2006年VOA标准英语-US Legislators Debate Sending More Troops as Vi

By Michael Bowman
Washington
24 December 2006

Iraqi man injured in a roadside bomb blast lies in a bed in Baghdad's Kindi hospital, 24 Dec 2006

Roadside bombs and sectarian violence have claimed the lives of at least 11 Iraqi security force members and three U.S. soldiers in various parts of the country. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington, the continued violence comes as American legislators debate whether President Bush should send more U.S. troops to Iraq.

A roadside bomb killed three American soldiers and wounded another in Baghdad. U.S. military sources say the explosion struck the soldiers' vehicle as it was traveling in the eastern part of the city.

Elsewhere, a suicide bomber¹ killed seven Iraqi policemen and wounded dozens of others at a police station northeast of Baghdad. At least four Iraqi security force members were also killed in clashes with militiamen in the southern city of Samawa.

Meanwhile, scores of bodies, many showing signs of torture, have been found in Baghdad and elsewhere in the country.

Continued violence and sectarian strife² have led President Bush to reassess U.S. strategy in Iraq. Mr. Bush has promised to unveil a new plan next month. Among the options believed to be under consideration is an increase in U.S. troops deployed³ to Iraq, an idea that has the support of Republican Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, who sits on the Armed Services Committee.

"The security environment in Baghdad is very much deteriorated⁴. You are not going to have a political solution [in Iraq] with this much violence, so a surge of troops is, I think, very necessary," said Graham. "Political reform without additional combat capability⁵ is not going to lead to a successful outcome in Iraq. If you want to win, you need more combat capability. We have never had enough troops to begin with. We have paid a price for that."

The senator spoke⁶ on ABC's This Week television program. Also appearing on the program was Senator Christopher Dodd. The Connecticut Democrat⁷, who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, recently returned from a trip to Iraq and said he opposes sending more U.S. troops.

"The commanders I talked to last week, and soldiers on the ground, felt that a surge in troops of 15,000 to 30,000 additional troops was not going to contribute to the diplomatic solution that Iraq cries out for," he said. "I do not see any mission associated with this [proposal]. It sounds to me like a tactic⁸ in search of a strategy. Adding as many as 30,000 troops to the Baghdad would be a mistake and cause us even more difficulty down the road."

Last week, President Bush admitted that the United States is not winning in Iraq. The president added, however, that he remains⁹ committed to the goal of fostering democracy in Iraq, and that he is considering all options for bringing about a favorable outcome.

1 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

2 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

3 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

4 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

5 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

6 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。

7 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。

8 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。