2007年VOA标准英语-Bush Gets Progress Report From Iraq

By Paula Wolfson
White House
17 September 2007

President Bush and members of his national security team conferred via video teleconference Monday with U.S. reconstruction¹ and military officials in Iraq. VOA White House correspondent Paula Wolfson has details.

Defense2 Secretary Robert Gates (r), during video conference" hspace="2" src="http://www.wwenglish.com/up06/2007/09/20601/16.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

President Bush (l) accompanied by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (center), and Defense Secretary Robert Gates (r), during video conference

President Bush leaves no doubt he is pleased with the news he got from U.S. personnel in Baghdad, Fallujah and Wasit province.

"For the week of September 8th to 15th, attack levels across Iraq are the lowest they have been since January of 2006, which of course is the time prior to the [Golden Mosque³ of] Sammara bombing," said President Bush.

Mr. Bush says, all in all, there is reason to be confident of success.

"When you combine that with grass roots efforts that our provincial⁴ reconstruction teams are making, you begin to get a sense of why I am confident we can succeed in Iraq," he said.

The president and his top national security aides gathered in a White House conference room for the briefing from Iraq. They were surrounded by television screens showing their briefers. Half were military men in uniform, half were reconstruction workers in civilian⁵ clothes.

Mr. Bush told them their combined efforts are making a difference.

"I look forward to further discussions with those who actually see the progress that is taking place, with those who are living amongst the people and report first hand that the success that was reported on by General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker is happening on a daily basis," he said.

Last Thursday, the president announced he was accepting a plan for a modest troop drawdown put forward by General David Petraeus, his top commander in Iraq. Mr. Bush stressed as more progress is made, more American soldiers will be heading home.

But congressional critics remain skeptical⁶. And no one has been more adamant⁷ in his opposition⁸ to the war than Democrat⁹ John Murtha of Pennsylvania.

During an appearance at the National Press Club in Washington, Murtha challenged the report General Petraeus delivered to Congress last week.

"The lessons of history are clear," he said. "There is a limitation to military power. Economic and political and diplomatic challenges must be solved. They cannot be solved by military means and they shouldn't be distorted by rhetoric¹⁰."

Murtha acknowledged that while Democrats¹¹ are in the majority they still lack the vote margin¹² they need in the Senate to pass legislation that would accelerate U.S. troop reductions beyond the figure announced by the president.

While Congress will take up a new Iraq war supplemental funding request soon, Murtha said he expects it won't be until next year after key U.S. presidential primary contests that Republicans will begin to part ways with President Bush's Iraq policies in greater numbers.

1 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

4 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

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 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

7 adamant   

adj.坚硬的，固执的

参考例句：

• We are adamant on the building of a well-off society.在建设小康社会这一点上，我们是坚定不移的。
• Veronica was quite adamant that they should stay on.维罗妮卡坚信他们必须继续留下去。

8 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

9 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

10 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

11 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》

12 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。