2007年VOA标准英语-Iraq Dominates Early Phase of US 2008 President

By Jim Malone
Washington
14 March 2007

The war in Iraq continues to dominate the early phase of the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. VOA national correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington.

The differences over Iraq among presidential contenders from both major parties were on display at a candidate's forum¹ held by the International Association of Fire Fighters in Washington.

The Democratic candidates who spoke² generally focused on how the United States can eventually withdraw its troops from Iraq over the next year or two.

 
Barack Obama (file photo)
"We should not be sending more troops to Iraq. We should be bringing them home. It is time to find an end to this war. And that is why I have a plan that will begin withdrawing our troops from Iraq on May 1st of this year with the goal of removing all of our combat forces from the country by March of 2008," said Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.

Obama is mounting a strong challenge to the frontrunner in the Democratic presidential field, New York Senator Hillary Clinton.

Clinton told the firefighters that it is time for Iraq's military to assert itself and take on the brunt of the fighting.

"We cannot end this war for them. If they are not going to stand up and take responsibility, we should not lose another American life. We should end this escalation³ now!," she said.

The Republican presidential contenders who addressed the firefighters were much more supportive of President Bush and the recent U.S. troop surge into Iraq.

 
John McCain (file photo)

Arizona Senator John McCain warned of the consequences of a quick withdrawal⁴ of U.S. forces from Iraq.

"The hour is late, but we must try. We must. If we fail in Iraq, the damage to our interests and the repercussions⁵ we will confront will be so serious that we could be drawn⁶ into a wider and more terrible war," he said.

McCain said he is cautious, but encouraged, by the impact of the troop surge in Baghdad, which he said is having some success in reducing sectarian violence.

McCain's view was echoed by another Republican contender, California Congressman⁷ Duncan Hunter, who recently visited Iraq.

"We are being successful in Iraq if we continue to stand up the Iraqi military, and I think that this government that is in place right now will hold," he said.

All those who spoke paid tribute to the military veterans who have served in Iraq and promised to provide better health care for returning soldiers if elected.

About 1,000 members of the firefighters union are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and union leaders as well as rank and file members have expressed anger about the recent revelations of poor outpatient care for veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the nation's capital.

1 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。

2 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。

3 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

4 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。

5 repercussions   

n.后果，反响( repercussion的名词复数 )；余波

参考例句：

• The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry. 这家公司的垮台将会给整个行业造成间接的负面影响。
• Human acts have repercussions far beyond the frontiers of the human world. 人类行为所产生的影响远远超出人类世界的范围。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

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。