2006年VOA标准英语-Top Shi'ite Cleric Rejects UN Calls for Interna

By Margaret Besheer
Irbil, Iraq
02 December 2006

A powerful Iraqi Shi'ite cleric has dismissed a United Nations call for an international conference on Iraq.  Abdul Aziz al-Hakim says it is unreasonable¹ to discuss issues pertaining² to his country in an international forum³ when they should be discussed at home. Meanwhile, violence continued, with at least 40 people killed and more than 80 wounded in three car bombings in Baghdad.  From northern Iraq, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

 
Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim at the King Hussein mosque⁴ in Amman, Jordan, 1 Dec. 2006
Speaking in Amman, Jordan, before heading to Washington for a Monday meeting with President Bush, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim said Iraq does not need outside help.

He says Iraq has a political process, and its government is one of the strongest in the region, thanks to its popular base of 12 million voters.

Hakim's comments were in response to a suggestion Thursday from U.N.-Secretary General Kofi Annan that an international peace conference could provide a forum for bringing all of Iraq's feuding⁵ factions⁶ together.

Abdul Aziz al-Hakim is the leader of the powerful Supreme⁷ Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq, and his influence is evident in President Bush's invitation for him to visit the White House.

The Supreme Council has close ties to Iran, and its military wing, the Badr Brigades, fought against Saddam Hussein's army in the eight-year war between the two countries in the 1980s. Today, the Badr Brigades is one of the militias⁸ blamed for carrying out sectarian attacks against Sunni Arabs.

Abdul Aziz al-Hakim and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki are both Shi'ites, but they are not close.  When Mr. Maliki was put forth⁹ as a candidate for prime minister, Hakim did not support him, and, instead, fielded his own nominee¹⁰.

The meeting with Hakim is part of increased White House efforts on the diplomatic front to steer¹¹ Iraq away from escalating¹² violence and all out civil war.

 
An ambulance rushes from the site following an attack in central Baghdad, 2 Dec. 2006
 
Violence continued unabated Saturday. In addition to the car bombs, authorities say gunmen killed an Interior Ministry¹³ official in the Jadida district of Baghdad, and gunmen also opened fire on a funeral procession near the town of Khalis, killing¹⁴ two Shi'ites.

On Thursday, Mr. Bush met with Prime Minister Maliki in Jordan, and next month he will meet with Iraq's Sunni Arab vice¹⁵ president, Tariq al-Hashemi.

Wednesday, a bipartisan U.S. panel is expected to present its recommendations of how to move forward in Iraq, including talks with Iran and Syria.

 
President Bush
Speaking of his recent meeting with Mr. Maliki, President Bush said Saturday he was impressed by the Iraqi leader's desire to make difficult choices that would put his country on a better path.

"Our goal in Iraq is to help Prime Minister Maliki build a country that is united, where the rule of law prevails and the rights of minorities are respected," said Mr. Bush.

In his weekly radio address, the president also said he recognizes that the recent violence in Iraq has been "unsettling."  But he warned that failure in Iraq would embolden¹⁶ extremists who hate America and derail democracy in the Middle East.

1 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

2 pertaining   

与…有关系的，附属…的，为…固有的(to)

参考例句：

• Living conditions are vastly different from those pertaining in their country of origin. 生活条件与他们祖国大不相同。
• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school. 视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。

3 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

4 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

5 feuding   

vi.长期不和（feud的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Riccardo and Cafiero had been feuding so openly that the whole town knew about it. 里卡多和卡菲埃罗一直公开地闹别扭，全城的人都知道此事。 来自辞典例句
• The two families have been feuding with each other for many generations. 这两个家族有好多代的世仇了。 来自互联网

6 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

7 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

8 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

9 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

10 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

11 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

12 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

13 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

14 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

15 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

16 embolden   

v.给…壮胆，鼓励

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine,he went over to introduce himself to her.他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• The Prime Minister was steadily emboldened by the discovery that he faced no opposition.发现自己并未遭到反对，首相渐渐有了信心。