2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Optimistic Iraq Will Form National Un

By Scott Stearns
White House
24 February 2006

President Bush says he is optimistic that Iraq will succeed in forming a government of national unity¹, despite sectarian violence following this week's bombing of one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam.

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George Bush addresses American Legion members Friday   
  

President Bush says the enemies of freedom in Iraq are working to stop democracy because they are scared.

"They understand a democratic Iraq will be a major defeat in their totalitarian aims," he said. "They are going to continue their campaign of violence and destruction."

Mr. Bush says the world saw the terrorists' brutality² in Wednesday's bombing of a Shi'ite shrine³ in Samarra, which set off a wave of reprisals⁴ that killed more than 200 people.

The president again condemned⁵ that bombing, saying it was an affront⁶ to people of all faiths. He vowed⁷ to help bring those responsible to justice, and repeated calls for calm.

"Many religious leaders are committed to a unified⁸ Iraq, a peaceful Iraq," he said. "The response by the Grand Ayatollah Sistani and many other leaders has been constructive⁹ and very important, and we appreciate their leadership."

In a speech to U.S. military veterans, Mr. Bush said, this is a moment of choosing for the Iraqi people, and a time of testing for Iraqi security forces, who he says, U.S. generals report are doing a fine job in enforcing curfews and working to restore order.

"We can expect the coming days will be intense," he said. "Iraq remains¹⁰ a serious situation, but I'm optimistic because the Iraqi people have spoken."

He says they spoke¹¹ by participating in December elections, sending what he says was a clear signal to the world and to terrorists that they want freedom and democracy.

The president says forming a government from those elections will be a difficult and exhausting process. He encouraged politicians to reach out across religious and sectarian lines to build a government of national unity.

Once established, that government will face tough decisions on security, reconstruction¹², and economic reform. Mr. Bush says it will need to earn the confidence of the Iraqi people by showing it can protect them from terrorists, by putting a stop to human rights abuses by security officials, and by protecting minority rights.

1 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

2 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

3 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

4 reprisals   

n.报复（行为）( reprisal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They did not want to give evidence for fear of reprisals. 他们因为害怕报复而不想作证。
• They took bloody reprisals against the leaders. 他们对领导进行了血腥的报复。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

6 affront   

n./v.侮辱，触怒

参考例句：

• Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。
• This remark caused affront to many people.这句话得罪了不少人。

7 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

8 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

9 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

10 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。

11 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。

12 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。