2007年VOA标准英语-Tony Blair Steps Down With Mixed Legacy After 1

By Sonja Pace
London
22 June 2007

British Prime Minister Tony Blair steps down June 27th after a decade in power during which he re-energized his Labor¹ Party, embarked² on an interventionist foreign policy and forged ever-closer ties with the United States.  But, as Mr. Blair hands over the reins⁴ of power one damaging decision follows him out of office, his unfailing support for the war in Iraq. VOA's Sonja Pace takes a look at the Blair legacy⁵ in this report from London.

Tony Blair (File)

He burst onto the political stage - 43 years old - charismatic, smiling, articulate and full of energy to take Britain into the 21st Century.

After a sweeping⁶ election victory in 1997, Tony Blair promised a new direction.

"You, the British people have given us the chance to serve you," said Mr. Blair.  "You have put your trust in us and we say to you - we shall repay that trust for you. We govern for you."

He promised to revitalize the country with a dynamic, efficient approach more in tune⁷ with the new global economy. He vowed⁸ more effective social programs and brought a new, relaxed style to Number 10 Downing Street.

But, it wasn't just style and an ability to connect with average people that made Tony Blair popular. Blair biographer Anthony Seldon says it was also plain political skill.

"He won more elections than any other Labor prime minister, he changed the face of the Labor Party, he produced peace in Northern Ireland after many years of fighting," he noted⁹.

The Northern Ireland peace process of 1998 came to fruition less than two months ago with the formation of a unity¹⁰ Catholic-Protestant government for the province.  Mr. Blair was in Belfast to clinch¹¹ the deal.

Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair (r) and Ireland's Prime Minister Bertie Ahern

"Northern Ireland was synonymous with conflict," he said.  "People felt that it could not be done, indeed sometimes that it should not be done, that the compromises involved were too ugly. Yet in the end, it was done and this holds a lesson for conflict everywhere."

Dealing¹² with conflicts near and abroad became a cornerstone of Mr. Blair's interventionist foreign policy. In 1999 - he argued forcefully for the international community to intervene in Kosovo. And, Britain's military intervention³ in the West African nation of Sierra Leone in 2000 is credited with helping¹³ bring to an end a brutal¹⁴ civil war there.

Mr. Blair won a landslide¹⁵ second term in office in 2001, but then the world changed on September 11.

"The full horror of what has happened in the United States earlier today is now becoming clearer," he said.  "It is hard even to contemplate¹⁶ the utter carnage and terror which has engulfed¹⁷ so many innocent people."

Mr. Blair stood with U.S. President George Bush, forging ever-closer ties between London and Washington. He was instrumental in making the case for action against al-Qaida in Afghanistan and went along willingly into Iraq.

George Bush, Tony Blair at White House press conference, July 28, 2006

"Oh, he was completely willing," added Anthony Seldon.  "He was convinced that British interests would best be served by getting right up close to the White House, working very closely with the president, seeing him often, having weekly conferences on video with the president and that this would best exert British influence."

While Mr. Blair is widely credited with having tempered the Bush administration's go-it-alone approach in the early preparations for Iraq, he has been harshly criticized for not being able to influence how the war and the aftermath were handled.

Michael Brown, former conservative member of parliament and now political columnist¹⁸ for the Independent newspaper, tells VOA, Iraq was Tony Blair's biggest mistake.

"His enduring legacy, in terms of British public life, will, I'm afraid be Iraq," he noted.  "Iraq will be engraved¹⁹ on Tony Blair's political tombstone when the history books of his premiership are written."

Iraq took its toll²⁰ on Mr. Blair's popularity and still - he won a third term in office in 2005, even though the Labor party took a beating. Then in July terrorist attacks on London's transport system claimed the lives of 52 commuters.

Speculation²¹ was rife²² that Tony Blair would not last to the next election scheduled for 2010.  That speculation proved correct.

"Today, I announce my decision to step down from the leadership of the Labor Party," he said. "Hand on heart, I did what I thought was right.  I may have been wrong, but believe one thing if nothing else, I did what I thought was right for our country."

It is too early to tell how Tony Blair will eventually be remembered, but for now Iraq casts a long shadow over his legacy.

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 embarked   

乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
• She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。

3 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

4 reins   

感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带

参考例句：

• She pulled gently on the reins. 她轻轻地拉着缰绳。
• The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods. 政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。

5 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

6 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

7 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

8 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

11 clinch   

v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench

参考例句：

• Clinch the boards together.用钉子把木板钉牢在一起。
• We don't accept us dollars,please Swiss francs to clinch a deal business.我方不收美元，请最好用瑞士法郎来成交生意。

12 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

13 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

14 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。

15 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

16 contemplate   

vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视

参考例句：

• The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate.战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。
• The consequences would be too ghastly to contemplate.后果不堪设想。

17 engulfed   

v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was engulfed by a crowd of reporters. 他被一群记者团团围住。
• The little boat was engulfed by the waves. 小船被波浪吞没了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

19 engraved   

v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中）

参考例句：

• The silver cup was engraved with his name. 银杯上刻有他的名字。
• It was prettily engraved with flowers on the back. 此件雕刻精美，背面有花饰图案。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

21 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

22 rife   

adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的

参考例句：

• Disease is rife in the area.疾病在这一区很流行。
• Corruption was rife before the election.选举之前腐败盛行。