2007年VOA标准英语-US House of Representatives Holds 2nd Day of De

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
14 February 2007

A second day of debate gets underway Wednesday in the U.S. House of Representatives on President Bush's Iraq strategy. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill.

House lawmakers will spend another full day making floor statements in the first major debate on Iraq since Democrats¹ won control of Congress in last November's election.

The dividing lines over the short non-binding resolution expressing disapproval² of the president's additional troop deployment³ to Iraq are clear.

Democrats say Congress must re-assert its role on the Iraq issue, and chart a new direction that will result in bringing U.S. troops home.

Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi is the Democratic House Speaker:

"Friday's vote will signal whether the House has heard the American people," said Nancy Pelosi. "No more blank checks for President Bush on Iraq."

The resolution, which also states that Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect U.S. troops, is derided⁴ by Republicans as political theater.

Minority leader John Boehner asserts Democrats are essentially⁵ criticizing the mission of U.S. troops, and playing into the hands of al-Qaida and insurgents⁶ in Iraq:

"Because they cannot defeat Americans on the battlefield, al-Qaida and terrorist sympathizers around the world are trying to divide us here at home," said John Boehner.

Democrats reject Republican assertions the debate merely paves the way for legislation to cut off funding for U.S. troops.

But as Massachusetts Democratic Congressman⁷ Ed Markey sees it, it should mark the beginning of the end for the president's poorly-executed policies in Iraq:

"This debate marks the beginning of the end of the ill-conceived, mis-managed and ultimately failed wear in Iraq," said Ed Markey.

California Republican Duncan Hunter, says the resolution amounts to an attempt to interfere⁸ the president's management the war in Iraq:

"The resolution today is about the exact number of troops," he said. "Will the one tomorrow or next week be a vote on which block in Baghdad to target, or which car to stop?"

Democratic-controlled committees are preparing legislation that would link money requested by the president for Iraq to requirements that military units be adequately prepared, in training and equipment, before they can be deployed⁹.

House Speaker Pelosi says a vote of disapproval when the debate ends on Friday would "set the stage" for such action.

Until Friday, it won't be known how many Republicans cross party lines to join Democrats in disapproving¹⁰ of President Bush's troop surge.

A similar debate in the U.S. Senate has been blocked by procedural disputes between Democrats and Republicans.

1 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》

2 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

3 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

4 derided   

v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His views were derided as old-fashioned. 他的观点被当作旧思想受到嘲弄。
• Gazing up to the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity. 我抬头疑视着黑暗，感到自己是一个被虚荣心驱使和拨弄的可怜虫。 来自辞典例句

5 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

6 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

7 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

8 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

9 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

10 disapproving   

adj.不满的，反对的v.不赞成( disapprove的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Mother gave me a disapproving look. 母亲的眼神告诉我她是不赞成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her father threw a disapproving glance at her. 她父亲不满地瞥了她一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》