西部落：布什任内最后一年的回顾

Year in review: President Bush

The AP looks back on the challenges president Bush faced in his last year in office

George W Bush hoped his last year as president will be remembered for scenes like these: troops hoist¹ to come home in triumph from Iraq where bloodshed is dramatically down. You have shown that there is no task too difficult for the United States military. But now Bush's final year will also be known for unprecedented² financial panic. The massive Federal rescue that has stanched³ free market tear was then forced to order and the historic economic downturn that engulf⁴ the country. If you don't take decisive measures, then it's conceivable that our country keep going into a depression, greater than the greater depression. And if that weren't enough, though the Iraq war is going better, many Iraqis still smolder⁵ as Bush found out during a year and a news conference there. At meantime, Afghanistan is dramatically worse, US intelligence says the war there is spiraling downward, and commanders are scrambling⁶ to send in more troops. Against that background, Bush's poll number sank to record loans,so low that GOP candidates shunned⁷ him during the campaign, but still took a feeting on the Election Night, that means Bush will soon hand the keys to the oval office to the other Party. Yet looking back, he tells reporters he's got no regrets. When the time comes on January the 20th, Laura and I will return home to Texas, we treasure the memories of our time here. Still, Bush makes no secret, he's counting the days. Mark Smith, the Associated Press, the White House.

AP回顾了布什总统任期内最后一年面临的挑战。

布什总统希望大家回忆起他任期内最后一年的如下情景：伊拉克境内伤亡急剧下降，美国军队凯旋回国。你已经看到，对美国军队来说，任何任务都不困难。但是，布什总统任期内最后一年也面临前所未有的金融危机。自由市场遭到严重打击，历史性的经济低迷吞没全国，政府不得不采取大规模的联邦救援。如果不采取果断措施，可以想象，国家必将进入比上世纪30年代大萧条更严重的衰退状态。虽然伊拉克战争形势好转，但是布什总统在那里开新闻发布会时发现，许多伊拉克人仍然愤懑不平。同时，阿富汗状况恶化，美国情报部门表示，战争形势螺旋状下滑，派往阿富汗的指挥官要求增援部队。在这种背景下，布什的民意支持率下降到历史最低纪录，以至于在总统竞选活动中遭受民主党候选人的抨击。但是在大选之夜，他不得不将白宫椭圆形办公室的钥匙交给另外一个政党。然而，他告诉记者，回顾过去，他没有任何遗憾。1月20日，我和劳拉会回到得克萨斯的家，我们珍惜在这里的美好回忆。但是布什仍然坦言，离去的日子已经屈指可数了，他会倍加珍惜。

1 hoist   

n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起

参考例句：

• By using a hoist the movers were able to sling the piano to the third floor.搬运工人用吊车才把钢琴吊到3楼。
• Hoist the Chinese flag on the flagpole,please!请在旗杆上升起中国国旗！

2 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

3 stanched   

v.使（伤口）止血( stanch的过去式 )；止（血）；使不漏；使不流失

参考例句：

• Sophia stanched the blood with a cloth. 索菲亚用一布块止住了血。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Results 26 patients were all stanched by the way above-mentioned. 结果26例患者经上述治疗后全部止血。 来自互联网

4 engulf   

vt.吞没，吞食

参考例句：

• Floodwaters engulf a housing project in the Bajo Yuna community in central Dominican Republic.洪水吞没了多米尼加中部巴杰优那社区的一处在建的住房工程项目。
• If we are not strong enough to cover all the minds up,then they will engulf us,and we are in danger.如果我们不够坚强来抵挡大众的意念，就会有被他们吞没的危险。

5 smolder   

v.无火焰地闷烧；n.焖烧，文火

参考例句：

• The smolder will soon be a flame.闷火很快变为烈焰。
• It can smolder undetected for hours,then suddenly explode in fiery destruction.也有可能好几小时内不被发觉，突然激烈的爆炸。

6 scrambling   

v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 shunned   

v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was shunned by her family when she remarried. 她再婚后家里人都躲着她。
• He was a shy man who shunned all publicity. 他是个怕羞的人，总是避开一切引人注目的活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》