2006年VOA标准英语-US Lawmakers Hail Zarqawi Death

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
08 June 2006

Members of Congress are welcoming the death in a U.S. air strike in Iraq of terrorist Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, calling the event a new opportunity for progress in Iraq.    
 

TV cameramen film photograph displayed at press conference in Baghdad, purporting¹ to show body of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi    
  
Lawmakers reacting to the death of Zarqawi praised U.S. military forces,  and expressed hope the development could give Iraq's new government and its people a new chance for peace.

In the House of Representatives, speaker after speaker took to the floor describing Zarqawi as a bloodthirsty terrorist responsible for the brutal² deaths of Iraqis and foreigners.

"I commend U.S. and Iraqi forces for this extraordinary accomplishment," said Mike Pence, a Republican from Indiana.  "The leading enemy of freedom in Iraq is dead.   Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi is gone, let freedom reign³ in Iraq."

House Majority Leader John Boehner spoke⁴ to reporters.

"The elimination⁵ of the terrorist Zarqawi represents another important milestone⁶ achieved for the Iraqi people and the global war on terror.  It is an important tangible⁷ success, and Americans today, I think, are safer as a result," he said.

Other reaction came from House Democrat⁸ leader Nancy Pelosi, who praised U.S. forces for finding Zarqawi as well as the filling of two important posts in the Iraqi government.

Nancy Pelosi (file photo)  
  
"I salute⁹ the efforts of the American troops who worked tirelessly to track down the terrorist Zarqawi," she said. "His death and the naming of the Iraqi defense¹⁰ and interior ministers, should hasten the day when Iraqis take responsibility for their security and American troops can come home."

While there was widespread praise in Congress for U.S. military forces and the intelligence efforts that went into the air strike that killed Zarqawi, some lawmakers used the development to renew calls for a plan to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq.

"We need to declare victory with the Zarqawi killing¹¹ and this is a time too [to] also declare that the Iraqi government has completed the formation of its cabinet and we can start withdrawing our troops," said Diane Watson, a California Democrat.

Asked if it was premature¹² to suggest that the elimination of Zarqawi could help speed the departure of U.S. forces,  House Democratic leader Pelosi said it should be viewed in conjunction with the appointment of Iraqi defense and interior ministers.

That was echoed by Senate Republican Majority Leader Bill Frist.  He said both developments are major steps forward, adding that while major challenges remain he is more optimistic than ever that a free and stable Iraq can be achieved. 
 

John Cornyn (file photo)   
  
There was also this reaction from Senator John Cornyn.

"Our intelligence and military forces have demonstrated their exceptional abilities and reminded us yet again that through patience and resolve we will continue to win the war on terror and advance the cause of freedom around the globe," he said.

The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Congressman Pete Hoekstra, said that while the killing of Zarqawi is a significant step forward in the fight against radical Islam and its campaign of terror, the job is far from complete

1 purporting   

v.声称是…，（装得）像是…的样子( purport的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Cindy Adams (Columnist) : He's purporting to be Mother Teresa. 辛迪？亚当斯（专栏作家）：他无意成为德兰修女。 来自互联网
• To prohibit certain practices purporting to be sales by auction. 本条例旨在对看来是以拍卖方式作出的售卖中某些行为予以禁止。 来自互联网

2 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

3 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。

6 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

7 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

8 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

9 salute   

vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮

参考例句：

• Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
• The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。

10 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

11 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。

12 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。