2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Asks for Patience as Iraq War Enters 5th Y

By Sean Maroney
Washington
20 March 2007
 
watch Maroney report

Four years ago this week American forces and their coalition¹ partners invaded Iraq and quickly deposed² Saddam Hussein.  Today, the country is torn by sectarian violence.  Insurgents³ and militia⁴ groups continue to attack U.S. and Iraqi troops, as well as the civilian⁵ population.  At the same time, many Americans are divided on whether U.S. troops should stay or leave the country.  VOA's Sean Maroney reports on the divisive war and reaction to it by Americans.

Four years to the day that President Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq to begin, the president addressed the American people from the White House, asking for more patience.

 
George W. Bush speech on Iraq war anniversary, 19 March 2007
"It can be tempting⁶ to look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude our best option is to pack up and go home,” President Bush said.  “That may be satisfying in the short run, but I believe the consequences for American security would be devastating⁷."

In the four years since "Operation: Shock and Awe," Iraq has struggled to find stability.  Mounting attacks by insurgents and al Qaida terrorists, as well as suicide bombings, have strained the country and its people almost to a breaking point.

President Bush has pledged nearly 22,000 additional U.S. troops to secure Baghdad and Iraq's troubled al-Anbar Province.  Nearly one-half have already been deployed⁸.

With more than 3200 U.S. troops killed in Iraq so far, opinion polls show many Americans believe the war was a mistake and want the troops to come home within the next 12 months.

Recent protests in the United States and abroad have counted down the days leading up to the war's anniversary.

 
Cindy Sheehan (file photo)
Anti-war activist⁹ Cindy Sheehan addressed a crowd of thousands outside the Pentagon [near Washington D.C.] on Saturday.  Sheehan's son was killed while serving in Iraq.  She invoked¹⁰ the memory of another demonstration¹¹ outside the U.S. military headquarters decades ago against the Vietnam War.

"Forty years ago, there was a march on the Pentagon,” Sheehan said.  “And here we are, 40 years later, marching on the Pentagon in another illegal and immoral¹² war.  When is it going to stop?"

Other anti-war activists¹³ and some veterans also took the stage, calling on the Bush administration to change course. 

"I will be brutally¹⁴ honest, it is insane to believe that more of the same will end it,” one Iraq war veteran said.  “Our clever signs, our passionate¹⁵ speeches and our large crowds alone -- if that could end the war, we would not be here today."

Still other protesters demonstrated in favor of the U.S. policy in Iraq.  For them, the anti-war protests are a move in the wrong direction.  Jane Johnson has a son deployed in Afghanistan. She also had a 22-year-old son killed while serving in Baghdad.

"To me, they are basically spitting on my son's grave," Johnson said.

Juan Torres helped lead the anti-war protesters during Saturday's march in Washington.  His son also died while deployed overseas. "I come from Argentina to this beautiful country for my American dream,” Torres said.  “And my American dream is destroyed forever.  My only son is dead now.  This is why I came here.  Because I don't want to see any more kids die."

The House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on an emergency war spending bill. Democrats¹⁶ control the House and want to set a deadline for the removal of troops from Iraq.

President Bush has promised to veto the bill. He says any timeline would break U.S. commitments to Iraqis.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 deposed   

v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证

参考例句：

• The president was deposed in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被废黜。
• The head of state was deposed by the army. 国家元首被军队罢免了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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

4 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 tempting   

a.诱人的, 吸引人的

参考例句：

• It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。
• It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。

7 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

8 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。

9 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

10 invoked   

v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求

参考例句：

• It is unlikely that libel laws will be invoked. 不大可能诉诸诽谤法。
• She had invoked the law in her own defence. 她援引法律为自己辩护。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

12 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。

13 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 brutally   

adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地

参考例句：

• The uprising was brutally put down.起义被残酷地镇压下去了。
• A pro-democracy uprising was brutally suppressed.一场争取民主的起义被残酷镇压了。

15 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

16 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》