2007年VOA标准英语-US House of Representatives Votes for April 200

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
12 July 2007

The House of Representatives has approved a resolution calling for the withdrawal¹ of most U.S. combat forces from Iraq by April of 2008. VOA's Dan Robinson reports, action by the Democratic-controlled House by a vote of 223 to 201 came as the Senate continues debate on Iraq-related amendments².

The measure demands that most U.S. combat forces leave Iraq by April 1 of next year, with the withdrawal process to begin within 120 days.

President Bush would have to report to Congress on any U.S. forces remaining for what are called limited purposes such as protection of diplomats³ and training Iraqi troops.

Congressman4 Ike Skelton (file photo)" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070714/1052420.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Congressman Ike Skelton (file photo)

Referring to what he called "strategic mistakes" in Iraq, Democratic Congressman Ike Skelton said Congress cannot wait until September, when it is due to receive the next report on Iraq.

"We haven't got time for the waiting game, that is where we are now," said Ike Skelton. "The purpose of this is a matter of readiness, it is a matter of national security, it is a matter that we must face now or else the strain and stretch on our ground forces, particularly our Army and of course the Marines will be beyond repair."

Debate took place against the background of the Bush administration's interim⁵ report on Iraq, which says the Iraqi government made satisfactory progress on just eight of 18 political, military and economic benchmarks.

Republicans sought to put a positive spin on the report, with Congressman Duncan Hunter urging lawmakers not to vote to change policy until the September report from U.S. Iraq commander General David Petraeus.

"This is an attempt once again to stampede a retreat from Iraq, and it is a gratuitous⁶ attempt to do this," said Congressman Hunter.

House Foreign Affairs chairman Tom Lantos suggested that far from demonstrating progress, the administration report on Iraq reflects setbacks.

"With every car bomb that takes civilian⁷ toll⁸, every insurgent's bullet that finds it mark, every roadside explosive that maims or kills one of our own brave men and women in uniform, the sacrifices mount and the result is anything but satisfactory," said Tom Lantos.

Before the final vote, House Republican minority leader John Boehner made a final appeal to lawmakers to vote against the measure, asserting it would embolden⁹ al-Qaida in Iraq, and terrorists around the world.

"This bill we have before us makes our troops pawns¹⁰ in a partisan¹¹ political battle," said Boehner. "I don't think that is what anyone wants. I think this bill undermines General Petraeus, undermines the mission he has to make Iraq and America safe."

Here is the Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi:

"After more than 3,600 lives have been lost to a flawed strategy, we have a responsibility to create a new direction," said Nancy Pelosi. "To those who urge that we wait until September, I say it has been four and a half years and a half trillion dollars at least. We have already waited too long."

This is the second time the House has voted for a specific withdrawal target date. President Bush vetoed legislation approved by the House and Senate earlier this year that tied war funding to a timetable.

The president has promised to veto any new such legislation reaching his desk and would likely have enough support on Capitol Hill to sustain a veto.

In his comments accompanying the release of the interim progress report, President Bush reiterated¹² his view that the U.S. can still succeed in Iraq, urged patience and said he considers history's judgment¹³ of his actions more important than public opinion polls.

1 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。

2 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

3 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

6 gratuitous   

adj.无偿的，免费的；无缘无故的，不必要的

参考例句：

• His criticism is quite gratuitous.他的批评完全没有根据。
• There's too much crime and gratuitous violence on TV.电视里充斥着犯罪和无端的暴力。

7 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。

8 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。

9 embolden   

v.给…壮胆，鼓励

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine,he went over to introduce himself to her.他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• The Prime Minister was steadily emboldened by the discovery that he faced no opposition.发现自己并未遭到反对，首相渐渐有了信心。

10 pawns   

n.（国际象棋中的）兵( pawn的名词复数 )；卒；被人利用的人；小卒v.典当，抵押( pawn的第三人称单数 )；以（某事物）担保

参考例句：

• The hostages are being used as political pawns. 人质正被用作政治卒子。
• The allies would fear that they were pawns in a superpower condominium. 这个联盟担心他们会成为超级大国共管的牺牲品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

12 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

13 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。