you—it fooled me—we can‘t get fooled again.

In my State of the—my State of the Union—our state, my speech to the nation, whatever you want to call it.

At the high school level and find out that the literacy level of our children are appalling⁷.

I hear there is rumors⁸ on the Internets that we are gonna have a draft.

You are working hard to put food on your family.

I know that human being and fish can coexist peacefully.

Tribal⁹ sovereignty means that, it's sovereign. I mean, you're a—you're a -

you have been given sovereignty, and you are viewed as—a sovereign entity¹⁰. And, therefore, the relationship between the federal government and tribes is one between sovereign entities¹¹.

They (misunderstand...)underestimate the compassion¹² of our country. I think they (misunderstood) underestimated the will and determination of the commander in chief, too.

1 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

2 berated   

v.严厉责备，痛斥( berate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Marion berated Joe for the noise he made. 玛丽昂严厉斥责乔吵吵闹闹。 来自辞典例句
• It berated Mussolini for selling out to Berlin. 它严厉谴责了墨索里尼背叛、投靠柏林的行径。 来自辞典例句

3 incompetent   

adj.无能力的，不能胜任的

参考例句：

• He is utterly incompetent at his job.他完全不能胜任他的工作。
• He is incompetent at working with his hands.他动手能力不行。

4 foes   

敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They steadily pushed their foes before them. 他们不停地追击敌人。
• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。

5 gaffes   

n.失礼，出丑( gaffe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The presidential candidate made three mistakes, or gaffes, during his speech. 校长候选人在演讲中出了三次错，或失态。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• When the microphones were on, gaffes gushed from his lips. 而当电话响起，他却口无遮拦，屡屡失言。 来自互联网

6 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

7 appalling   

adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

8 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

10 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

11 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

12 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。