VOA常速英语2007年-US Candidates for President Debate Torture, Pub

By Jim Fry
Washington
05 December 2007
 

Two Republican Party candidates for U.S. president disagreed sharply last week on the use a controversial interrogation technique known as waterboarding. While much of the campaign focuses on domestic issues, candidates also talk about Iraq and illegal immigration. The dispute over torture came in a debate in the southern U.S. state of Florida. VOA's Jim Fry updates us on prominent foreign policy issues of the past two weeks.

As Republican candidates for U.S. president campaign in states that will make their selections as early as next month, the foreign policy debate often has focused on illegal immigration.

Many conservative Republicans favor tougher security at the nation's southwestern border. Much of the disagreement involves whether illegal immigrants or their children should receive government services.

At their first debate in nearly two months, Republican candidates did argue over immigration. But in the Florida event, one of the sharpest exchanges involved an issue many say has hurt the U.S. international image -- torture.

A questioner asked whether the candidates would favor banning the interrogation technique known as waterboarding, which simulates drowning.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt¹ Romney would not commit. He expresses his view, "I oppose torture. I would not be in favor of torture in any way, shape or form."

Question: "Is waterboarding torture?"

Romney: "As I just said, as a presidential candidate I don't think its wise for us to describe specifically which measures we would and would not use."

John McCain (once a prisoner of war in Vietnam): "Well governor, I'm astonished that you haven't found out what waterboarding is."

Romney: "I know what waterboarding is, senator."

McCain: "Then I'm astonished that you would think such a torture would be inflicted² on anyone who we held captive and anyone could believe that that's not torture. We're not going to do what Pol Pot did. We're not going to do what's being done to Burmese monks³ as we speak

Questions turned to public diplomacy⁴, a question that former New York Mayor Rudi Giuliani answered.

Question: "What would you do as president to repair the image of America in the eyes of the Muslim world?"

Giuliani: "Well, the most important thing to do is to make certain we remain on offense⁵ against Islamic terrorism."

The Republican candidates focused on military strength and the Iraq war, rather than diplomacy.

McCain: "Well, I'd do a lot of things but the first and most important and vital element is to continue this surge which is succeeding and we are winning the war in Iraq."

Public opinion polls show Americans regard conduct of the war more favorably, and the leading Democrats⁷ favor a policy leading to withdrawal⁸.

Senator Hillary Clinton explained to voters in South Carolina. She said, "But there is no military solution. The Iraqi government has failed politically and the Bush administration has failed diplomatically."

Another leading Democrat⁶, Senator Barak Obama, hosted a foreign policy forum⁹ last week in New Hampshire. Obama's event featured his advisers¹¹ who dispute claims Obama is inexperienced in world affairs.

The National Security Adviser¹⁰ under President Clinton, Tony Lake, said, "His experience, it seems to me, is greater -- even the classic kind of experience -- is greater than Bill Clinton's when he ran for president, than the current president, than Ronald Reagan, than Jimmy Carter. I could go on and on."

Obama: "The fact that all these former Clintonites are supporting me indicates their confidence in my ability to bring about changes in foreign policy that we need."

Voters in Iowa and New Hampshire will vote on their preferences for the political party nominations¹² in early January.

Video footage courtesy of CNN

1 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

2 inflicted   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。

3 monks   

n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
• He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

5 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

6 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。

7 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

9 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。

10 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

11 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

12 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句