美国有线新闻 CNN 2012-12-20

 Breaking news tonight, the woman believed to be president Obama's first choice for Secretary of State says no thanks. UN ambassador Susan Rice, she was the one that was caught up in the controversy¹ over her statements following the murder of four Americans in Libya. She's the one, you'll recall, who the president stood up for using some pretty blunt language saying that anyone who's got a problem with her has a problem with him. Instead there won't be a confrontation², because late today ambassador Rice took herself out of contention³ writing to the president that she is honored to be considered for the office saying, quote, "I'm fully⁴ confident that I could serve our country ably, effectively in that role. However, if nominated, I'm now convinced the confirmation⁵ process would be lengthy⁶, disruptive and costly⁷, that trade off is simply not worth it into our country." She said more tonight at NBC news.

 

"Tonight I made the decision that it was the best thing for our country, for the American people that I not continued to be considered by the president for nomination⁸ of Secretary of State because I didn't want to see a confirmation process that was very prolonged, very politicized, very distracting, and very disruptive. Because there are so many things we need to get done. As a country, and the first several months of a second term president's agenda is really the opportunity to get the crucial things done. We're talking about comprehensive immigration reform, balanced deficit⁹ reduction, job creation, that's what matters. And to the extend that my nomination could have delayed or distracted or deflected¹⁰ or maybe even some of these priorities impossible to achieve, I didn't want that. And I'd much prefer to continue doing what I'm doing which is a job I love at the United Nations."

 

President Obama accepted her decision to bow out, calling her an extraordinarily¹¹ capable patriotic¹² and passionate¹³ public servant. Here now with more on what led up to that decision and who's the leading candidate now are Dana Bash, political analyst¹⁴ Gloria Borger and David Gergen.

 

"Dana, what was the pivotal the moment in all this from ambassador Rice?"

 

"No question it was the series of meeting she had a couple of weeks ago here on the Hill. First of all, with her chief foes¹⁵, Rebpulican foes, senator McCain, Graham and Ayotte. But more importantly, it was probably with a Republican who hadn't quite made up her mind, and that is the moderate Republican from Marine¹⁶, Susan Collins. By all accounts, that meeting did not go well at all because according to a source, who's familiar with that meeting, she really didn't want to answer really basic questions and got frustrated¹⁷ and maybe even a little prickly at some of the basic questions. And after that the feeling, even among some Democrats¹⁹ who talked to these Republicans, was they weren't, really weren't sure if she can't handle meetings with the U.S senators, how was she going to be on the world stage representing the U.S there. So that definitely was an issue, there is no question that the president in his statement made clear that he didn't think Susan Rice was treated fairly, there was no question that was politics at play here by Republicans, who were really really angry about Benghazi, and she illustrated²⁰ that, but it was more than that, it was also personality driven because even Democrats think that she is very smart, very capable, but maybe doesn't have the right personality for this job."

 

"Gloria, earlier I heard you say that you think that ambassador Rice probably just underestimated for this club, what did you mean by that?"

 

"Right, well, I spoke²¹ with, that was from a Democrat¹⁸, very close to the White House, who said, the club is very important on Capitol Hill, John Kerry is the leader in that club, John McCain likes him an awful lot and would clearly go along with nomination  also, when traveled up there, she wanted to go up there to talk to these senators. There is a sense from the source that she kind of overestimated²² her ability to woo them over on the question of Benghazi, I mean that was a really big pre-existing condition for her. And as Dana just pointed²³ out, she didn't win over Susan Collins who was quite important to her."

1 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

2 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

3 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

6 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

7 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

8 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

9 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

10 deflected   

偏离的

参考例句：

• The ball deflected off Reid's body into the goal. 球打在里德身上反弹进球门。
• Most of its particles are deflected. 此物质的料子大多是偏斜的。

11 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

12 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

13 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。

14 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

15 foes   

敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They steadily pushed their foes before them. 他们不停地追击敌人。
• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。

16 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

17 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 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。

19 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》

20 illustrated   

adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。
• The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。

21 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

22 overestimated   

对（数量）估计过高，对…作过高的评价( overestimate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They overestimated his ability when they promoted him. 他们提拔他的时候高估了他的能力。
• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。

23 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。