2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Defends Port Deal

By Scott Stearns
Washington
23 February 2006

President Bush is defending a deal that would allow a company owned by the United Arab Emirates to manage commercial shipping¹ operations at six major U.S. ports. Mr. Bush is facing opposition² from both Republicans and Democrats³ who say the deal threatens national security.

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George W. Bush 
  

President Bush says the more people learn about the transaction, the more they will be comforted that U.S. ports will be secure.

"People do not need to worry about security," he said. "This deal would not go forward if we were concerned about the security for the United States of America."

Republican leaders of both the Senate and the House of Representatives have expressed concern about the deal and are threatening legislation to block it.

President Bush has responded with a threat of his own: to veto any measure that would delay or disrupt the contract which was approved by officials from 12 federal agencies.
 

A truck towing a cargo⁴ container is x-rayed before leaving the Port of Miami, Feb. 21, 2006  
  
The controversy⁵ arose following the pending⁶ purchase of a British firm which now manages those port operations by Dubai Ports World, which is owned by the families who run the United Arab Emirates.

President Bush says opponents of the deal apparently⁷ believe it is alright for a British firm to manage those ports but not a company from the UAE which, he says, is also a valuable ally in the fight against terrorism.

"It' is really important we not send mixed messages to friends and allies around the world as we put together a coalition⁸ to fight this war on terror. And so, we will continue to talk to people in Congress and explain clearly why the decision was made," said Mr. Bush.

Critics say the UAE has a mixed record when it comes to fighting terrorism, as the UAE recognized the former Taleban government in Afghanistan and was the site for some of the planning for the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

President Bush did not learn about the port deal until it was already approved. The White House now admits it should have briefed members of Congress sooner.

In an effort to blunt bipartisan opposition to the deal, the Bush administration is focusing on the strength of bilateral⁹ relations with the UAE, which include operational support for the U.S. Air Force and Navy and participation¹⁰ in screening shipping containers before they are sent to the United States.

The White House says the UAE is fighting terrorists by exchanging information and cutting off their financing. A statement says the UAE is an important ally in Afghanistan and Iraq and was one of the first nations to offer financial assistance following Hurricane Katrina.

1 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 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》

4 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

5 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。

6 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

7 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

8 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

9 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

10 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。