VOA标准英语2009年-Obama To Speak Thursday On Guantanamo, US

President Barack Obama will speak Thursday about his efforts to close the U.S. military detention¹ center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where some terror suspects are held. U.S. lawmakers voted Wednesday to deny Mr. Obama the money to close the prison.
　
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs (undated photo)

The Obama administration describes the address as a "major national security speech." White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says President Obama will discuss, among other things, the steps are needed to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

"He will go through some of the decisions that we have to make, regarding how to close down Guantanamo, something that Democrats² and Republicans alike agree on."

Pictures emerged in 2004, showing abuses of prisoners at Guantanamo," said Robert Gibbs. "Mr. Obama promised during his 2008 presidential campaign to close the prison. In his first days in office, he signed an order to do so, and appointed a task force to look into details.

But the U.S. Senate voted 90 to six on Wednesday to deny the president the money to close the facility. Many senators are worried that the 240 detainees held there could be transferred to prisons in the United States. Gibbs has acknowledged the lawmakers' concerns, and says Mr. Obama's plans for the prisoners are still taking shape.

"The president has not decided³ where some of the detainees will be transferred," he said. "Again, those are decisions that the task forces are working on, and that the president will begin to lay out and discuss tomorrow [Thursday]."

Despite the uncertainty⁴ about the fate of the detainees, Gibbs says the president is committed, above all, to Americans' safety.

"The president understands that his most important job is to keep the American people safe, and that he is not going to make any decision or any judgment⁵ that imperils the safety of the American people," said Gibbs.

Some Republicans say Guantanamo should be kept open, and that abuses there have been ended. They also warn that terrorists who cannot be convicted might be set free in the U.S.

Gibbs says Guantanamo's continued existence is helping⁶ terror groups recruit new members.

Also Wednesday, a federal judge ruled that the U.S. can still hold some prisoners at Guantanamo indefinitely without any charges.

1 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

2 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》

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

5 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。

6 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。