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U.S. Vice¹ President Dick Cheney paid a visit to Baghdad just before the five-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The vice president hailed progress in Iraq and promised continued support from Washington. Meanwhile, a female suicide bomber² has killed 40 people and wounded more than 70 near a Shi'ite shrine³ in Karbala.

美国副总统切尼在以美国为首的联军攻打伊拉克五周年前夕访问了巴格达。切尼高度赞扬在伊拉克取得的进展，并保证华盛顿将继续给予支持。

Vice President Cheney arrived in Baghdad for meetings with Iraqi officials.

切尼副总统抵达巴格达后，和伊拉克官员举行了会谈。

Cheney met with Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The two discussed the situation in Iraq, regional security, and bilateral⁴ relations.

切尼会见了伊拉克总理马利基，双方讨论了伊拉克的局势、区域安全以及双边关系。

The vice president was a key architect of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. He said his visit was to send President Bush's thanks and to reaffirm an "unwavering commitment" from the U.S. to Iraq's future.

切尼是美国领导的攻打伊拉克战争的关键设计者。他说，他的访问是为了转达布什总统的感谢，同时再次重申美国对伊拉克的未来所作的不可动摇的承诺。

"It is especially significant, I think, to be able to return this week as we mark the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the campaign that liberated⁵ the people of Iraq from Saddam Hussein's tyranny and launched them on the difficult but historic road to democracy," he said.

切尼说：“我认为在美国发动攻势打击伊拉克即将五周年的时候，这个星期能够返回此地具有特别的意义。我们的攻伊战争解放了在萨达姆暴政统治下的伊拉克人民，使他们走上了艰难但是历史性的民主道路。”

Tens of thousands of Iraqis and more than 4,000 U.S.-led coalition⁶ troops have died since the 2003 overthrow⁷ of Saddam Hussein in ongoing⁸ violence across the country.

自从2003年推翻萨达姆以后在伊拉克全国各地不断出现的暴力事件中，已经有几万名伊拉克人以及4千多名美国领导的联军部队军人丧失了生命。

But Mr. Cheney said since his last visit 10 months ago he saw phenomenal changes in Iraq in security and political developments.

不过切尼副总统说，自从他10个月前访问伊拉克以来，他看到了伊拉克在安全和政治发展方面取得的巨大的变化。

The U.S. military says violent attacks have dropped by 60 percent since June.

美国军方说，暴力袭击事件和6月份相比已经降低了60%。

Also, Iraq this year passed several long-delayed laws seen as important for fostering trust between Iraq's Shiites, Sunnis, and various ethnic⁹ groups, as well as the central and local governments.

另外，伊拉克今年通过了几个长期搁置的法案，它们被认为是伊拉克什叶派和逊尼派、各种族群以及中央政府和地方政府之间增加互信的重要法案。

But other laws seen as important in that regard, one on provincial¹⁰ elections and another on sharing oil revenues, have yet to be passed.

但是其它也被认为是重要的法案，一个省级选举以及一个分享石油收入的法案，还没有获得通过。

Mr. Maliki said the two leaders also discussed negotiations¹¹ over future diplomatic and military relations. He thanked the vice president for U.S. recognition and support of Iraq's achievements. He says the frequency of these visits by the vice president are very important and that they cement and support the relationship between the two countries and the success that they have achieved in Iraq in the global war against terrorism. He says it is very important to have these meetings and these successes.

马利基总理说，两国领导人还讨论了双方就未来外交和军事关系问题举行的谈判。他就美国对伊拉克成就的认可与支持向切尼表示感谢。马利基说，副总统的这种访问频率是非常重要的。他说，这些访问加强并支持了两国之间的关系，巩固并支持了在全球反恐战争中伊拉克所取得的成就。他说，举行这种会谈和取得这些成就是非常重要的。

Cheney's surprise visit coincided with one by presidential candidate and U.S. Senator, John McCain, who arrived Sunday. McCain is in Iraq to assess the recent security gains, which are still considered fragile.

切尼出人意外的访问正巧和总统候选人、美国参议员约翰.麦凯恩的访问同时出现。麦凯恩是星期天抵达巴格达的。麦凯恩到伊拉克是来评估最近在安全上取得的进展，安全问题仍被认为是脆弱的。

A series of deadly suicide bombings this year drove up the death toll¹² and reversed six-months of falling casualty figures. But, the U.S. military says it does not yet indicate a new trend.

今年发生的一系列造成伤亡的爆炸使得死亡人数再次上升，让6个月来逐渐减少的死亡人数反降为升。但是美国军方说，这些数字还没有成为新趋势的指标。

As the U.S. leaders were in Baghdad, bombs in the capital killed at least four people, including a policeman, and wounded several others.

就在这些美国领导人在巴格达逗留之际，首都发生的炸弹爆炸又造成至少4人丧生，其中包括一名警察，还导致一些人受伤。

Explosions were also heard near the "Green Zone," the heavy security area that houses the Iraqi government and the U.S. Embassy. But, it is not clear if anyone was injured.

爆炸还发生在一处绿区附近。这里有重兵把守，是伊拉克政府和美国大使馆所在地。但是目前还不清楚是否有人员伤亡。